Guests Can Register Under False Names

Karen783
Level 2
Sevierville, TN

Guests Can Register Under False Names

Did you know that guests can register their profile under a false name?

 

Did you know that guests can change their name on their profile AFTER they have registered?

 

Did you know that guests profile names do not have to match the verified ID they presented at time of creating their profile?

 

I recently had a guest stay under the name SM, don't get me wrong he was a OK guest 2 days later I see in my message thread that he has changed his name to EBJ. After contacting support I find that guests do not have to register under their own names. If that is the case what is the point of 'verifying' a guest and how is that safe for us as hosts.?

The question I ask is who actually slept in my home and if something had gone wrong who do I chase???

It was suggested that I ask for ID. But if I ask for ID then refuse entry the guest can just use Air Bnb's policy of not having to register under their own name against me. Then how do I know that the person standing on my door step is actually the person who booked and paid for the reservation?

This notion of being able to register under a different name and the option to change their name AFTER they have been verified puts us as hosts in a very precarious position. What type of security is that????

The name that appears on the guest drivers license or passport is the name that should appear on their guest profile. It's hard enough for hosts to discern who is staying with puppy dogs, backs of heads and hearts as profile photos let alone the wrong name being used as well!!! 

What are your thought as hosts and how secure do you feel now?

1 Reply 1
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Karen783  Good info, but something a great many of us are aware of. You can't trust Airbnb's guest verifications at all.

 

What you can do is make it a requirement that guest photos have to be an actual clear face photo, not a cartoon character, a plate of spaghetti, or a picture of their cat.