How Does Instant Book Work? Concerned because a convicted felon instant booked my listing

[Melanie58]

Hello.  I have had my listing on Airbnb for 15 minutes.  During that time I turned on Instant Book because it said that the guests were verified by Airbnb.  My first guest quickly snapped up a three days stay.  I noticed it was a local person, which I thought was odd.  I googled this person, then searched their criminal history, and long story short, it is a local felon with a very lengthy record.  I did not feel comfortable having this person stay with my family, so I quickly cancelled the reservation.  

However, I now wonder if since they booked with "instant book" if they already received my address and other information about my home.  Do you know how much information is instantly shared with someone who books via instant book?

[Nick62]

There is no instant booking in the basics

House manual, wifi, room types

Can you explain again how to turn off instant booking?

[Knight0]

Yes, there is no Instant Book under Basics. I had turned this off when I first started working on my listing a week or so ago, but once I published it it was turned on and there's nowhere to turn it off! This is a huge problem!! I've searched everywhere and all through the forums here and no one is providing an answer that works, at least not for new hosts! 

UPDATE: well I think I just found it. At the bottom of most any Airbnb page (but not in Community it seems) you'll see Instant Book listed under Hosting at the bottom right. Click that and you can get to Your Listing. Next to "Calendar and More" and "Preview" there's a lightening bolt that's yellow. Click it and it turns gray. I'm assuming this is it, but there's no indication as to what the symbol means, so it's just an assumption. Man, what a cryptic way to control this!

[Ronda4]

Hi Knight,

Thanks a million for that.  It's fairly complicated to find all these hidden controls, but with your help I have changed my settings.

Best

RonFog

[Dunny0]

Hi Knight,

We're trying this tack - suggested by another member of this community - set the nightly rental rate to the maximum

for the maximum number of possible guests. Even better, make it a fair bit higher. Result: you'll appear and be listed,

but no one will dare 'Instant Book'. In the description, ask folks browsing to contact you for smaller groups and major discounts.

Tossing around other ideas as well. Keep checking these boards for advice from long-time hosts.

[Sarah282]

Air bnb  now force instant booking onto you and you can not turn it off it is there new policy and there is no means of letting them know that you don't like this. You can put pre conditions but if someone ticks the boxes that they meet the conditions then they can instant book. 

I am now looking for an alternative provider as this is  very unsafe policy.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Melanie58

Thank you for sharing this experience and bringing up an important issue.

I had a similar experience, and because I was not on Instant Book, I was saved the automatic revealing of my access information with a man with a long record who I would not want in my home.

The not so clear profile photo made me uneasy, so I did a more thorough search online than I usually do. I found mug shots with features that were a match for what was in the photo, and a long rap sheet.  This is a local man who professed that he was scouting for his parents' visit, as his home was not comfortable for them to stay in. I reported him to Airbnb, and was unhappy that his profile remained up for longer than I would have wanted. I would not want other hosts to be potential victims. Since he is local, I still feel vulnerable, as just the map with road name on our page is enough to tell anyone where we are who can do a map search online.

I have not used Instant Book, and do not plan to. I want to get an intuitive feel for a prospective guest from how they appear in their photo. I also do a search online for them, check out how they present themselves on Facebook and who they are on LinkedIn. I don't care what color they are, who they sleep with, how they worship, or where they are from. I am interested in who they are as people. I hold high standards of integrity for myself and expect that of others I welcome into my home.

We all have photos of our home and amenities, descriptions of our places for the public to browse and information about ourselves. This does leave us wide open for thieves and opportunists. I believe that if I had to use instant book I would de-list my home. Other than the violation and harm done by thieves, I could rationalize that it is "just stuff" that could be replaced, and covered by insurance. The insidious part of it is that trust has been violated, and boundaries. It makes us feel vulnerable in our own space, and even physically so. That is not what we signed up for.

[Laura446]

There should be an extra option to only allow people with 4-5 or more positive reviews to instant book. Right now the most stringent filter is to allow people with verifications and 1 positive review to instant book. This seems like it would be a relatively easy solution on Airbnb's part.

[Lee-And-Bill0]

I'm looking to keep instant book on but not allow a previous guest - about whom I wrote as bad a review as I could (my Airbnb learning curve about intervening when a guest breaks the house rules)- not allowing this person to instant book again. No permanent damage so I didn't complain to Airbnb but he and his party were if not dealing weed they were cutting it - disappeared on the last night and left me their scale and a sweet tobacco mess to clean up. Can you block a guest from booking?

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lee-And-Bill0

I don't know about blocking a guest from booking, however there is a flag you can check to report the behavior to the company.

[Helen3]

If you wrote a bad review and gave the guest the thumbs down, I don't think they should be able to use Instant Book.

[Marty9]

     I have been fortunate with the Instant Book feature and Airbnb in general.  As a single woman, I've always insisted that anyone staying with me have both recommendations from other hosts and a government-issued ID.
     With the option to turn on Instant Book for individuals who meet those qualifications, I opted in with the appropriate checkmarks and felt perfectly comfortable with the system.
     In the past two days, however, I have been faced with two IBs featuring the new "personal info" verification, which means absolutely nothing.  I really don't care if someone has an email, a phone number, and a Facebook account.  I don't care if they give you the name of their first born or the breed of their favorite dog.  I want to know that if there is some malfeasance  the police can get a legitimate identification on the perpetrator.  Evidently, Airbnb has decided those of us who checked the requirement that guests provide a government-issued ID don't really mean it.
     I called about the first booking and was assured that it wouldn't happen again, but that the personal info verification was just as effective as the government-issued ID (yeah, right!), and that they would contact the guest to request ID.  Then, today, a woman with the 'personal info' verification did an instant booking for the day after tomorrow and sent a message saying it would just be her and her two-year-old.  I had to immediately reply that I don't accept children.  She has agreed to have the child stay with his cousins while they are in town.
     When I called about this repeat situation this evening, I was told to take off Instant Booking.  
      Of course, when you take off IB, you are advised that you will NOT have the 'luxury' of canceling penalty-free if guests violate house rules.  In other words, there will be serious penalties if you choose to disable this feature due to the fact that Airbnb can't be trusted to adhere to their own rules.  Hardly seems right.
      Has anyone else run into this type of situation?

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Marty9

With people who break house rules, I believe one can get them rehoused if needed, or get compensation via the reconciliation process.

[Diana103]

Dealing with the reconciliation process is a pain in the butt.  Wouldn't it be easier and safer to just not  accept bad guests?, 

[Karen109]

If you take off instant book you will be relegated to the bottom of the barrel when guests do searches.  Effectively minimizing any bookings you might get.  It really is not host friendly.  But then, Airbnb does not seem to care.

[Alicia242]

@Marty0. I a new to IB and single women also. A airbnb host 1.5yrs and a Superhost now too. I had a weird situtation occur last night and I am now very skeptical of the quality of people that may try to IB my lovely townhouse. I have had a great experience the past 1.5 yrs as a host. I would like more bookings throughout the year but I want quality guests. Thankfully in the end the girl and her BF no-showed. After numerous correspondences texts and on airbnb she assured me she was all set and knew how to enter the home I was hitting the hay early she siad " yes ma'am I said ok just want to be sure as my phone is silenced at night. I wait up this am to 8 missed called around 11;45p and a text that she cant find the house !! meanwhile I have photos and very decriptive details where I live maps etc) they must have been drunk! I cant have this happening at my home... I just now changed that the guest needs to have a recommend from another host, read house rules, photo id, govenment id and email.( but as you pointed out what does that do to protect us!?  They should have it mandatory the guests has to have a  written profile filled out+++. I did not notice that ugh even though the girl ( she looked young too)  had an account with airbnb for 1.5 yrs she never traveled.( I missed that ) Not sure what to do  I just read a women had a felon in her home!! reading the forums here on airbnb! She googled the guy and found this out. How does airbnb not know this info. Any encouraging words I will see if the changes I made this am help and if not I am shutting IB off and im sure Ill be penalized which stinks. safety first