How do you correspond with someone who writes "inappropriate messages?

[Dorothy138]

I had a message below from a guest as part of a correspondence about a potential stay.  The man was asking for a job, which is honest enough, but I was concerned about the way he approached it. It seemed to me to be suddenly flirtatious and/or seeking to manipulate. 

I guess I have two questions as a newby AirBnB host:

*How would you respond to a message like this? and

*Is there any support available from AirBnB when something like this occurs?  What support.

Thanks for your answers.  His message is below.

Warmly

Dorothy

His message:

Dear Dorothy,
I'm sorry I could not answer your, couse I had a lot of obligations these days.
I would like to come in beautiful London and your beautiful country, couse I love your people.
Dear English woman, I would like to work for you, or your family. Would you find me a job on your ranch?
With love
Sinisa

[Emiel1]

@Dorothy138 

Allthough the wording is a little unuseal, i do not see something really inappropriate in the message (but english is not my primary language...).

Simply answer you can offer accommodation, but not a job. If you experience the message as inappropriate, you can use the "flag" link in it to report to Airbnb.

Hope this helps,

Emiel

[Dorothy138]

Thanks Emiel - it does help. I  will look for the flag option.

[Maxine3]

Hi @Dorothy138  This has no relevance to your business! You don’t know him. You are selling accommodation. I would avoid this guy like the plague! It is inappropriate to the booking. I would even consider flagging him to ABnB as it is a strange message. He doesn’t know you either, - and why would you have a ranch in London? It is B/S!

I have heard about approaches like this on ‘Face ache’ from total strangers (male)  trying to ‘friend’ women friends of mine. I would guess he is asking for a free stay but the ‘love’ bit makes me think he is going to try and woo you and then blag you with a hard luck story......🤣😅😂 (laughing till I cry icons!) 🙂

[Dorothy138]

Thanks for responding... I also found it odd.

I did try to flag it to AirBnB... found the options limited by their system.

Any advice on how to flag?

Dorothy.

[Ann72]

@Dorothy138  It sounds like the language used by scammers ("Blessed Dear One" or whatever they always seem to say), although it could just be someone whose English lessons were sketchy at best.  He might think a "ranch" is any kind of accommodation.  🙂

Are you choosing "report user" next to the message in your inbox?  If so, yes, the options limited.  You are pretty much forced to choose "being abusive or hostile" and then in the next box, just write that they're not actually abusive or hostile but that you find them inappropriate and want to block them.

Certainly don't waste your time corresponding with this person.

[Ann72]

@Dorothy138  Oops, you have to answer or you get scolded.  @Emiel1's advice is sound (as usual!).  Be starchy so he won't be encouraged.

[Dorothy138]

Thanks, Ann... I answered and I was starchy! 

[Cormac0]

@Dorothy138 

He's either very naïve or a free loader, the former, one can have sympathy for, the latter you do not want to touch with a barge pole.

Reading between the lines of what he's written, I strongly suggest he's a free loader....

[Dorothy138]

Hi @Cormac0  and thank you for responding.

From my prior correspondence with him I suspect he's young and very naive.  He has been asking questions about the UK job market and clearly hadn't done some really obvious things like searching for online articles or discussion groups.  I did a search and sent him some information and he hasn't made any reference to acting on that.

The rather sudden shift in tone does seem to point to the hope that someone will take them under his wing and offer everything on a plate - perhaps naive AND a freeloader.

I'm rather grateful that the room is booked now and I have let him know I would prefer him not to stay.  I have also reported him.