Lack of Guests review history

[Alison128]

Hi,

I recently hosted 2 guests  which were a couple and couldnt see any reviews on them

They didnt have access to internet thus offered to pay in cash which I accepted

Although all our comminucation and booking was made through Airbnb there is no trace of them being my guests

Is the reason for this becasue they paid in cash?

I also want to give them a poor review they were not good guests I thought this would help future hosts as I didnt have the advantage of having a review of them.

How can I review them if they are not in my guest history or transaction history?

Best wishes

Alison

[Linda108]

@Alison128  You did not use the Air BNB system as it meant to be used.  That is, the guest makes and pays for the reservation through Air BNB.  Any other way is just a private exchange between host and guest.  You thought you were communicating through Air BNB but perhaps someone hacked the system.  You have one good review, so you are on your way in this business.  Still you should be certain about understanding how this platform work and this host site is a good resource as is the Help Center.  You might consider turning off Instant Book until you gain more experience with booking guests.  That would allow you to look at a profile of a guest who is sending a booking inquiry.  You should stick to accepting booking requests from guests who already have positive reviews for a while.  Good luck with your new  business.

[Alison128]

Hi Linda,

Thank you for your quick response

I received the enquiry through my inbox ...how do I verify that they guests makes reservation THROUGH airbnb

Is there a way I can protect other hosts, the guests are travelling through Africa thus I'm sure I wont be the only host they contact . Or is it simply live and let live on this one

Best wishes

Alison

[Linda108]

@Alison128  Are you able to click on their profile picture and see their profile?  If so, you can see a flag under the name.  Click on the flag and report the user.  If the issue is hacking, Air BNB will be able to see that.  If it is a system problem, Air BNB will be able to see that as well.  

[Alison128]

Done !

I didnt report on hacking Im not sure that they did ....but their profile is incomplete so I said the profile shouldnt be on airbnb

Wow Linda youve been an incredible help thank you so much

Best wishes

Alison

[Steve143]

Hello @Alison128,

Did the guest send you and inquiry or a reservation request?

There's an important difference between the two.

See this post by Dave & Deb.

Reservation-Inquiry-or-Request-What-s-the-Difference?

If they send you an enquiry they have not paid and there is no booking contract with you on the Airbnb system. Guests usually send this if they have some questions before they decide to book.

If they send you a reservation request and you select "Approve" then they guest pays Airbnb immediately and your calendar shows the days as booked and so there is a then booking contract between you and the guest.

It looks like they sent you an inquiry as you say that there is no trace on the system of a booking.

They probably did this to avoid paying the fees which Airbnb charges guests. You should never accept or pay out cash in any transaction with guests. Airbnb will then not support you should there be any problem.

What methods of payment does Airbnb accept?

Steve.

[Alison128]

Oh my goodness Steve this answers eerything it was an enquiry !!

Ofcourse I was so surprised that they didnt have access to internet payment why would you travel and book a room without access.

I've fallen into a statistic rookie mistake havent I 🙂

Thanks so much for the advice , I have been schooled:-)

best wishes

Alison