Pending guest that has no reviews and no bio info

[Karen423]

I'm not comfortable hosting a guest under these circumstances, my system is set up with "auto approval" so it got by me...   If there are concerns over safety does Air Bnb drop my rating for cancelling? also, does anyone else have input on hosting someone without any reviews and short bio.   ( the one sentence he had was "an easy going guy that likes to drink occasionally).   I will cancel this reservation but wanted input.   

This makes me wonder about Air BNB vetting...

[Alain125]

I see... Thank you !

Is this filter a default option for new or inexperienced users ?

In my view (also in the light of the bad experiences other folks related on this thread) I think we should request of AirBnB that they change this.

It's up to each of us (both guests and hosts) to figure out what their preference is with respect to IB, IP

[Robert117]

NEVER use IB. NEVER. This is an option that profits AirBnB alone, and not the host. I vet everyone very carefully and insist that they discuss with me in ongoing, AirBnB-sanctioned chat, back and forth several times, before I approve them. Reservations made without chat are all immediately and respectfully declined by me - it is in my listing.  

I don't understand why IB is used at all by people. It opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. I want to know as much as is respectfully and politely possible about my guests before they get my permission to book. That said - I'm a SuperHost in NYC. I have made a few poor choices, but surprisingly few.

But some guests are first-timers, and may not have reviews. I often don't look at reviews at all. If they write voluminously (as I do) and respond with openness and detail about who they are and why they're coming, I book them - based on their own words. People who write one sentence - "I want to stay in your apartment" - I decline. Just about always - with a full polite explanation, and an offer to rebook at a Special Offer if they come back to me with a LOT OF WRITING.

I only book people who WRITE A LOT. I don't trust fast texters and mobile phone misspelled quickies. Upshot - I get great, smart, interactive guests, always. Some don't like the place once they're in - which is fine! - but I try to make sure it's a right fit.

It's a lot of work, but worth it. Reviews? Okay? Not necessary. People who write and spell correctly and express themselves? a shoe-in. By the way - I have a 5 day minimum stay and a $600 deposit. So. 

[Sharon64]

Hi Robert, Good post. I use IB but I have a 3 day minimum and clearly state what I expect in a guest. I also have a $300 secuirty deposit. Since going to a 3 day minimum as oppossed to a 2 day miniumum and now charge for a second person I have not had any problems.  Most people who IB actually send me a communication telling me about them and their reason for the visit.  A few months ago somehow my system changed my minimum to 2 days and two people tried to IB...one I denied because she wanted to give me cash...I tried to explain about the 3 day minimum but she did not want to hear it. I called Airbnb and they told me to deny her as not comfortable and they would keep an eye on her activities while using Airbnb. She sent me a note saying she was well-known worldwide and is a keynote speaker for the Girl Scouts and an author of children's books....I did not reply. If she is all of this, then where is her intregrity? The other (a man)  I explained my minimum was 3 days and I didn't know why it stated 2. He found another place and was OK with it.

[Niki24]

I think a common thread that is emerging here is that airbnb sometimes changes a host's regulations quite arbitrarily without the host being aware.  I do not know if this is a glitch in the system somewhere, or airbnb introducing new regulations willy-nilly without letting hosts know.

In my case, I did not activate IB and therefore did not know it was on.  I was completely flummoxed as to why people were confirming and paying without my being given the option to say yes or no.  It was only after several bad experiences that I went onto the Community Help forum to find out why this was happening, and discovered this thing called IB.  Then I found it frustratingly difficult to disable it.

Perhaps, as one commentator here suggested, I had unwittingly enabled it when I was doing my listing - if that was the case, then I really did not know what I was letting myself in for!  I think airbnb should then be a little more explicit about what various aspects of their regulations mean.

Perhaps airbnb can be a little more circumspect about introducing new things?  After all, the company was VERY upfront about the new regulations regarding discrimination, etc... so why not be as upfront about other things?  And then give people the choice as to whether they want it or not.

[Annette33]

@Alain125 , I so agree with you that it is up to each one of us to figure out what our preference is - but that means to put some time and effort into the learning process.

Each country may be different, I only know what it looks like right now in the US:

1.) though I have heard it repeatedly that new hosts are automatically assigned to Instant Booking, I am not convinced that is accurate information, as I do see plenty of new hosts who don't have it on. Makes me think that some new hosts just don't study the options carefully enough and just click on IB as their booking method without understanding the implications- but the choice was/is always there NOT to use it.

2.) the information that hosts with IB on get preferential  placings in the listings: not convinced either that that is true: in my community there are plenty non IB listings, mine included, and we always have good visibility.

3.)  the information  that potential guests get automaticalky assigned to only look at IB listings : when I look at  listings in any other city or country, yes, there comes a pop up screen to tell me I could click on IB listings only, but that is an invitation to do so, it is NOT automatically set up that way . As far as I can tell, both hosts and guests have the option to use it, but it is neither mandatory  nor set automatically when looking at properties.

[Robert117]

Absolutely. Never use IB.

[Rue3]

Yes one time I accidentally/inadvertently approved someone which seconds later I realized I should not have(reason no reviews and cartoon character instead of nice personal photo.) I did not have a warm and fuzzy or safety Concern so because of my canceling the customer which was 3 weeks before arrival I lost my SUPERHOST status for a year. For that reason I do not use the Instant Book in order that I can control whom I host.

[Robert117]

Yes, Rue, I just lost my SuperHost status too and it was a bummer - and my own fault because I booked an elderly lady fast, and even though I explained everything to her - she complained about the stairs (which she knew about). NEVER AGAIN!! Get them to WRITE LENGTHILY and ACKNOWLEDGE THEY KNOW EVERYTHING about your place! Lost my SH grade and it's my own fault - because I booked the wrong woman.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2565129

check the reviews - you'll see. I gave the lady a nice review but - watch out! she doesn't belong on AirBnB! interested parties can see who I mean...

[Robert117]

I just received this lovely inquiry - it's the kind of inquiry that I accept (names covered)....this is what I look for, and nothing less:

<<Hi Robert,

Trust this reaches you well.

My girlfriend and myself love the look of your apartment, its location and the description and I wanted to request to see if there is any availability from xxx to xxx 2017? This trip is purely a leisure holiday for the both of us.

We have visited the US multiple times and always love coming back. We would visit NYC every year if we could. A little bit about ourselves, my name is xxxx (age 35) and my girlfriend's name is xxxx (Age 30). We live in xxxxx, Western Australia however I grew up in Melbourne and xxxx grew up in Perth.

xxxx is a high school teacher and also a tennis coach meanwhile I work in the xxxx and have done so for the past 15 years - mainly in the xxxx sector.

We both love to travel, love good food and coffee and are both avid sports fans. Coupled with this we like to stay fit and are both planning on running a marathon this year in xxxx.

Again, I hope this reaches you well and look forward in hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards, 

xxxx>>>

When a host requests information, it should be no more than what my prospective guest offers here I believe, but this sort of an inquiry, from my experience (and with my deposit, stay-length, and the fact that I will not use IB) is what I think is the start of a good rental relationship.  By the way, I answered him immediately. I need to try to get my SuperHost status back!

Just sharing...

[Terri22]

I too just approved a guest that basically has NO info on themselves? Makes me nervous, I thought they had to fill out a bio or something???

[Jack70]

Terry you are going to have a lot of those, since most of the guests are new to the system. What I do is if I have any doubts, I ask many questions. With Europeans, I have no problems whatsoever, we love to have them, they are more accustmed to Bed and Breakfast places.