Potential guests with no reviews or profile

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Sarah883
Level 5
Cardiff, United Kingdom

Potential guests with no reviews or profile

Hi there,

I have recently had three potentail bookings, all from people with no profile information and no reviews.

I'm wondering what other hosts do in this situation?

Thanks!

Sara

1 Best Answer

I agree with  @Debra300 .    Communication between a guest with no reviews  and hosts is extremely important! As someone else noted, a guest has to start somewhere. To date, I have been lucky, even with LTRs with 0 or 1 review. But i had several conversations via Airbnb messaging to get a feel for them and to ask their reason for visiting the area, confirming that the space can only accommodate 2 ppl max, and asking them to read my house rules and agree in writing to following them. 

Also James, don’t forget, even a person with good reviews can turn out to be a very disappointing guest. 

But the most important thing is to always, always follow your gut instinct. 

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87 Replies 87

I'm fairly certain you have the ability to unblock dates that Airbnb has automatically blocked because you declined a guest. I have had to decline guests on occasion because I had a potential conflict with the date & did not want to later have to cancel booking. I leave it blocked and appreciate Airbnb taking the date out of play until we know for sure it is available. It is very simple to unblock, and think it can be done even on the same day it was blocked.

Didn't happen like that for me. I definitely tried and couldn't unblock the dates. 

The date blocking bothers me, too. My experience has been that inquiries by newbies are almost always cancelled anyway.

Vanessa-and-Kurt0
Level 10
Farmington, CT

@Sarah883

I require profile information: photo, Approved ID, etc. in order to book.

As far as no reviews, if they are coming for only 1 or 2 nights for a valid reason (wedding, job interview, visit family...). I approve them but in my welcome I say something like "I see you are new to AirBnB, Welcome! I want to make sure your first stay is 5 star (*see what I did there 😉 *). Please make sure you have read my whole listing: Reviews, rules, information (*I don't say JUST rules, it sounds rude and I want them to get the gist of my reviews as well*), I am available if you have any questions at all. Please make sure to confirm your checkin time and names of any other guest that will be accompanying you as soon as possible. I look forward to meeting you (*I make sure to say meeting so they don't switch people or think they can bring a party*).

Good luck!

Thanks  Vanessa, that's really useful, I think I'll write something similar.

Used this almost verbatim. The guest updated their profile immediately and was pleasant in doing so. Their booking is coming up I’ll update with the results. 

Hey blah, I see you are new to AirBnB, Welcome! I want to make sure you and you wife’s first stay is 5 star. Please make sure you have read my whole listing: Reviews, rules, information. I normally don’t rent to guests without a verified photo id. Once you add that verification I will confirm your reservation. I am available if you have any questions at all. Please make sure to confirm your checkin time and names of any other guest that will be accompanying you as soon as possible there after. I look forward to meeting you. Good luck!”

As a “Newbie” I appreciate this approach. I am a mature adult who, along with three friends, needed accommodations last fall. I had never tried Airbnb but with a group it made sense. We are all State Workers coming in for a race that we were participating in.

 

I was declined three times due to no reviews. I provided details about us and our stay and have a complete profile. 

Finally I was approved by what appears to be a large management firm. Our stay was great and I left a great review. They never left one... so I am still without reviews.

 

So I understand the risk that the property owners take in sharing their homes, but I truly appreciate anyone willing to take a chance (with due diligence) 🙂

This is what I do as well. I ALWAYS meet the guests before them checking in. I feel it gives a more human element and I feel people are more likely to treat my belongings more respectfully when they can attach a personality with the place.

 

New guests are kind of annoying. First of all, you generally know you will have a bit more cleaning because they confuse AirBnB with hotel accommodation.  I ALWAYS ask new guests to please review the house rules before check in to maintain the peaceful nature of our environment and to respect the peace of our neighbors. If it is a nice quiet relaxing environment they want, we are happy to accommodate them, but if it is a new guest who doesn't quite have the etiquette for Airbnb, I usually refuse their stay.

This is gold!

Thank you so much. I have used this twice now and it has worked a treat.

 

@Sarah883   I have many guests with no reviews and all have been on the great side of the equation. I have equally had people with great reviews and extensive profles who were a nightmare,  I found out afterwards that their prior hosts who gave them stellar reviews felt the same way!   I think @Allison116 @Vanessa-and-Kurt0 advice is great, communicate with them and go from there. If you feel comfortable go for it, if not don't.

 

p.s. I looked at your listing and you are verified with Government ID, my understanding is that guests had to have Gvernment ID to book because you have it.  Airbnb also says, to book all guests must have e-mail, phone number etc. I would contact airbnb because "declining" a number of guests in a row can result in you being penalized and dropped down the search list.  I have had a few like this, Airbnb told me they were 'probably' new guests and 'probably' in process of adding the information but never-the-less Airbnb let them Instant Book my place and sent them my address with not even an email to their nom de plume and an image of a wall as profile picture.  A glitch?

Sarah883
Level 5
Cardiff, United Kingdom

Thanks Ange, I didn't know that. One was a new member but the other two had been on Airbnb a while, and I was a bit puzzled as I thought profile was required information. I will contact Airbnb to check this.

 

The profile picture vanished for a longtime member who has stayed with us multiple times in messaging - something changed in airbnb's computer system in the past 2 weeks and it is now super glitchy.

I agree with you Jennifer, I think there is a computer system glitch.  Also, I cannot get onto my Airbnb app when using the phone.  I have had a couple of strange requests this week and both guests did not have a photograph or profile, only an email address which is odd and made me suspicious.  When I replied to the guests one of the responses I received was whether I could accommodate five children under the age of 5 years old and would the swimming pool be a problem!!   It caused me some stress even considering this and I wondered whether there is a scam of some sort creeping into Airbnb's system?

My potential guest has all the ID, very little background info and no reviews, despite mentioning other AirBNB bookings and having been a member for a year. I am concerned that no one wanted to give a bad review, even though she was dire.

 

Any thoughts on how I should proceed?

 

Beest wishes

Sam

I have a request from a young couple under the age of 25. They are new to airbnb and have no reviews. We are a new airbnb and I have put the request that only people with prior airbnb reviews can be approved. What do I do now? I'm a little hestitant to take a chance.