Pre approving without seeing guest profiles

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

I think it is unsafe and unreasonable for Airbnb to expect hosts to give preapprovals to guests without having seen their profile.  We have stopped giving preapprovals and not grant any unless the profile becomes visible. As superhosts, we will lose our status if we refuse a booking if we grant a preapproval and then subsequently decide we do not wish to welcome these particular guests into our home.

Come on Airbnb, play fair with hosts.  You are giving an unfair advantage to commercial organisations who are not inviting guests into their homes, but into  purposemade rental accommodation. 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Eamon-and-Tomás0  - Do you mean not being able to see the guest's pictures or being able to read the guest's profile?  As of today, you can still see a guest profile (they may not have filled anything out but if they did, it would be available)  but pictures are not released until the reservation is actually booked.  

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Airbnb-Answers-Guest-profile-photos/td-p/839227

https://press.airbnb.com/update-on-profile-photos/

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2157/why-can-t-i-see-a-guest-s-profile-photo

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2377/how-can-i-require-guests-to-have-a-profile-photo

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Profile-Photo-No-Longer-Required-To-Book/m-p/1013887#M25...

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

Hi Alice and Jeff, 

I was specifically referring to "enquiries." traditionally i was used to giving a preapproval to enquiries, but as reviews and photos and profile statements are not available to us, then i feel for the safety of my family, i cannot accept such guests into my home. 

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

Why does this conversation been labelled as "Resolved?" the moderator seems to have decided that Alice & Jeff have adequately responded to my concerns, and that is not how I feel. Nor have I been asked if the issue is resolved. I assume the Airbnb moderator is sitting smugly in his/her little booth and getting a gold star for managing the community so deftly. based on my experience of the community board and the lack of definitive answers from Airbnb (except to arbitrarily label the issue resolved) I will not be taking the board seriously.

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

See below

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

Why does this conversation been labelled as "Resolved?" the moderator seems to have decided that Alice & Jeff have adequately responded to my concerns, and that is not how i feel. Nor have i been asked if the issue is resolved. I assume the airbnb moderator is sitting smugly in his/her little booth and getting a gold star for managing the community so deftly. based on my experience of the community board and the lack of definitive answers from Airbnb (except to arbitrarily label the issue resolved) i will not be taking the board seriously.

[Lisa1831]

@Eamon-and-Tomás0 

Actually, the practice is to prevent discrimination.  This why you cannot see the photo. 

Also, as guest we do not know what we are actually booking until we book. Then and only then do we find out the actual location and address.

So both guest and host are taking risk.

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

wasn't referring to photos, just some information some sense of who is coming to stay in my home. i do like to see reviews.  And reviews do not seem to be available for "enquiries."  All potential guests can see photos of the accommodation and the photos of the host, and the reviews of the host and their accommodation.  Yes the precise street is withheld until the booking is confirmed. But i understand that all guests can cancel el within  48 hours of booking, but super-hosts lose their status for a year if they cancel.  So it is not the same. 

[Gordon0]

What might make you change your mind about hosting someone (when you finally see their face), @Eamon-and-Tomás0? I'm genuinely interested. 

[Eamon-and-Tomás0]

As i say above, it is not photos i am particularly interested in, but profiles.  Some sense of who will be staying in my home. 

[Jane1007]

I am a visual person and I feel more comfortable seeing a person. I have never declined a person seeing them, I have accepted all cultures. Why should they be able to see me if I cant see them, afterall I am at risk allowing a stranger into my home. I have been a Superhost for over 4 years and this lack of equity to keep hosts feeling comfortable too is the problem

[Susan17]

@Gordon0 

The removal of profile pics is not something that causes me too much concern personally, but the major flaw with this policy is that when hosts do see a profile pic that makes them want to hit the "cancel" button after the booking has been accepted, they're then left wide open to false allegations of biased or discriminatory behaviour, from the disgruntled guests they've just cancelled on. And we all know how that usually works out for hosts. 

Just to look at the scenario from a different perspective... imagine the potential issues that could arise for a host trying to cancel a confirmed booking from a profile such as the one below... 

[Gordon0]

On a personal note, @Susan17, I too would have no hesitation in hitting the 'no fecking way' button if this pic came through with a booking. However, if memory serves, I have never declined a booking full stop, let alone after seeing their pic. I'm guessing this is pretty normal (amongst normal, decent people). 

In terms of this pic you've shown, it puzzles me, as the snaps we get are round and certainly wouldn't be visible if scaled up to this size. Fake news, possibly maybe?

[Susan17]

@Gordon0 

No, definitely not fake news. It was posted by a long-term, regular member of another group, who enlarged and cropped the pic, so the Lady Boss' identity was obscured (hence no circle). 

[Helen3]

I would definitely feel the same @Susan17  and in your situation I would hope Airbnb wouild cancel the booking when you expressed your concern. Did they?