Reviews with False Facts and no profile pictures

[Trevor236]

Profile pictures should be required in order to submit a review, especially devastating reviews.

[Helen3]

@Trevor236  you can tick the box on your listing so you only accept guests who provide a photo. Do you have this box ticked?

If so, and they don't provide it, you can contact the guest and ask them to provide it.

If they don't you can ask Airbnb to cancel penalty free.

[Trevor236]

I will verify if I checked that box, but it is so tricky navigating the new layout. I based my comments here on a guest who posted a scathing review but without a profile picture. I think Airbnb should require a profile picture to post a review, or Airbnb should place in red ink No Profile Picture in the image space.

[Helen3]

The problem is it sounds like you accepted a guest without a profile pic, so that is what shown on your review. @Trevor236 

Do check your listing is checked for profile pics going forward.

Personally I think it's quite easy to see if a guest doesn't have a photo, but perhaps that's because it's one of the things I check.

[Trevor236]

Yes, it is checked so she must have unchecked it before leaving her review.

[Trevor236]

Let me rephrase that: she probably removed her photo before posting her review. I distinctly remember seeing a picture of her booking request as well as all other guests. Her post is the only one without a photo.

[Lisa723]

@Trevor236 I’m curious about your reasoning here. Why does the guest’s photo matter in the context of a review?

[Lisa723]

@Trevor236 PS don’t respond publicly to private feedback! You are really shooting yourself in the foot doing that.

[Lisa723]

[Trevor236]

If a host requires a photo ID to book a listing then it is fair to have that photo on a review pertaining to the same listing. Removing ones photo to post a review implies deceit. 

[Trevor236]

How do I respond privately?

[Lisa723]

@Trevor236 hm, I'm not following you; I don't see why a review is made any more or less valid or deceitful by the presence or absence of the reviewer's photo.

You can respond privately by sending a message to the guest, though I'm not sure why you would.

[Trevor236]

@Lisa723 The fact that the reviewer removed his/her photo before posting is indicative of deception. Would you accept the leader of your country in a national tv discourse with only sound and a blank avatar?

[Lisa723]

@Trevor236 personally I would much prefer only sound and a blank avatar to the sight of the current leader of my country, but this is really beside the point. An Airbnb review is the stated opinion of a random stranger. I have no earthly reason to care what that stranger looks like.

[Trevor236]

@Lisa723 So there is no need to check the photo ID box?