Verified accounts and Profile pictures

[Adrián-and-Andy0]

Hi Everyone!

I've been a host for 7 years and attended all of the airbnb opens, but this is my first post here. 

I have an issue with the profile pictures for verified accounts. I only accept profiles with a government-verified ID, but sometimes the profiles will have a picture of a dog, a tree, or plainly a black square. 

This happens because airbnb verifies that the profile picture matches the ID, but doesn't lock the profile picture after verification so some users will verify their account and then change their profile photo. 

I don't feel completely safe knowing that my guests might not be who they say they are as they might have changed their whole profile after verification. Whenever this is obvious, I do ask my future guest to restore their profile picture but this makes for a very awkward conversation. 

I understand that verification has a cost and airbnb would not agree to uncheck the verification once a user changes their name or profile photo because of the cost that would imply. I also understand that locking profile photos is not viable as people change looks and moods over time and they want a photo that represents them. If locking the profile photo is too much, I would suggest that airbnb allows adding more photos to a verified profile, but does not replace the verified photo, but move it to another space in the photo reel. 

What do you think? 

Adrian

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Adrián-and-Andy0

I wouldn't care about ABB ID verification it is useless to you. If a guest trash your apartment or rob you then ABB will not give you ( or police) his identity .

We verify all our guests at the arrival by ourselves. We ask their photo id, write down all their personal info and that's it. In Croatia we have to do it and to register every guest, even children , but I would do it even if I don't have to do it. I want to know who is staying at my property and who has my keys. You are allowed to do it, so do it.

[Bonny4]

I have been hosting for three years and recently have noticed that guests are using pictures of scenery and not their personal photo.  I feel super uncomfortable with this as I think they may be trying to hide their identify.  I will send message to the guest and ask for a profile picture, especially if they do not have any reviews from other hosts.  I also like the guest to describe their self a little on the profile.  Again, it lets me know a little about the person who will be sharing my house.   I am totally not comfortable with someone who will be sleeping in my house with me in the other room and they cannot give me a little background into who they are.

[Chris159]

This irritates me too since I can welcome people better when I recognize them.  However, my understanding is that this is allowed to prevent discrimination. Airbnb has taken an lot of flack for that lately. I notice that profile pictures are less often present on other sites due to this issue.  For example, I teach online, and recently student profiles are turning up without identifying pictures. I can see both sides.