Dear Helga and Cormac,
Many other hosts who were chosen for this experiment not only have their photos still posted but like us, have hosted guests from all over the world. We removed our most personal photos after it was confirmed that in fact, we can not view photos of potential guests. It took over a month and many inquiries to finally learn why we suddenly could not see photos of potential guests requesting to book a stay with us. We were first told it was a glitch and then a few other reasons but were never told we were part of an experiment. We did not find that out until we read Travor's post. Still, people get to see photos of our home, its belongings and photos that give a general idea of us. Until Airbnb allows hosts to see photos of potential guests, we will not post photos of our faces.
On another note, we vet carefully and do not rely solely on the 'tools' alotted to us by Airbnb. After each reservation is confirmed, we contact each guest and ask to connect with them off the grid. This allows us to view the photo they post on their alternate social media netowrk. This has helped us on several ocassions when in fact the reservation made was not actually for the person who intended to stay. In the past when a 3rd party reservation was made without informing us, the host, we were surprised when upon check in the id given did not match anything, photo or name on the AIrbnb account used to make the reservation. The 6 times this happened, it turns out the 3rd party guests were lovely but it did start things awkwardly. At the suggestion of an actual Airbnb rep, we were encouraged to use whatever tools we deemed appropriate to avoid these uncomfortable encounters. A long time host suggested that we connect with guests who book, soon after they have reserved the room. This has proven to have a positive impact on both the hosts and guests. In spite of the positive reviews we receive, many guests appreciate being able to get a better feel for hosts as much as hosts appreciate feeling comfortable with a future guest. Upon arrival, guests feel less apprehensive and insecure about where they chose to stay and overall, it has been an excellent way to receive guests. Guests feel comfortable and as if they know us before arrival and this sets things off to a splendid start. Mind you, we do not book many short term guests and AIrbnb is not our prime source for long term guests that we prefer so calling each perosn who recently reserved a room is probably not a viable option for everyone.
Ultimately, hsots have many different tools and how each one uses them is usually determined on what is best to manage each space as every ost has different requirements and each space unique
I must admit dear Cormac, that since I do not use many social network sites, I totally understand why some people are reluctant to put too much of themselves out there. Some potential guests have expressed reservations about posting much detail about themselves on Airbnb. We do not automatically decline requests if there is not a profile photo. If the potential guest has many positive reviews and some are for the home stay/share type and guest expresses reservation about posting their photo on yet another network, we will work with them. A photo is not the absolute factor that assures security but it is a helpful tool.
Not once has a person arrived to my home and expressed concern that I was not as described by other guests or the space not as decribed or shown in photos. However, on quite a few occasions, we received 3rd party bookings without prior notice or the person was not as he/she decribed on the profile. With time, hosts learn to better manage their vetting process and tweaks a formula that works for them and their property while offering a safe environment with transparent details about the space.
I hope you find this shared information helpful.
