From my years of experience, people who want to "look see" or "check the place out" first usually have 2 things in mind;
1. They want to avoid the Airbnb fee
2. They want to negotiate a lower price than advertised.
My standard response now is;
We appreciate your interest but we no longer show properties prior to booking out of concern for guest privacy and safety among other reasons.
Firstly, we've tried this in the past, but Airbnb intercepts the communication and sends this message;
....... "Just a quick reminder of our guidelines for using Airbnb—we require all communication to be handled on the site before a reservation has taken place to maintain your privacy, help provide customer support, and adhere to the Airbnb Terms of Service. " - Airbnb
As you can see, your request is putting both our accounts at risk of being closed.
You will also appreciate that we make your safety, privacy and the security of your valuables a priority. We believe this policy is why we have never had a theft or break-in. Unscrupulous people are using Airbnb to stake out properties and vulnerable guests or are just looking to avoid the Airbnb fee and even negotiate a lower price in person. If a host shows you a property before booking they will do the same during your stay.
I know some people feel better if they see the property, so for this reason I offer 2 options;
1. If you book online and within a couple days you find the description and photos inaccurate I will waive the cancellation policy fee, refund you all nights you do not stay and even request Airbnb to refund their fee. So your booking is absolutely 100% risk free.
2. If you are considering longer term stay, you can start by booking a shorter period like one week and we will apply any payment to the longer term discounted rate if you extend.
You should consider that unless you actually stay, there are many things you may not experience like noise, traffic, dogs, chickens, neighbours, pests, water, toilet, electricity, AC, wifi etc. This is why our options are the best and safest for you.
If you still have concerns, I would direct you to our 250+ positive reviews.
I hope you appreciate my position and I look forward to working with you. Please advise if you would like to proceed otherwise I will have to respectfully decline this enquiry. Thank you ..
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These people never follow through. In my opinion some if not all are just cons.