Discouraged with no photos and now No ability to see reviews BEFORE booking???

[Clara116]

Suddenly I see the new guests format for inquiry to book - of course, without a photo and this is already a challenge. But NOW they (guest) have 5 reviews or 2 reviews, HOWEVER, I am not allowed to see them before I accept their request ???? Am I caught in a nightmare??

Also the new format is very user unfriendly to me..............even clicking back and forth to see what was past history of guests has become almost impossible and so cumbersome that I am truly frustrated.

Is there something that I have missed and am doing wrong?   Also, Air Review has stopped showing results.

I understand and have studied the platform so intensively BUT this is too much and too wild. 

I am not a new host -- super host of 1 1/2 yrs.....also the leader of the Pensacola Hosts Club and so I spend extensive time working to know and understand Airbnb and all thats going on. But these sudden new shifts are very weird to navigate.

Hey CC friends, Robin, Ben, Fred, Inna, Huma, Branka  and Silvia, Sarah all you out there what's your take on this please.

I just wanna have it streamline like it was some months ago.

Not enjoying this new shift and the crazy changes. 

thanks for any thoughts or ideas to guide me!!!

happy hosting, Clara

[Margaret273]

Totally agree Clara, I live alone and would like to see a photo and details of who I am letting into my house before I agree to book them.

[Cliona0]

I like to see a photo also, there is a way round it. If you go to the persons reviews, then go to the host page and check the review (the/your guest to be) left for them, you'll see their pic there. Obv would take a lot of time if the host has lots of reviews, but it is possible. 🙂

[Carl12]

Yeah what the xx!? Is this a nightmare? I have had so many issues end of the year and also beginning of this year with people being super dirty and having parties. Neighbours are complaining and threatning to make an official complaint. Now I cannot even know who I am accepting anymore?! It is likely I will stop using airbnb after being a host for years as I find it unacceptable.

[John1080]

@Carl12, it seems many hosts are also not seeing the names of potential guests. So now, both photos and names are going to be withheld until after a guest has booked. 

[Clara116]

@John1080 And the kicker was when they rolled out the no photo, no names, no reviews....I had AirReview............which is awesome............suddenly it was disengaged.  They said since this new no photo thing a Glitch as occurred.......I contacted them  AirReview and they have fixed it. They are NOT ABB - but hosts trying to help other hosts to streamline their hosting.

I get notification on my phone for booking request - I do NOT do IB - and mostly work off my laptop - and there are NO photos - BUT, my phone seems to give me a peek at the pics........shhhhhhhhhhh. 

So many young - even teen age folks trying to book.............its crazy - a photo tells me really quickly so I don't have to do a 20 question dance and then end up saying sorry NOPE. 

[Tammy192]

I agree with this point and gave airbnb a call about it. They have sent me to this: https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

airbnb DOT com FORWARD SLASH help FORWARD SLASH feedback

I would encourage all hosts that disagree with the new system to engage with this feedback site.

We had a guy request to stay and he had a nude shot on his second photo....for women (& some men) living alone, this is riskier stuff and maybe not something you want day in and out for 7 days.  A photo can tell you sooooo much about a person. You can see if people are crazy, too self interested (i.e. the pouty selfy), too weird (sexy lingerie shots)....this isn't a hotel, it's a home, you need to be able to see who these people are.....

I also understand that there are people who are being discriminated against and that is not cool but on the flipside, i want to see if someone has a neo-nazi tattoo so that i have the right to decide if i want that person in my house....and i don't.

[Alexandra316]

@Clara116 Are you sure you're not seeing reviews? I don't see photos prior to booking, but I'm still seeing reviews fine if I click through to the guest profile. I hope this isn't something new they're rolling out and it just hasn't hit me yet.

I also don't agree with the no photo policy. It would be nice to know at least that the guest had one prior to requesting to book. It's not so much the content of the photo as the secretive nature of the guest that generally worries me: why don't they want to share a photo?

[Clara116]

@Alexandra316 seems to be what was  happening for a few weeks...we will see.....also, airreview is finally back working but only through them having to FIX the new glitch that kept me from seeing past stuff.

[Jennifer1421]

@Clara116Did you have to re-download Airreview to make it start working again? Like you, mine stopped with the new no photo/no name rollout, and it's still not working.

[Clara116]

@Jennifer1421 No I didn't have to re- download - after reporting to AirReview that it had stopped they contacted me back  and asked what I was seeing when I opened it up they had 2 options. And they fixed the glitch on my link I guess and now its up and running.. Good luck Jennifer.

[Ben551]

@Clara116 so sorry, I don’t know how I missed this thread when you first posted it... I certainly can still see Reviews for people that send me an enquiry (before a booking).

But, I have noticed some threads popping up on Facebook in the NZ hosts forum, where people (last week) were saying they suddenly couldn’t see past reviews. After some debate, it turned out that they could see past reviews, but not on their laptop. It was a temporary issue and they say it is resolved now, but it seems there was a glitch for some people, temporarily, that disabled the ability to see past reviews on a laptop. I assume this is what you were seeing.

AirReview needed 3-4 updates in a short space of time, so the creators didn’t keep up perfectly. Each time Airbnb tweak something on their side, the nice folk from AirReview have to scramble to change the add-in to align with the changes. They have caught up for now so you’ll find it’s working again.

[Clara116]

@Ben551  Thanks good man - you are so correct on this and I am finally able to see AirReview working once again. It is a constant challenge to indeed stay up on prices, reviews, vetting the younsters/teens out and everything involved in hosting to function as best we can. Hope all's going well with you....you are a delight to have on the CC - you always seem to be thoughtful and working to be informed and very articulate in your explanations and whatever you write. A joy for certain.

Best to you, Clara

[Clara116]

@Ben551 Hey, did you see on the Sarah thread  about the new CS approach/system she worked out --- with your expertise also.............that ADMIN wants to take action and chat with you guys??? and for some reason we can't @Ben551  you on that thread. Anyway, I was excited to read that someone up there is reading.....and perhaps taking action. Very cool indeed. 

[Ben551]

Oh thanks @Clara116 that’s so kind of you to tag me in here. Forum was up to its tricks again! 🙂