Guest profile pictures removed

[John232]

I have been an Airbnb host for many years, but am very concerned to find just now that profile pictures of potential guests are now not being displayed until a booking is confirmed. For me and I am sure many other hosts who welcome guests into our homes it is vitally important to be able to see what a guest is like and make a judgement about their suitability for accommodation within ones home where there may also be children. I am VERY concerned about this decision that seems to encourage 'incognito' travelling, and I cannot continue to offer accommodation unless hosts are able to see a good clear and recognisable profile picture of potential guests BEFORE we accept a new booking.

Withdrawing profile pictures makes selecting our guests a lottery, and takes away from us the ability to exercise choice. This is not what I regard as responsible hosting. I have always valued the vetting process provided by Airbnb but have many times expressed my concern that so many guests seem to seek accommodation with avatar profile images. In my opinion this is an insult to the hospitality offered by hosts. This new decision to hide all profile pictures of guests until after acceptance is not acceptable, because it encourages this incognito invasion of a hosts private home.

[John232]

Thanks for explaining.
I never play the 'likes' game.  It is for children.

[Sarah977]

@John232  I agree with you there, that is my general attitude about the whole "like" phenomenon. But on these forums, it actually has a bigger purpose than stroking someone's ego. If a post gets a huge number of likes, the moderators can see that many hosts support what has been said. They will then sometimes alert Airbnb to the fact that most hosts are objecting to, or supporting something.

[Alexander592]

This is shocking by Airbnb!  I'm sorry but photos are very important!  This needs to change back to how it was! 

[John232]

Hi Alexander!
Thanks for expressing your view on this important issue.  My hope is that many other Airbnb hsts will write to the directors of Airbnb tocomplain.   I am preparing my letter this weekend.
It has been very useful to hear other members views and I hope to include all the points that people have made here.

 John N 

[Ralph-and-ChristinA0]

John. Where does one find hte appropriate email addresses for the Directors of AirBnB? Forgive me if this sounds lazy, but I was able to find a list of directors, but not all of them appeared (from my searching) to provide email addresses.

[Rebecca160]

As a single woman renting a room in my home, I find it very distressing to have a guest be able to book without a profile photo. I do not care what they look like, how they dress, what gender they go by, what religion they folllow (if any), or anything else. What is important to me is that their profile photo matches the face on the person ringing my doorbell for entrance. If a guest books without a profile photo and then we accept the booking and their profile photo is of their cat, a clown or something other than their face, what can we do?  If we request a clear picture and the guest refises to provide one and we cancel, it goes against the host rating and also prevents us from renting out to another guest for the same time period. We are at a distint disadvantage on this issue.

I did recently rent my room for a guest who refused to provide a photo of herself, but that was only after several correspondences (she had good reason not to), and having her file more verifications with Airbnb. She was legit, but I do not want to go through such effort again.

We will be forced to check IDs when guests check in to compare against their profile picture and name, something I am loathe to do, as it seems most unwelcoming.

[John232]

Thanks for your message Rebecca!  
You make an excellent point about the damage to our hosting rating if we decide to cancel a booking. I tell guests that I will only allow them into my home if they look exactly like the profile picture they post. If ever there was a legal claim against a guest any judge would throw out the case if it was revealed that the host had allowed a guest posing with a false avatar as their profile picture.  

John

[Ben551]

Interesting, though you’re not quite right on the law.

Being born and raised in the UK, I can tell you that what matters where you live is that you have the correct legal name and home address of the guest standing in front of you before you invite them into your property. You need this if (heaven forbid) you’re ever making a police report or filling in court documents. It even matters for insurance claims.

The most reliable way to manage this is by checking their ID when they arrive, the same as a hotel does (by the way, that’s why they do it) and verifying their home address. Now I bet less than half Airbnb hosts actually do that in practice... but technically that’s the best way to be sure someone is who they say they are before you let them into your home.

In terms of making sure Airbnb pay out against their insurance cover, again you need to make sure the persons name on the booking matches their ID to be sure you are looking at the guest responsible for the booking on check-in day. Whether the picture matches (or is even there) is less relevant than confirming their legal name. The picture could be of their kids or pet, it doesn’t matter. Name and address folks... get it sorted.

Pictures on an online profile (that the courts consider social media) aren’t going to manage the risk you are trying to manage... I can’t emphasise this enough, if it’s legal liability, insurance and criminality risk you are managing then a profile photo isn’t the thing to use.

[Helen3]

@Rebecca0

It is somewhat ironic, that when hosts complain about guests not reading their listing/house rules etc that so many hosts here haven't properly read about the change Airbnb are making re guest photos.

A guest WON"T be able to book without a photo (if you tick on your listing that you only accept guests with photo).

The only change Airbnb are making is that you won't see the guests photo BEFORE they book.

If when they book they don't provide a photo or you are uncomfortable because they have a gun, racist tatooos or something else that makes you uncomfortable you can still cancel/

That being the case I really don't understand why some hosts here keep perpetuating the myth that guests can book without a photo.

[Sarah977]

@Helen3   "That being the case I really don't understand why some hosts here keep perpetuating the myth that guests can book without a photo."

They CAN BOOK without a photo. AFTER that, the host has to cancel the booking if not comfortable with it. So, just more hassle for hosts, and totally unnecessary. 

Meanwhile, Airbnb hasn't done ONE THING they talked about making changes to up to 8 months ago. Like giving hosts the option to remove one bad review per year. They only continue to institute pointless policies which make hosts mad.

[Allan147]

1.  Only if one of your requirements is a guest profile picture they won’t  be able to “instantly book”

2. Cancellations effect your hosting ratings

[Corliss2]

Having only started hosting in September 2018, I am a newbie to the hosting world of Air BnB. The new policy of not divulging the profile photo of a guest until after their booking has been confirmed is, frankly, concerning to me. Further, the powers that be of Air BnB have decided that the guest does not necessarily need to have a profile photo for me even one the booking is confirmed. I am a single mid-50's woman who is expected to welcome strangers into my home sight unseen. The safetly and security issues are front and centre; I prefer to know something about the person who will be staying in my home, and yes, besides a photo, I rely on their written message, as well as their reviews from previous hosts. This is not about discriminatory practices,  it is about knowing that the person who booked is the actual person that is showing up. This new policy opens the doors to third party bookings and identity theft.

At the very least, it is just polite reciprocity. My profile photo as well as photos of the interior and exterior of my home are visible for all who may consider booking. Additionally, the general area of my home within the city is also clearly available to all potential guests. As hosts, can we not expect to view the photo of future guests. 

It appears to me that this is a clear example of how Air BnB is more motivated by the interests of guests than of protecting and advocating for hosts. In consideration of this latest policy, I am seriously contemplating my decision to stay  on as a host. It seems to me that the risks are starting to outweigh the benefits.

To whom do I address my concerns at Air BnB, and how do I figure out how to contact said person/s?

[Ben551]

The trouble is, a profile photo and a fake name on AirBnb takes seconds to create and doesn't verify someone's identity.  So if it's identify theft you are worried about then an Airbnb profile photo isn't going to save you from it.

Thing is, I could make a fake AirBnb profile using a fake name and my real photograph.  I show up at your house and you say "oh look it's the guy from the AirBnb profile photo".  I trash your house and leave... without knowning my real name, you are quite literally blaggered.  So this idea that seeing a social media (beause that's what it is, at best) profile photograph for 10 minutes before clicking "Accept" to a booking will somehow keep a single mid-50's woman safe... is just flawed. 

My wife tested the Government ID thing herself by taking a picture of the serial code printed on the back of a bag of crisps.  10 minutes later it showed "Government ID" as a verification.  She almost fell off her chair laughing... but she's in the Forces and it's her job to think like this.  I guess it's rubbing off... sorry @Corliss2  this all came across more aggresively than it sounded in my head.  Please be assured I mean well and I actually care about your safety!

[Ralph-and-ChristinA0]

So perhaps THIS is where AirBnB should be focusing their efforts, not on making foolish, blanket rules eroding a hosts ability to make a  judgment on who is permitted in thier home. 

If a guest can prove they have been discrimated agaist, there are numerous avenues for them to make that claim via appropriate channels.

[Laura1651]

John I agree with you in all and I am very upset about this, I am survivor and someone can try to do booking just to see my address or to try to

Meet me also.

I am female sometimes I have roommates and when this happen is all good but when not I can be by myself and it can be scary not to know who is coming , can be some criminal without criminal cases because he still don’t get caught and I said this because Airbnb said that they check their background is the same with Uber and their is one case of one guys killing he was the driver of course but in can be in both cases.

I was wondering also if you please let me know how I can open a conversation cause I am with you 100% but also I want they to listen me also and so we all us host can do something that benefits both guest and host.

Please let me know cause I don’t have an idea how to open a conversation, thanks