Guest's profile picture is no longer visible + Instant book cancellation

[Farah1]

I found out that guest's profile picture is no longer visible until you have a confirmed reservation (yes, even if you go to their profile). I understand that Airbnb wants to promote the anti-discrimination policy. However, they need to realize that we are not hotels. We share our house and open our house for our guests and our safety is important. I want to make sure that the person who makes the reservation is actually the one who is showing up on check-in day, etc. Also, host's profile picture IS visible to future guests at all times! I just made a reservation for my next trip and I was able to see my host's profile picture even before I made any reservation request/book the place/have a confirmed reservation.

I am also taking off instant booking feature from my listings as it does not really seem to matter other than giving problem because people do not read the listing in full, have a bad review yet still able to book, etc and when I want to cancel *unlimited* penalty-free as they say... it is not true, I can only do it for 3 times and after that I need to contact the customer service. Then they said "we will do a one-time corteousy to waive the penalty for this cancellation." No, it is not a one-time corteousy. This is how it supposed to be. Why do I need *permission* to cancel a guest who has negative review from his previous host? Why do I need to be pressured to open my house to anybody without thinking about my own safety?

I have been with Airbnb for 4+ years and it seems like they might share a different value now than what they used to have.

[Regina38]

Yes you do. My rules say no smoking inside and no smoking near open windows/doors. 

[Jann3]

I beg to differ @Regina38... as an ex-smoker I researched and know you are incorrect.

The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, family status, national origin, or disability. ONLY...

https://www.justice.gov/crt/fair-housing-act-2  Tell me where it covers smoking/smokers.

[Tom-and-Carina0]

I take everyone and have on instant  booking.  I do need to be careful  and wish our world would let people  be who they are with out trying to micromanage  out personal  biases . I'm  not  so sure the picture  analysis  has much science  behind  it as I hosted a tree named bill twice and he was great. Sometimes  a picture  has warned  me  of strippers or sex workers traveling  to Las Vegas  who I do not wish to host. If they inquiry  we do see there pictures.  If they instant book I can remind  them about my rules and that a family  lives here. I try to be kind  to  all guests and expect there best behavior.  Sometimes  there best is less than I had hoped for. I'm  not sure  airbnb could really prevent  discrimination  against  any group. I know in our country  lawsuits speak the language of  change. I do not see how a host could sue and win claiming a picture  would help them be safer. I do see how it could make you feel safer. But whenever a great tragedy  happens. Like so resent  here in Las Vegas  people  say -They looked and seemed normal.  

[Andrew458]

Thank you for a very reasonable and balanced response. I sometimes wonder about my fellow hosts and if they should be doing Airbnb. I have a Whole Place rental with a deadbolt between my house and the apartment I rent. Thus, my standards for behavior are much different than if someone was actually in my space. 

Andrew

[Fred13]

Good point Andrew,  there are two levels of tolerance and conformity, divided by whether one's offering is a place that is indeed shared or separate altogether.

[Matthew285]

It would be very interesting if a scientific study could be performed that looked for any correlation between certain types of profile AirBnB profile photos and bad guest behaviors.

I know many hosts feel very strongly about their ability to detect problem guests based on photos,

but anecdotes are not data.

[Fred13]

Anecdotes ( a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or persons), come from real-life experiences in which the 'data' will (or should) come from, no? At least let us hope it does.

[Judith185]

That is a very good recommendation. This might be a good research study for a  for a Psychology major 🙂

[Sam268]

If Airbnb are not going to allow us to see the guest photo... To make sure who we are going to meet! Then hire people to match photo with ID photo , to keep us safe too! Newbies put cartoons to objects photos as there profile. I have instructed over 12 bookings to put photo of themselves, most I have accepted once they put in the proper photos of themselves. This tells me Airbnb does not match photos with ID! This will make it very hard for me to except newbies with no reviews now, when before it was not a problem. My safety and my neighbors come first.

[Rosalin0]

I am very disappointed with my guests, they have two children and they do what they want in my house like taking out the cover of my sofa and if it is dirty are they going to pay for it. they were ill mannered people they don't know how to apologized and here the culture is very different and their behavior is unacceptable, like taking our umbrella without asking and their children were noisy and did get the other beddings without asking.

[Judith185]

I understand your frustration, even though i got lucky so far. 

We hosts get many tips on how to best treat our guests. May be it would be a good idea for Airbnb to give the guests a platform which they can use. And there, they can learn about the different cultures.  What do you think ?

[Gerard82]

Totally agree. We like to read profiles and reviews and should have the right to accept or decline as we see fit. Things have changed over the last 12 months, and not for the better.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Farah1 I understand your frustration but what i dont understand is how comes you cannot see your guest profile photo before he/she has book your place. Here i just hosted a guest whose photo was visible before she booked instantly.I think the instant booking option is a very good tool but if you dont want to get booked without your permission just turn it off. Happy hosting!!!

[Regina38]

If you have instant book and the guest is using that you do not even know if you have a guest until they book. 

I do not have instant book and will not use it. If I cannot see who is booking my properties it may be time to move on. 

[Xenia7]

I thought the whole point in airbnb in the first place is to build rapport with someone before they book. I feel that rapport building does include what they look & sound like and if you have similar social etiquette. A photo can tell alot (granted not everything) and that is fact. It may not be their face specifically but something else in the photo may be a red flag, a photo is one of many factors which help produce a fully rounded perception (a 360/3d view). Someone can easily sound ok via text as we have all become experts at that! but if a photo looks dodgy (to you specifically) then maybe you two specifically are not suited to co-habit, it is the host loses out, on the money by choice, as it is their home and personal space!