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

Farah1
Level 10
Seattle, WA

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

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.

176 Replies 176

Where are you getting corporate. bookings?

@Regina38  We have gotten a few off of Airbnb, referrals from previous corporate guests and Zillow.  For us it works out better.  We don't make as much but the cleaning is decreased and all are working so most are gone during the day.  We get the chance to meet some of them which helps in deciding if it is a good match.  We are keeping our profile up so people can read our reviews.

 

Thanks

Chris694
Level 3
New York, NY

I echo the sentiments of everyone here. To remove this extra filter and level of control from hosts is a terrible move on Airbnbs part, one that I hope they reconsider. Does anyone have any insight on their future plans regarding this lack of photo feature? 

@Chris694 the best I can do is to voice my concern to the company. If they keep things this way, I am planning on putting my eggs in some other baskets and not only in the airbnb basket. What about you?

Heather28
Level 4
Frederick, MD

Agreed!

Yes! I am not happy about it either, after calling Airbnb for the last week and being told it was a glitch and now that they are doing it as a test to see how many bookings occur without photos, I am not happy. I have four listings and feel unsafe and uncomfortable accepting bookings or inquiries without knowing that identification was verified with the person who's picture and who will be showing up at my door. I will be forced to take down my lisitngs. I will not risk myself and my family's safety. Anonymity leads to crime. After 1.5 years and 4 listings, I was hoping to expand and buy additional space and expand my listings further, however, with this new policy, I will not be doing that. It is unlikely that I will keep my listings and instead start looking for local renters on a more permanent basis.

 

Best of luck all!

I hope that airbnb corporate read these comments and know that they will lose a significant amount of hosts, myself included. 

My listings require a profile photo before I book. That has always been my rule. If airbnb chooses to do this then sadly I will have to take down all my listings. 

Can someone tag @Lizzie, the Host Community manager? Airbnb should really be paying attention to this thread. Spoil it for the hosts, and  then What?

Great idea Kat. Best way for us as hosts to address this is back up our dissaproval with tangible action. Rejecting guests on the basis of this new policy and ensuring Airbnb mgmt is aware of that fact. 

Susie35
Level 5
Boston, MA

I turned down a request from someone who had no reviews,  and his profile photo was of a teddy bear!  Not just any photo will do.....

Type profile picture is peppers! 

HI @Regina38, the peppers picture is me on my new phone - somehow I can't seem to find out how to get the right profile loaded.  But it's good ol' me, Susie in Boston!  I have the peppers profile on another account since I don't want my students to be able to automatically link to me (It's complicated).   Somehow they have gotten mixed up in  the transition to a new phone.

🙂

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Unfortunately, here is the dilemna, not only for Airbnb, but also for many of its hosts. Airbnb is under constant pressure from every group to do their part to combat 'prejudism', a reality.  People on the other hand make decisions on past experience, what else do they have to go on? No one starts the day with a blank mind, at least let us hope.

Airbnb has lately removed the age (ageism), the name (gender), and now experimenting removing even the looks (pictures, the subject at hand). All this to make every applicant neutered of all 'apparent' differences.

For many Airbnb hosts, whose reality is renting their ~private~ homes (not some impersonal hotel), hosts want to make decisions on  more information than 'X will like to stay in your place', and then be placed in a postion to make sure the guest stays within the House Rule parameters, which oftentimes has proved quite the challenge.

Moreover, lately there is Airbnb's push toward 'Instant' Booking, meaning zero exchange or opportunity for it between a guest and host before an actual booking takes effect; though now they added some filters (standards) to that and options to cancel those, on a limited basis. Let us hope those people read the House Rules before booking.

The above is why this thread started, now we are into the 'group 72-hour' accomodation. This extraordinary accomodation to guests applying as a group was to accomodate what other human reality? Disorganized or slow-witted group of people? At the 'expense' of hosts unlucky to get these types of guest applications, who get their calendars frozen for 3 days. Lucky you.

 

And good morning to all this fine morning. 😉

 

 

 

Any updates on this?

LukeandQuincey0
Level 2
New York, NY

We may stop using AirBnB.  Shame cause it was extra income for us as hosts.  I’m not comfortable booking a room literally 15 feet from my bedroom to someone we haven’t even seen yet!  There was a request I received once from someone who’s profile picture of thier nose with a sad face drawn on it with a marker. No thank you. How is that a representation of who you are?   How did AirBnB accept this picture?  Not to mention the puppy pics, flowers and stuffed animals. And “trade” workers. 

 

 

surely they should have at least drawn a 🙂 face.  i draw the line at renting out our apartment to sad people;0

 

i'm not sure what they are learning from this test pilot.  i do know that they should have communicated to hosts of the new policy, so that we were expecting it.  furthermore, from what i've read in this thread, each time any of us has called cs to inquire about 'the missing profile pic', they acted as if they had no idea of any policy change, and that maybe there was just a glitch.  i find this tactic quite insulting, and what once was a beautiful concept in theory - welcoming guests from all over the world into your home and experiencing a global community - has now been replaced with a corporate mentality and 'we don't really care how you feel' attitude.

seems like now is the perfect time for another company to come in and steal a huge chunk of the market share that Abnb could certainly lose because of disgruntled hosts.