Here's a new one to me.
In my dashboard appears a new message from a potential guest with the status "Checkpoint".
Seems Airbnb has asked for ID to be submitted, which the guest alleges to have provided.
Airbnb, when I call, tells me my calendar will remain blocked whilst the guest ID is submitted and checked by Airbnb. So much for Airbnb understanding how difficult it has been for hosts, they refuse to open up my calendar and refuse to agree to reimburse me if I have to turn down any booking form another platform. I just have to wait I am told, I have to give the guest every opportunity. Seems like my house isn't mine to rent as I see fit after all, Airbnb now decides how and when my calendar will be blocked.
Turns out that, after several conversations with the guest and Airbnb we are waiting for Airbnb to check whatever ID has been submitted. Meanwhile my calendar is still blocked, no surprises there.
Airbnb tells me I can set my listing so that only people with verified ID can make a booking request. But, oh, hold on, you have to have Instant Booking enabled for that. I don't because I don't trust Airbnb to vet the guest properly, so I am still being punished here some 9 hours down the road. You'd have thought that in everyones interests this id vetting would be best done beforehand. Clearly not, Airbnb sees this as an opportunity to force me to use Instant Booking, not a chance of that I can tell you.
Oh well, I had any number of bookings cancelled outside of the cancellation policy by Airbnb already this year, another won't hurt will it?
You have to wonder exactly what is going on over there, the guest is wondering if her reservation can be confirmed or not, I am wondering if I am losing out because my calendar is blocked and all through this, Airbnb just keeps spouting the same old script about their policy.
My policy, my livelihood and the guests honeymoon don't feature in all this it seems. It's all about Airbnb. What a way to run a hospitality business.
