Our Plight here in Colombia

[Barry105]

So I just wanted to share with you all whats going on here in Colombia.  Since December We have had a ton of fake people try and instant book our places.  Seems airbnb is in the need for new customers to rent that they hardly vet anyone here correctly.  So a fake national ID, with a stolen credit card that they stencil in the numbers and add there name and 15 minutes later we are getting a instant book for one of our properties.  Over Christmas we had 11 TV's stolen in 2 days.  It happened back to back and we didn't really know what to look for.  Which is for example.....On since May 2019, 0 reviews, booking the same day.  Sad to say from Colombia.  So we changed all the settings to must have reviews.  BUT oddly from time to time when I check our listings this has been unchecked somehow....Also oddly we have a 2 night min....But sometimes we been getting 1 night listings.....under further review  I checked under availability...

theres a entry called 

Additional requirements

YES

So when I clicked this it said  jan 1 2019-OCT 2019  1 night min...  What the hell I never set that up to this.  Also the box that says Must have profile photo on half are listings have mysteriously been unchecked.

So after telling the client.....Hi thank you for your booking....All of you will need to check in together....All of you will have your ID's scanned...Please bring the credit card that you booked with so we can confirm with Airbnb that everything is in order.....Amazingly they want to cancel after being told this.

I have a wonderful co-host named Nora, she's everything a host should be.....They just threw her off airbnb why you ask.....Her insta-book took to many of these fake people.  She had the gall to ask them to pay out on it which they paid and launched a investigation and due to them having to pay said she violated the TOS....How in the world did she do that?  it's our job to make sure the house is in order....We don't control the sign ups.  the credit cards.....It's airbnb's job....They didn't want to hear any of that from her and just locked her off the system....Canceled all upcomming reservations.  Even one's 3 days out.....as the co-host they didn't provide me with a list of who I am still trying to figure out who isn't coming.  When she spoke to them they made it into her fault for not knowing the tell tale signs there fake people.  I mean god this is like blaming matches for the house be burnt down.  So now every week I check to make sure every listing has guest reviews.  I check each to make sure there all still checked.....If a fake reservation does come in we just scare them off we never call airbnb because that launches some kind of man hunt, with the possibility for them to say we are in on this.  Airbnb represents 65% of all our buisness we to scared to do anything but say please and thank you.  I know this is probably not a issue for most of you but here we are swarmed with fake reservations.  But we are really in a pickle here because we need them more then they need us.  Anyway I thought I share this and hopefully they let Nora back on.  All the best from Medellin....

[Ana1136]

@Barry105 you have lovely listings. Could it be some trend in your specific city? Because we haven't had a single fake reservation still. Always let them know that they will have their personal ID checked, only accept guests with reviews and since robberies happen so often ( 11 TVs in 2 days is too much) maybe install cameras in front of your properties and let them know that they exist. In the end it is your responsibility to protect your places. Yes Airbnb has a lot of space for improvement but to be real they can never care about our homes the way we do. 

[Barry105]

Hi Ana we have cameras. We have scans of there passports.  We went to police.  They just don’t do much. Only reason I went to police is Airbnb made us.  To get compensated.  My channel software controls Airbnb. It has to be instant book.  I just started everyone.  When i went to police here. I felt like I was bad guy three cops tried to tell me that Airbnb was illegal. I reminded them it wasn’t and proceeded to show them. Our NIt.  Our Dian papers. And all our tourism licenses.  

[Anonymous]

@Barry105  So sorry to hear about your experience. Medellin is such a great city, I've experienced only the warmest hospitality there, but unfortunately as you're well aware it's not a place where you can rely on an internet business to guarantee your safety.

The fact is, Airbnb does not vet guests. The ID verification is easy to scam (for example, the name on the ID doesn't even have to match the account name), and users with negative reviews can still get through the review filter you tried to activate on your Instant Book settings. Unless you have the time to cycle through lots of cancellations and the money to replace everything that gets stolen and constantly change your locks, Instant Book is simply never going to be a safe or reasonable option for you. If I were in your position there is no chance on earth that I would use it.

It's entirely up to you and your co-host to vet the guests. While de-activating IB is likely to reduce your booking rate somewhat, one immediate effect it will have is to scare off most of the fraudsters and thieves, as they are training their attention on properties that they can effortlessly book and obtain the details (addresses, key codes, etc). When guests must write to you directly in order to book, you're in the position to assert your security requirements before confirming a booking.

[Barry105]

Andrew thank you first and foremost for taking the time....We are attached to beds24 it has to be instant book....with needs previous guests postive reviews this has slowed it down by 95%.   5% comes from the must have reviews button being mysteriously unchecked....Just look for all tell tale signs then I scare them off....In our house rules I have added or in the process of adding must show ID at check in.  Must be all together at check in under 6 months must show credit card for verification that was used....This scares off so many of the fraudsters.  One thing I learned when I was kicked off in 2017 for a few months...have all your house rules spelled out....Then airbnb will mostly try and stand by you.

[Anthony662]

Any more dodgy bookings? I cancelled instant booking after a 11 pm booking from a once reviewed lady who was booking for her daughter and friend the next day. There was no AIRBNB contact, the Bogota number was dead. I messaged her saying it was against the rules and could she cancel as I would not allow entry. The daughter and friend were able to open an account and send a booking request next morning, which I declined.  

Just did not seem right.