Shall Airbnb let this happen?

[Coln0]

A family of 5 just shown up at my doorstep 30 mins ago and told me they have booked my place. However, I did not receive any message/confirmation from Airbnb. I asked them for the booking confirmation and they can't give me any but they insisted their credit card already been charged and even show me the message from the bank.

As there were 3 kids with them, I felt bad to let them standing outside of my house so I let them in and show them the room. After a few words exchanged I found that their Airbnb account was actually not verified. So I asked them to verify now by uploading the ID. They did and finally I received the booking.

My question is, why Airbnb allows them to make reservation if their account is unverified? Why charged them without notifying them that the booking is actually not being processed/approved?

This matter could be ended in terribly way if I just refused them without any further attempt to figure out the problem. I understand they have very limited knowledge about Airbnb and they shouldn't have used it, but Airbnb shouldn't have charged them and leave the host and guests to fix the puzzle on our own.

As I stated, they were new to Airbnb, and they chose only 1 guest instead of 5. Now I have to explain I actually charge on every extra guest after 2, and sit back to expect a bad review from them.

~ Coln, Georgetown, Penang 

[Ed-and-Hugh0]

@Coln0 It's a scam. Either they fell for a fake Airbnb listing, or they're trying to scam you. Either way, don't let them in the house. Have them deal directly with Airbnb.

[Coln0]

@Ed-and-Hugh0

Thanks for your comment, I believe they are just being new to the Airbnb.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

Even though you may have said 'verified guests only' AirBnB allows people who are going through the verification process to make bookings in your diary and block out dates.  Sounds to me like that is what was going on here - given that you now have a reservation proving payment was made.

As for a bad review - talk to them again over next day or so and just explain it was so ususual and really down to AirBnB's behaviour and not yours.

[Spices0]

I got similar experience like yours but not entirely. I have blocked some of the date and I do not know how did some guest managed to instant book my blocked date. It was so heart attacking that the guest actually instant book on the date I blocked was today and I was told they will arrived in 6 hours. I got really worried and was about to cancel the reservation then Airbnb came on rescue because I have no option to cancel. The only option is to call them. Back and forth, they managed to solve it for me.