Suspicious requests

[Emiel1]

Yesterday i received a request with had three options : accept, decline or report. I did not see the third option before (But maybe i missed something...) and could not find recent discussion about it in community also. The report option stated something like ( i have to remind it by head, as pop-up screen is not available anymore): "this could be a potential suspicious request. If you report Airbnb will investigate, the guest can not contact you anymore and it will not affect your acceptance rating"

It was a new profile, no ID and photo. Request came  with a rather normal message attached, but with personal phone number in it (and blocked by Airbnb).

I choose to decline  (not to report). BTW This report function is NOT the same as the report feature on the listings or profiles etc.. It is initiated by Airbnb informing host the request could have a potential risk.

[Mike1034]

@Emiel1  Was it a booking request or an inquiry? It could be one of Airbnb's testing feature.

[Emiel1]

@Mike1034It was a booking request, which normally must be accepted or declined. Now it had the third option.  Maybe a testing feature....

[JJ48]

@Yadira22 @Emiel1 It's to protect you!  You should do the Report option.  They flagged it for some reason, trying to prevent off-site bookings but also scams.  It doesn't hurt you to take the Report option, it's a gift from the Airbnb powers-that-be...and we get so few of those! So, next time, Report and enjoy.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emiel1 

it has to be new, I don't remember seeing it before either....but we have IB so we don't get many requests.

Anyway, improvement, I like it

[Yadira22]

Hi @Emiel1 

I had this exact same issue- I think it’s a new feature but so odd.

i did the same as you! 

Have a great day! 

Yadira 🙂

[JJ48]

I had a similar one too.  I was going back and forth with someone who requested (I do IB but require verified ID and hers wasn't so she had to request).  Her demands and manner for a later and later checkout time became annoying, so I jumped at the chance to "decline without affecting acceptance rate".  From what I understood is that in her last message to me she included a lot of personal communication information (her phone number and her job and it's street address and it's website address).  Because she entered all of that information, it was flagged as someone trying to either pay or communicate off platform and that's why I got the chance to report instead of having to decline her.  Funny enough, I think she only gave me all of that information to show me just how important she was so that I would give in to her demands and accept her booking. Hahaha. (Sorry, if it seems harsh but I am extremely accommodating and she crossed my lines). 

I didn't get the feeling it was necessarily "new".  I also was able to report and block and decline without penalty another guest about 6 months ago.  She wanted to bring her toddlers to my "not appropriate for toddlers" home and started quoting Airbnb TOS to me - that's when they cut her off and let me report instead of decline. 

[Alon1]

@Emiel1 

re 'recent discussion'

This subject was raised in May by  Emilia42 in thread by Ana1136.
Re: Bookings

Emilia posted a screen-shot.

Please see exchanges between Emilia and myself.

It seems to be a test applied randomly and inappropriately.

At least both Emilia and myself took bookings even following this warning.

[Suzanne302]

I've had this happen in the past. A guest attempted to include their phone number (which was blocked by ABB) and I'm pretty sure that's the reason the message was flagged. ABB doesn't want people linking up on ABB, only to book offsite. Makes perfect sense so I understand why they do it.

[Alon1]

@Suzanne302 

It makes perfect sense when applied properly as in your case.

However, I've experienced it twice for no apparent reason and I took a booking from both.

So it seems to be applied in a random fashion sometimes for no rhyme or reason.