Unregistered payment

[Alex119]

Hi Airbnb Community!

I just had a very strange situation. One of my guests are traveling around Greece by the yacht and they asked me to give them a lift to a dock. It is just close to my place. They told me that I would be easier for them if I will give them a ride then to try to find taxi etc.

I brought them to place, helped to take the bags out and they passed me some money to the ride. Everything was fine and I was about to leave when some guy comes to me and asked me if I took a payment from the customers. I was confused about that kind of questions... He told me that he will call the police and took a photo of my cars plates.

What was that all about? Could there be any consequences after this?    

[Raymond-and-Elaine0]

@Alex119 This is a local problem you seem to have with local taxis so I doubt any hosts on this forum from all over the world can answer your question as to wheither there will be consequences. Regarding airbnb and accepting cash payments. Better avoid this. Either tell your guests it's inconvenient for you, you are not allowed by local law, you will call them a taxi or give them a number of a local taxi. If you wish to continue offering other services and receiving payment, then you can go to the resolutuon center, tap in the amount you want the guests to pay you, they then have to accept and it comes out of their acount and into yours immediately. This of course will solve any problem you may have with airbnb , but it will not solve any problems you may have being, what is, in fact an unlicenced taxi.

[Alex119]

To be honest with you I was hoping that some local host can give me an advance. So I'm not expecting any one from abroad to tell me for sure what will happen next. But still I believe its a very nice thing to have third opinion. 

Yeah, totally agree with you. I usually prefer to have all extra payments via Airbnb. It's just more safe. But in that particular situation it was something like a tip. 

I just given a call to Airbnb support, they told me not to worry and this is most likely some local guy wanted to scare me. They also told me that even from legal sight I’m ok. Since tips is tips. 

I believe they just made a picture of my car for a future. Like if I will continue to show up there- I will have some problems. Its seems like local mafia or something...  

Hope everything will be fine, but still this story makes me confused and worry. You know its not good when some random guy takes a picture of your car and told you that you will have problems with police.  

[Pam23]

Just say they paid through Airbnb, stayed an extra night and paid for that night in cash and that was what the payment was. I think in most places you could have problems running an unlicensed taxi business but in all honesty that is not what you were doing. As you're unlikely to be caught doing it again I wouldn't say you've much to worry about (but I do understand how worrying it is for you ).