Usage of professional pictures to delude guests

[MarcoAntonio59]

This week I had a absolutely disappointing experience as a guest. It's the first time I am staying on an apartment where the pictures were taken by a professional photographer. The photos make the place look ok but in person the room is disgusting. Complaining to support do not help anything. The support staff claim that things "looks" like. I question how much the use of professionally taken pictures and dishonesty can harm the platform purpose?

When you buy a product that does not match your expectations, you have the chance to complain and get your rights assured. When a host tricks guests so badly with professional pictures, who will protect guests? I strongly believe Airbnb is seriously built upon trust and take care of its community so serious as no company ever made. I am concerned this kind of practice will ruin it all. Making it become just another platform for making easy money.

[Susan151]

@MarcoAntonio59. I am surprised that AirBNB did not assist you under the circumstances. Most of us complain that the CS folks always side with the guest, after all. Were you able to submit pictures that clearly show that the host had sold something to you that they couldn't provide? How was your claim handled. This could be of interest to many of us who strive to accurately portray our spaces in the listing.

[MarcoAntonio59]

@Susan151 I am surprised too and I am reporting because I am concerned we are dealing with a tipping point with this matter. 

[Julie143]

This is why I don’t use professional photos for my listing. I’d prefer guest be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.

What exactly was wrong with the place? Dirty? Different furniture than expected?

You could try tweeting or posting on Air’s Facebook page. Sometimes that gets their attention.

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

I agree fully with @Julie143 - take your own photos - you know what to focus on. Under promise and over-deliver

[MarcoAntonio59]

@Gerry-And-Rashid0 Indeed. I am here talking from a guest perspective. I fell in a trap in my current trip.

[MarcoAntonio59]

I will do @Julie143. I think I have a very good example with the place I am staying at this week. 

[MarcoAntonio59]

There is a huge difference of purpose in this choice. There is a profound sense of honesty on having realistic pictures, to surprise the guest for better, instead of trying to get as many bookings as possible, no matter if people will get surprised for good, worse, or totally disappointed. Airbnb's mission of making people feel at home anywhere ends here.

Nowadays, when we do buy a burger, we all know it looks much more tasty on the outdoor pictures. A place to stay is more serious matter. The feeling of trust and safety that were built among travellers will slowly fade away. Until the moment we have the same feeling we do when ordering food on a fast food company. You know in advance that it would be less than you are seeing on the cover. You place the order anyway. When it arrives on your table, you realize it is in fact very much less than expected. But you eat it and go away, without any complaints.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@MarcoAntonio59

you didn't tell what was the difference? Was it dirty? Furniture was worn out or different?

Of course, the host will use professional photos if he wants to attract guests, of course, guests will choose a better-looking place to stay, it is normal.  We have professional photos but nobody ever accused us of it.

For example here is the example of amateur vs. professional photos, it is the same room just different lens and lighting.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

ps...

journalist photographers have to document events accurately. it is allowed to adjust contrast, sharpness, color saturation, to crop the photo, change it to black and white etc... but it is not allowed to change anything on it like to erase, add or intervene in a similar way.

[Mark116]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  That second photo doesn't even look like the same room though, it looks about 2x larger.  It is definitely a much more attractive photo.

[Teresia4]

The professional photos are deceitful.  They make the room appear larger than it is and brighter.  I would want to see exactly what it has to offer.  That’s more honest.

[Huma0]

@Teresia4 

I don't think @Branka-and-Silvia0 's example is deceitful at all. 

The room does indeed appear larger, and a wide angled lens can distort the image a bit, but it's pretty obvious that the room IS larger. The first photo is taken closer up because it's difficult to get the whole room in with a normal lens. That's the main reason wide angled lenses are used for interior photography.

The first photo is only up to the top of the French doors, but in the second photo, you can see not only the full height of the wall but also some of the ceiling. In the first one, you can only see part of the lower chest of drawers and TV, but in the second, the whole chest and TV, the mirror above it and a basket before that. On the other side, you can see the other bedside table and lamp. 

As for the light, well, although the lamps are on it appears to me that most of the lighting is natural light, which is not surprising with those those large doors and two big windows and a high ceiling. A professional photographer is just more skilled with exposures and shutter speeds to correctly capture this, but it's easy to tell it's a light filled room, because you can see the light from outside reflected in the glass of the picture on the wall and on the floor.

So, what exactly is deceptive about it? If anything, the second photo is a more accurate depiction because you can see more of the room and its contents and see it more clearly because the photographer has used the correct exposure.

The example that @MarcoAntonio59 gives is a different story altogether as the contents of the room are not even the same. Even though one photo is taken in the day and the other at night so it's not a completely fair comparison, the listing image is overexposed (or blown out), thereby hiding that the room is quite dingy in reality.

[Linda108]

@MarcoAntonio59  I have a combination of professional and personal pictures and agree with @Branka-and-Silvia0 that different lenses provide a clearer picture of the space and there is nothing wrong with that.  As a guest I have had the experience of being let down by the "feel"  of a place that had seemed better quality in the listing.  But there was nothing materially different or dirty so I did not complain.  I just was not as glowing in my review.

As previously asked by other hosts, what were your complaints, specifically? Even though I have professional pictures I often have guests positively comment that the home is better than pictured.  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Eh @Linda108 our feeling of the place changes every day... depends if it is a sunny or rainy day, is it morning, afternoon or night, summer of winter, what lights we turn on..... and who are we with :)))) 

It is impossible to catch all those feelings in just one photo 🙂