Hi @Ana1136 @Susan17 @Stephanie
thanks for offering your opinions and comments. I now regard myself as formally chastised. Didn't realise that was the point of these boards. What I was attemping to do - obviously not very successfully, was try to offer a naive inexperienced guest viewpoint and perpective. . Kezneth had said she had found it strange, and I was merely trying to show how things once appeared to me from a guests point of view.
As hosts we can be very quick to judge and assume the worst can't we? I have only been hosting, very part time, for a few months, and I see in myself already the tendency to be a bit cynical and a bit suspicious. I dont' think this is a bad thing. However the many guests who have a completely clear conscience and no underhand agenda, who are just looking for a home for their family in the short term and who are new to airbnb aren't thinking that way at all. I was trying to explain that viewpoint. At the time I was a first timer to airbnb. I had read a lot about airbnb and how it worked and the message I kept getting was - "it's your home away from home." . As a guest I was expected to water plants and do various other chores. And for the record, when I asked about getting some books delieverd, the host said "it would be afwful if they got lost, and there's no one here to collect them, so here, use this collection agency instead". She didn't say "look you using my address for deliveries makes me really uncomfortable, it has the potential to cause all sorts of legal difficulties".
As a individual that is now much more experienced with airbnb, if I was in the same situation would I do it again? No I don't think so. ( although i would still really resent having to travel 30 mins to pick up some deliveries and PAY for the privilege if I was paying top dollar to stay somewhere and i was there for an extended period of time. At that particular time, I was visiting my sister who was very likely to die, We had brought out the whole family on short notice, at signifcant expense. I had communicated well with the host, so she was aware of our situation. so from my viewpoint having to travel 30 mins by public transport in the wrong direction to collect a resources to keep my children entertained, seemed very perplexingly difficult and unescessary. I am about to host guests who are staying for 2 weeks. they are also out to visit family and if they asked me in advance about a delivery I wouldnt' have a problem with it myself. But that's just me I realise) Do I think my "crime" was horrendous (and deserving of chastisement on these boards?) Not particularly. I was a bit pigheaded, but harmless. I didn't break steal, ruin furniture or linen, sneak in extra guests, break anything, lose the master key, or do anything remotely illegal.
I fairly frequently get mail at my home address and at the home I occasionally airbnb that belongs to other people. None of other mail is connected to any airbnb activity. I have never lived anywhere where I haven't occasionally recieved someone elses mail, including sometimes packages. I think it's highly unikley its drugs, but possible I suppose. I just mark return to sender. Not everything is ominious and not everyone is out to rip you off. That is all I was trying to say originally really.
Anyway, none of this subsequent commentary is particularly useful to Kezneth is it? I think we need to stay on task
Kezneth, I hope the link Stephanie provided was useful. That's probably all you really needed I'm thinking! I plan to read it myself That's why I read and occasionally post on these boards, to learn, to develop and to try and understand the perspectives and opinions of others - both guests and hosts.
Have a great day everyone
Cheers
