does BNB allow hosts in their system if that person is a convicted felon?

[Jason684]

I contacted BNB by phone because I learned that a person who is an active host is also a convicted felon.  The person I talked to, "Kim", repeatedly tried to brush me off, saying that I had nothing to worry about because BNB gets ID's from hosts.  But, as I have read elsewhere in these forums, people who had been hosts for some time were kicked off of BNB after BNB ran a background check and caught a misdemeanor conviction.

The person in question is a multiple time convicted felon that has stolen literally millions of dollars from people over a long period of time, and in multiple states.  "Kim" first told me that they verify ID's for all hosts, so there's no need to worry.  I then brought up the fact that the person in question has been known to use fake names, and even got state issued ID for two of those fake names.  She finally asked me for the "user name", which is just her first name.  When I told her the "user name", she told me not to worry, and said that they would take care of the issue.  When I asked her how they would know which person I was talking about, with only a first name and no location, etc, she told me not to worry about it.  Clearly nothing will be done there since they could not even locate the person without more info.

I thought that BNB required hosts to be checked out better than this....am I wrong?

[Sam397]

@Jason1    This person made a mistake and paid for them. I understand not letting a pedophile work around kids, or a drug addict work at a pharmacy, or someone who stole millions working at a bank but since all money transactions go through a third party(AirBnB) there's no danger of the person stealing from a guest. So why should this person not be allowed to host How is a person going to survive after being released if they're not allowed to work?  I have never been to prison, I don't think anybody I know has been, so I couldn't tell you how difficult it is for a person to survive after they are released. But if they aren't allowed to work how can they be expected to become law-abiding citizens.

I am curious about something, This feels like there is something personal here. This felon isn't an ex-girlfriend or maybe a wannabe girlfriend that turned you down is it?

[Jason684]

No, it is not anything like that.....I am married and the person in question is the same gender as me.  And I don't play that way.  Pretty sure that person does not either.

Here's the problem I have with what you said--yes, people who have paid their debt to society have to live.  If that were the case, I would hardly care.  But that's not the case here.  We're talking about a person who served less than 2 years in prison a long time ago on a grand theft auto charge.  Then, they have never stopped scamming--in fact, they have increased their scams--in one deal, he took almost a million dollars from someone that he called a "friend" and had done some business with.  Law enforcement is aware of it, but the statute of limitations has passed so they cannot go after him for it.  I know the guy personally because I am one of his victims.  The house listed on BNB was bought with stolen money last year.  This is a person that, when I was finally able to track him down a few months ago to demand my money back, told me that I'm just a drop in the bucket of all the money he has stolen--and continues to steal--and that he didn't care about me or my money.  Very smug, and proud of himself for stealing from so many people in many different schemes.

When someone is a long-time criminal, and boasts to his victims about stealing literally millions of dollars--and even breaks down some of his scams for me to show the point--we're not talking about someone who "made a mistake and paid for it".  We're talking about someone who continues to steal from people.  This is a guy who has not had an actual paying job since about 2007...yet, he drives around in hundred thousand dollar cars.  Law enforcement has completely dropped the ball on this.  I gave them all the evidence and then some that they asked for from me, and then they turned around and let him plead down to next to nothing in my case.  He runs credit repair scams, "auto broker" scams where he takes money to purchase cars for people and then just takes off....this is not just a guy who made a mistake once.  It's a guy who proudly makes that mistake all the time and has no desire to stop.  

As for the risk to BNB guests, he's been involved in drugs.  He's a convicted felon who owns guns--again, illegal.  And unsuspecting people are staying in his home.  If YOU were a guest, wouldn't YOU want to know that you were not going to get potentially wrapped up in that mess?  I know I sure would.  But I think this got missed in my point yesterday--I read on here where a BNB host had two years of hosting on BNB, positive reviews...and then one day, BNB kicked him out.  He can no longer be a host through BNB, because some years ago he had a misdemeanor conviction on his record and they finally decided to do a background check with him.  If BNB is so concerned that a misdemeanor is too much, someone please explain to me how a guy who's been stealing and scamming for going on two decades now, who has a history of drugs and who boasts about owning and selling guns, poses no possible liability.  He used a fake last name with BNB when he joined.  According to BNB, when he joined, his ID "looked legitimate", so everyone should feel safe.  Do you see what I'm getting at here?  If this guy can do that, what would stop someone who's, say, a rapist, from hosting victims in their property?  

[Sam397]

Ok I see why its personal. the reason I asked if it was an ex-girlfriend is that in your original post you wrote this.

 I then brought up the fact that the person in question has been known to use fake names, and even got state issued ID for two of those fake names.  She finally asked me for the "user name", which is just her first name

I don't know if I am not reading it correctly but doesn't this say the customer service asked what the felon in questions users name was and you responded with it's her first name?

[Jason684]

Please allow me to clarify.

BNB person on phone repeatedly tried to brush off my concerns, telling me that they check out every host thoroughly, so there's nothing to worry about.  It was only after I asked about background checks and how exactly do they "check out" every host that I learned that they ask for a government-issued ID.  It was then that I pointed out that the person in question is using a fake last name, and even has a state issued ID with the fake name on it.  BNB then told me that if the ID "looks to be legitimate" then they are good to go.  Finally, she asked me for the person's screen name, which is just first name.  As soon as I gave it, she tried to tell me that they would take care of everything.  I questioned her right away, because with just a first name to go on, how can they even know which account to check out?  I mean, it's not an uncommon name.  There are probably plenty of people here with that name.  She asked only for that user name, not last names, not even the state they are in.  Just "what is the person's screen name, their user name as it appears on their profile page".  That's it.  I did not just say "it is their first name".  I actually gave the first name exactly as it appears.  

Imagine if you worked for BNB, and without even knowing what state someone is from, can you pick out "Brenda" or "Mary" or "David" just with nothing more than that first name?  That's what the BNB employee tried to pass off on me to end the conversation.  It's not only that BNB did nothing to vet the person, it's that when informed that there is a potential major issue, all she could do was be condescending to me and lie to me like that.

I hope that explains it.  

[Kelly149]

all people (guests and hosts) should assume that the person on the other side of the ABB transaction is a stranger to them and act accordingly. Nothing is promised, buyer beware, all of us should make wise choices.

And to answer your question, no, abb verifies nothing, not about people, not about listings, they do not require that listings be legal in areas where there are stringent requirements unless and until a municipality forces them to do so. ABB is a starting point but it is not a safety net