increase of guests with no reviews ?

[Clementine29]

Hello fellow hosts around the world.

I have seen an increase of guests requesting to book who have no reviews yet seemed to have joined the airbnb community since 2014 or 2015? I find this quite strange.  Should I be flagging these people? Is this a sign of a fake account? 

I prefer and feel more comfortable accepting bookings if the guest has stayed at other people's homes. I'm sure we all do. Of course there is always a first time but the fact that they have been  on airbnb now for 5 or 6 years with no reviews seems off.

Has anyone else experienced this in the recent months? 

Thank you for sharing.

Clementine

[Alexandra316]

@Clementine29 many people make a profile and wait for a while to take their first trip: I did. I made a profile, filled out my bio, sent inquiries, and no one wanted to host me: they didn't respond, didn't have dates blocked, etc etc etc. Very discouraging. It took about 2 years to try again. 

If you're concerned, why not just ask them? I would be less concerned about fraudsters than people who were bad guests so hosts didn't want to review them. Most of these people participating in  scams aren't going to hold an account for years: they just make an account, scan people (or try to), get shut down, rinse and repeat. 

[Clementine29]

@Alexandra316 Thank you  for your reply. Oh I didn't even really think about that as no reviews means bad reviews that hosts didn't want to write or share.  Of course I'm concerned about bad guests too. But Yes we are all new or have new starts at some point.  And now you are a super host ! Thank you for sharing.

[Sarah977]

@Clementine29  I've had 3 guests with long standing profiles and no reviews. It was all quite innocent- one had joined but never had a chance to take a trip, one had had a couple Airbnb stays but her hosts hadn't bothered to leave reviews, one had always travelled with her husband under his account and liked to 'armchair travel'- checking out listings around the world like you'd peruse a travel magazine.

All 3 were great guests. I don't use IB and judge whether to accept based on how they communicate with me through the messaging.

[Jayme23]

@Sarah977  What kind of questions do you ask folks before confirming the booking?

[Sarah977]

@Jayme23  Most of the guests I've had have sent very informative, personable messages along with the booking request, so I haven't had to ask many questions to set my mind at ease about them. 

If they just write something like "Arriving around noon" or "Looking forward to.coming", I use the things that are crucial for my guests to know, that are mentioned my listing description, to get a sense of whether they have actually read it. 

So in my case, it's "Hi XX, thanks for the request. I just want to make sure you've read through the listing info and are aware that it's a 20 minute walk to town and the beach and that I have a dog and a cat ( in case you have allergies)". 

That usually prompts a more informative message. As I only host one guest at a time in my private room listing, and I live here, so no one can sneak in extra guests or pets, etc, I don't need to confirm guest counts and things that hosts with entire home listings do.

And if I want to know why they show as members for several years, but have no reviews, I"ll just be straightforward- "I'm kind of curious as to the fact that you have no reviews, but it shows you've had an account since 2017.  Did you just never book anything before?"

[Jayme23]

Thank you so much for the advice!

[Pat271]

I also think there are more newcomers to Airbnb lately, and/or guests that opened accounts a long time ago but are starting to use Airbnb only recently.  The pandemic has made people itch to get away, especially to low-density, non-hotellike environments.

[Russell49]

I ask a series of questions for 0 review guests ad if I don't feel 110% confident that they will be great, I refuse them.Likewise, they have to have plenty of ID/ proof of identity. I refuse to take on risky business. Likewise, I have on my settings that the guest must have a recommendation from another host. Any 4 star reviews won't stay here.

[Robin925]

@Russell49 Do you mind sharing your series of questions you ask guests before booking? I've heard several hosts say they do this. I tend to work to get information about a potential booking/guest, and ask questions, but I don't yet have a set list. For safety reasons I would like to know what other hosts are doing. Thanks.

[Russell49]

The questions are varied depending on what info they have given me. I ask what they intend on doing during their stay, what is the occasion to bring them here, if they will keep a clean and quiet atmosphere, etc. I also ask their partner/ guest's name and info.

Most 0 review guests end up being just fine, whereas others believe Airbnb is a hotel type accommodation-these are the ones you want to avoid and it won't hurt to ask them ahead of time if they understand the difference between Airbnb and hotel/motel type accommodations? I will then explain how Airbnb is a community type accommodation where the host's property is used as a short term rental, etc

I hope these few things help!

[Robin925]

I just had a guest leave who claimed he had been to over 40 Airbnbs in the past 6 years; said he traveled throughout Europe. He had only one review from 2015, and while it seemed like a fine review it was a joint review with another guest....First off, he "forgot" to read the rules of the house, forgot that some women hosts will not take kindly to insults of an older man suggesting that a " lady come into his room". He spoke to the neighbors and tried to chat with the postal worker telling her personal information about me. He was asking me to join him for wine and telling me details about his shower....I was shocked. I honestly can not believe a guy who traveled on Airbnb community had been going through the system for so long unnoticed with any such behavior.  So at one point it got uncomfortable and so I reminded him of the rules of the house not to talk to the neighbors (seems normal to me, since I'm the one who lives here). He left in a huff...first requested he might stay for 24 hours, where I said I needed him to leave that day. He was hostile, got too close to me wagged his finger at me, when he demanded he felt he should be able to "speak to anyone he wanted on the property". I was very upset. I complained to Airbnb, and we simply changed the reservation not canceled it. He even tried to write to me in IM after the booking was over and he had already left telling me that Airbnb security had gotten an "earful". I was a little alarmed. Yet somehow Airbnb let this guest go on and have the chance to review me... I told Airbnb this did not sit well with me. They let him review me. So in respect, for the first time ever I wrote a truthful and honest depiction of the experience, although abreviated; not a positive review and I told others I would never host this guest again. Next thing you know the man had contact Airbnb and complained that he felt I had breached a policy of requesting he write a positive review supposedly in exchange for an "suggestion" he might stay another 30 days. He had requested the 30 day extension and offered cash which i had never accepted, but thankfully it was recorded in the thread. and I had never agreed, never accepted any further booking. The guy was a master at working the system to have reviews removed and a total con. He bashed me in a review, (2 stars)  and later replied to my review calling me names and putting me down. I'm still in shock and delisted the property, taking time to recover before dealing with the Customer Service, since they have so seem to have totally dropped the ball on this. I was actually sent a reminder that my property could be delisted for breaching the review policy, and still after disputing this have not heard back.  I just made Superhost 6 times in a row, celebrating 2 years with so many awesome guests and awesome reviews. Yet I am in such a state I question if I ever want to host again. For sure if I get it up again, my New Rule for myself will be that, unless a guest is new to Airbnb and can prove to me who they are for a first time booking with some conditions, I would never accept a long time guest with few or no reviews Especially if they claim to have traveled and stayed in many Airbnbs without any record of what hosts thought. Just my idea on this.

[Russell49]

Your guest was full of ..it. No way has he had 40 stays with only 1 review. lol