instant book vetting guests

[Margaret0]

I have been hosting for a few years and had quite a few guests. I just had a run of really easy guests and decided maybe focus in future on people coming over on business - less work they dont expect me to entertain them. I had been feeling a bit burnt out after my summer holiday guests.  I find women my age can expect me to be a friend and part of their holiday. They may be nice but its still a strain. Older men can also expect me to entertain them, a few have asked me out for dinner. If I like them I go (I went once). 

Its November Dublin slows down. 2 guests left on Thursday morning. I had one other leaving very early on Friday. Late Thursday evening I got a request from a French girl for a friend of hers to stay 3 nights starting Friday. She had a few reviews. I know  airbnb is no third party bookings but I get them and they work out fine, its usually relatives or friends booking someone in . I asked the French girl for information on her friend - the usual vetting questions tell me a bit about him,  age. Is it a man or a woman ? I speak French, her English was poor so I said reply in French if you want.  She said no English fine and I got a one sentence reply in English after half an hour. She gave me a first name (a strange one) and just said 28 year old guy and he would love to stay in my beautiful house - no more.  This could have been language issues on her part. 

I thought people do instant book all of the time. This is probably ok its late I am tired I am waiting for answers here and its blood out of a stone. I booked him in.  I sent her guides etc and asked for his email - no reply. I then asked re checkin time. She organised the time with me but ignored requests for his contact details and said she would give him mine. this made me uncomfortable. What if there was an issue with checin ?

Half an hour later than agreed (thats normal people underestimate the trip from the airport public transport is poor in Dublin) this slighly dishevelled guy arrived with a huge and battered and dirty orange suitcase. He seemed nice enough but ill at ease. He complimented me on my house and said he just wanted a shower and to go out and meet his friends who lived nearby . All plausible.  He didnt have the wifi password and didnt seem to want it desperately (strange everyone wants the wifi password first thing). I fired questions at him, he said he was in Dublin visiting friends and looking for a job. He had his shower and came to find me to say goodbye - good sign. I heard him come back about six pm but didnt meet him. I went out for the night about 8 and said to my friend I was really ill at ease there was something different about this guy- not my usual type of guest. 

He left the bathroom (shared) a bit messy towels thrown round and a tshirt on top of the laundry basket. Strange. People dont throw clothes around in the bathroom ever. I put his tshirt on a bench outside the bathroom door.  It was still there later so I put it on his bed in his room

I was out the following day and got  back at lunchtime which was when he got up went straight out . We exchanged a few words and he said he worked in HR management and was dropping in CVs in Dublin. At eight he came down with his case called me and said he was going to stay with his friend for the rest of his time in Dublin.  He was booked in for three nights he only stayed one. His room was left ok except that he ate chocolate and got it over all of the bed clothes. I had to wash the electric blanket.  A small thing but noone else has ever done this.  

An uncomfortable day and night day for me . You might say money for nothing but I was stressed for two days and a night. Never again

I will never use instant book unless the person has a few reviews.

I brought this on myself. There was no harm done but it was stressful

[Queenie0]

Sorry you had this experience. If you're a risk taker, I'd suggest instant book OR taking 3rd party bookings. Doing both at the same time just magnifies the risk of getting a bad guest.  I take instant book and have had no problems (so far) but I ask a lot of questions and definitely would risk having to cancel a  reservation if the guests was unresponsive or scary.  I think 3rd party bookings are the more risky. As you described, you're at the mercy of the person who made the reservation for information that should be going directly between the host and the guest. The guest gets all your private information and you get none of his. Fortunately, this guest was just untidy. He could easily have been a horrible guest, one who was unregistered with airbnb. I don't hold a lot of hope out for airbnb's damage or liability protection but I do not that whatever they do offer wouldn't be available for an unknown guest.  I was holding my breath waiting for the end of this story. I'm glad it all turned out well. 

[Queenie0]

Sorry you had this experience. If you're a risk taker, I'd suggest instant book OR taking 3rd party bookings. Doing both at the same time just magnifies the risk of getting a bad guest.  I take instant book and have had no problems (so far) but I ask a lot of questions and definitely would risk having to cancel a  reservation if the guests was unresponsive or scary.  I think 3rd party bookings are the more risky. As you described, you're at the mercy of the person who made the reservation for information that should be going directly between the host and the guest. The guest gets all your private information and you get none of his. Fortunately, this guest was just untidy. He could easily have been a horrible guest, one who was unregistered with airbnb. I don't hold a lot of hope out for airbnb's damage or liability protection but I do not that whatever they do offer wouldn't be available for an unknown guest.  I was holding my breath waiting for the end of this story. I'm glad it all turned out well. 

[Margaret0]

It was all fine I bumped into him with his friend in the supermarket and figured out the back story,  his reason for being in Dublin, his strange schedule and sudden departure. It was a personal issue of his which I wont share on a public forum and not obvious at all. 

[Deb0]

@Margaret0 Thanks for sharing your story about this third party guest. I've accepted a few of these types of reservations and have been lucky they all turned out well. Usually people are gifting the room to parents or relatives for an anniversary gift. I've had the same uneasy feeling before meeting them, but each has turned out to be lovely. It's nice closure that you ran into this guest around town and learned some details that gave you an explanation for his odd behavior. Hope it makes you feel more comfortable.

@Lizzie0 I wonder if Airbnb might embrace this type of reservation by providing an approved way for people to gift a stay to a friend or relative? Perhaps there could be a system for gathering the third party information and including them in the messaging. It could be a new revenue stream / type of reservation - "don't just give, give an experience.... airbnb" :). FYI: I've noticed frequent threads on this in the old Groups. Many hosts were receiving 3rd party reservation requests resulting in uneasy and awkward conversations with guests regarding Airbnb 3rd party booking rules. I'm sure many bookings were lost as a result.

[Gerald0]

Hi Margaret.  There are many reasons for not accepting third party bookings: no Airbnb verification, no security deposit from the guest etc.  Plus I am assuming you could lose your Airbnb membership for breaking their rule.  There is often some reason why the person is not a member.  Such as having negative reviews, being mentally ill, poor credit etc.  Good luck.