Changes in reservation request emails?

[Nancy61]

I've just relisted my listings today after putting them on a long snooze while I traveled. I just received a reservation request email that looks significantly different than those I received back in Jan 2017, so I'm trying to make sure this is a legitimate request. No longer can I see my perspective guest's last name, and the format/layout has changed -- is this a part of Airbnb's anti-discrimination policy? 

 Also, this member has one profile photo in the request email, and a different photo on the member's profile page -- neither picture is a traditional head shot, I'm not even sure if it's the same person. How is this possible that a member can have two different profile pics? This prospective guest only has one brief review from 2014.

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Nancy61: I have not heard of a major change in layout, but sometimes changes take a while to update across all the servers. I do know that someone mentioned last week that they were no longer able to see a guest's last name even after the booking was confirmed.  Perhaps some more hosts will weigh in soon.

[Rosemary12]

Hi Tim and Holly

I have been in discussions with Airbnb about not giving hosts the last name of the guest. Never been a problem in the 3 years I have been hosting until this year. I consider it a security issue but their response has been that guests can book with social media like Facebook and that some people choose not to put their last name. My last 3 bookings have been from women and there is no surname on them.  This was their first response after I emailed and they called me (which was a useless conversation):

Just a recap, please know that you only see the full name of your Guest once the reservation is confirmed or accepted. Upon checking, xxxxx S is the full name of your guest on the account. Please be advise that's the reason why we have a verification process for the safety of all Airbnb users to ensure that we have a proper government issued documents and we also verify the users with the government issued ID and Online ID if both information matches the account's get verified. Please know that our users are free to use nicknames or initials.

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I wrote back and said that no one has an initial as their surname and that I didn't think it was too much to ask since Airbnb  had to have the guest's full name in order to verify government ID which I require. Contrary to their email response, I am not seeing the full name once the guest has confirmed. This was the response:

Please note that Airbnb pride's itself in being a very safe platform in regards to a privacy and the safety of sensitive information. Since Government issued ID's are a key element in fraud we strictly limit access to an appointed few. I can only reference if our Verification Team has verified the ID's presented by the user. Therefore I cannot simply look at the file.

In regards to Facebook, we actually require both forms of verification Online/Offline ID's. A guest will not be able to book a reservation without said documentation.

Thank you for your understanding and being such an important part of the Airbnb community.

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WELL, I AM NOT UNDERSTANDING!  They just don't get it!

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Nancy61

Sounds all ok to me...as for the photos, being honest, most people don't resemble their 'best photo' that they choose to put on AirBnB. And, they can look different in each one.

If the request has come through the platform, then there is some security in that. Is it for some time in the future, so that you can be sure payment has gone through, and is it for more than one night?

As you would have done in the past, just ask the guest additional questions if you feel the need.

(One brief review from 2014 - about 50% of our guests have no reviews and are new timers - often having signed up a year or two ago, but not getting around to booking till now.)

Good luck