How do you deal with questionable enquiries?‌‌

[Quincy]

Hello all,

Today, I would like to share one of the most reported cases on communication and fraud. There are sometimes guests who make enquiries to negotiate "off platform prices" or try to book a space for someone other than themselves. I’ve noticed that there’s an increase of said requests especially during the holiday and festive periods. 

Do you have experience with such enquiries? If so, do you have any advice for responding to such messages?

I look forward to hearing your answers. 

Quincy

[Lorri7]

@Daniela1190 

How do you make this request?  Is there a share option you see as a guest but not a host?  I was trying to do this request with my last booking but I couldn't get AIRBNB on the phone to ask and I couldn't find out how the guest went about sharing the reservation.

[Daniela1190]

@Lorri7 

We can’t send the invitation to the guests because we don’t know who they are.  The only person who can share the list is the guest that reserved the house.  You won’t be able to see the guest name’s and profile until the guest who reserve it invites his group to the reservation and they actually accepts it and fill out the information.  

But once they do,  you will be able to see the picture and profile,  if this is something that you would like you should add it as part of your requirements or you can ask the guest during the reservation process.

[Quincy]

Hi there @Deborah1021 @Laura3217I believe this is something the guest has to do, but I could be wrong. Please see below a few instructions that I was able to find on the helpcentre (I recommend fully reading it by clicking >here<.

To add the names of additional guests:

1. Go to Trips and choose the reservation you’d like to update
2. Click on the reservation details
3. Scroll down and click Save reservation details copy (PDF)
4. In the text box under Who’s coming?, type the names of your additional guests and click Next (for users in China, please fill in your guests' legal names in Chinese or English according to the itinerary language of your choice)
5. Choose the language you’d like your reservation details to be saved in, and click Save

I hope this helps!

[Lorri7]

@Quincy 

I'm not finding this under hosting.  You are probably right in saying this is a guest option.  It would be very beneficial to see this option for hosts.

[Lorri7]

@Deborah1021 If you select the guest count in the reservation, a pop up window opens where the names can be entered by the guest.  What would be great is instructions you can send to your guest informing them how to find and complete this.

[Daniela1190]

@Lorri7 

This is the instruction you can give to your guest:

How do I share trip details with other guests?

To share Airbnb trip plans with the people traveling with you, invite them to be co-travelers. Confirmed co-travelers have access to the trip itinerary from their Airbnb account. Itineraries include details like the address and contact information for your hosts.

To add a co-traveler:

1. From a browser, go to Trips
2. Click the trip you want to share
3. Click the person with a plus signicon, or, if you have co-travelers on the trip already, the image of co-traveler photos/initials
4. Add a co-traveler by sharing the provided link or by emailing them an invite

Shared links expire after 1 week. If you want to share your itinerary with people who don’t have an Airbnb account, or people not going on your trip, you can forward your confirmation and itinerary details through email.

[Michelle2532]

100% Nancy. I've only had one bad experience in my early days of hosting, the lady kept messaging me wanting to get in earlier. I felt a tad harassed; I'm not there so had to contact my cleaner and linen people which is annoying for them. They were my longest staying guests, and caused a bit of damage. The initial text messages in the first couple of days struck alarm bells for me and I had to go to the townhouse on their departure to see what had happened. Resolutions, she declined, and Airbnb paid.

[Deborah1021]

I agree with your "looking back on it" to the early communications with potential guests. I have had my spidey senses tell me someone was going to be a problem and I ignored it and of course, they were a problem. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Nancy1437, this is very important. I'm not sure whether guests still see an option to add the names of the people who are coming. 

It should look like this once you've filled in the details of everyone who's on your booking (sorry had to remove the little photo's for privacy reasons🙂) 

[Deborah1021]

That's super helpful. thank you!

[Emmanuel711]

So true, these discount seekers continually asking for things through the stay and never satisfied with anything. I'll be removed mine in this instance.

Thank you for opening up my eyes 👀.

[Jillian105]

I would also like to see all the guests listed by name and age on the portion that lists them. There is only 1 name and the other spaces are empty. Sometimes guests accidentally list one person when there is actually a family; that slows down my reservation process as I need to ask often. I also want to know the ages of the children, as I plan activities for them and toys that are age-appropriate; it would save me time.

[Megan760]

Great approach and response, @Laura2592  I've found the same that, when discounts are requested, it is usually a red flag and our property is worse for wear after these guests. I, too, have responded in a similar manner, even going so far as to include links to other Airbnb properties within the requested price range.This also ties in to the request to have support animals, which I know is a different ball of wax... I'm happy to share other links to other Airbnb homes which are pet friendly and better suited for animals. Again, support animals is a different forum topic for sure...

I understand Airbnb collects the guests' government ID info, but as a host, I'm always bothered by guest reservations when their profile picture is of their infant, a pet, or a tropical scenery. Can Airbnb not mandate / audit the profile photo is of the actual guest? I always ask the guests to update their photo prior to arrival, but it still makes me anxious to have to even ask this.

[Maribel61]

I agree - it is rather concerning that AirBnB would even allow guests to upload a profile picture other the guests' own person.

[Emma664]

I follow exactly the same procedure.