Increase in Questionable Inquiries

[Joy1625]

Hi Airbnb Community,

I have been a host since 2019. Mostly great and smooth experiences.

Of late, I have been getting a number of unverified guests making inquiries saying they love the place and want to book but also want me to add their WhatsApp and communicate / show them more of the surroundings. I find this odd. Has anyone been getting these? For a number of these I stopped responding to them because I would preapprove them and they don’t accept. And I declined to contact them. Anyone have this experience? Wonder if Airbnb is aware of this potential concern. Thank you. 

[Alicia753]

@Joy1625 Yes, some guests send inquiries and ask Hosts to communicate offsite. As an Airbnb host, it's important to be cautious and follow Airbnb's guidelines, especially when dealing with inquiries asking you to communicate or conduct transactions offsite. Airbnb strongly advises keeping all communications and transactions within the Airbnb platform. This is for your safety, to ensure that all interactions are recorded and can be referred to in case of disputes or issues. Respond to the guest by politely insisting that all communications and transactions remain on the Airbnb platform per Airbnb's T&Cs. If you feel that an inquiry is suspicious or violates Airbnb's policies, you can report it to Airbnb immediately. This can be done through the platform, where there is usually an option to report messages or users. Hope this helps! 

[Fiona256]

It's only right that guests need to see the surroundings of a place they are considering staying at. So you should have photos of the location and surroundings in your listing. I would never book a stay where the environs were not shown.

[John5097]

@Joy1625 

I havne't gotten any that request to communicate off platform. Sometimes cleaners will send me a the name of their cleaning business. Or a photographer. That's about it. 

You only have to respond to inquiries with any kind of text within 24 hours. Even "No thanks" is good enough. 

Don't need to send pre approval. Especially if they are sending request to communicate off platform. You can report them and I think there is an option to click that guest wants to communicate off platform. 

They may just want to book off platform to avoid fees. But what if they aren't happy about something and report you? I know you didn't do this but I wouldn't want to host a guest thats already trying to scam. You could just explain that it's against Airbnb policy to communicate off platform for both gust and host safety but you are still happy to answer any questions they may have. 

Most guest who send inquiry don't book anyway. I still answer all questions, usually how far a place is. I send exact distance.  

[Rebecca]

Hey there @Joy1625, 

This is a great question! Did any of the answers below help you resolve the issue? If so, it's always a lovely gesture to mark it as the best answer. It's like a big virtual hug to the member who supported you. 😊

If you need any help, just shout.

[Helen3]

If a guest asks me to communicate off platform I usually just flag the inquiry with Airbnb @Joy1625