Is it a fake listing ?

[Geoffrey191]

Hi! Im new to airbnb and want to make my first booking. I found a nice place and im looking to stay for 2months.

My host seems to good to be true. He has +200 reviews but 0 from the one im about to rent. The reason for this is that hy just moved there with his wife and 2 children. We talked via airbnb but he quickly offert his number. 

I was hoping someone with more experience can take a look?

I though i could paste a link here but it got taken off...

**[Identifiable information removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines & Title updated by OCM to make it relevant to the post]

[Helen3]

Have you read the reviews for the hosts other properties @Geoffrey191 

some of host ratings are low by Airbnb's standards 

hosts are not supposed to talk to you off platform before you have a confirmed booking. How did you exchange numbers

always keep all communications on Airbnb .

personally I would book with a superhost with great reviews 

[Geoffrey191]

Hi @Helen3  thankyou for your reply!

All the reviews seems to be good when i read them. The average is 4.4.

He send his number thru airbnb in a way air bnb wouldnt notice i think.

I asked him iff we could do the payment using airbnb and he didnt mind. 

Since this place didnt have any reviews and i was suspicious he offert me to talk with a current tenant. I did and it seems legit but i still dont know. She offert to give me a video call with room tour, i am probably doing this tomorrow.

I think he just wanted to avoid the airbnb fees...

Still i dont know what to do. I feel a bit paranoid.

[Fred13]

"I think he just wanted to avoid the airbnb fees..." which is a whopping 3% and he is willing to go through all such sweaty gyrations to save that? No wonder you have misgivings, you should.

[Geoffrey191]

Hi fred

Is it only 3%?!

It says the airbnb service costs are around 500€ wich is about 15% but i dont know iff this is what you mean.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Geoffrey191 there are two service cost models. Either guest pays 3% and host 14.2% or guest pays nothing and host pays 15%.

[Geoffrey191]

So the host would be able to save 15%? So it makes sence to offer me a cash payment where we both would profit? (Wich im not going to do)

[Geoffrey191]

.

[Robin4]

@Geoffrey191 

Hi Geoff, Airbnb is not like opening up another box of breakfast serial, you need to feel your way into it.....learn what to expect as you go. 

The Hilton hotel chain has one big thing going for it! When you book a Hilton room, no matter where it is on earth the standard is the same........same bed, same pictures on the wall, same condiments. You know exactly what you are going to get!

Airbnb is a massive guessing game, every host has a differing perception of what hospitality is, and what they expect from a guest. It could be anything from suite in the Marriott Waikiki Beach resort on Kalakaua Ave in Honolulu to, a tent that doesn't leak in Outer Mongolia.

Geoff, as a user new to Airbnb this is not the first Airbnb booking you should be making! I see a number of red flags here.

1/......2 months is a long time to get along with a stranger, sometimes you hit it off, sometimes you don't. A first up booking of 2 months has more chance of being a disaster than a success. The boundaries between short term rental and long term rental are entirely different.

2/......Any host who contacts a guest in subtle ways to make contact outside the Airbnb platform is not a host you should be dealing with. You forgo any protections that Airbnb might offer.

3/.......You say the host has a guest average star rating of 4.4. That is just about as low a rating as is tolerated on Airbnb. I am pinching this screenshot from one of our great past contributors, Ute 42 from Germany, I hope she doesn't mind but it explains how the Airbnb rating system works.

Geoff, as a new user there is no way I would jump into a 2 month booking with someone who wants to game the system. I would first of all do a short stay or two with an Airbnb Superhost so you can learn what to expect from the experience.

I wish you luck and hope something I and others here have contributed can help you!

Cheers.........Rob

[Sandra856]

@Geoffrey191 When you as a guest book through Airbnb - Airbnb keeps your money til after you have checked in. So if something isn’t as expected - your money is save with Airbnb and you will get all your money back. Scammers will try to get you to wire or transfer money outside the system (as that is the only way they can autually scam a guest) and you could loose all your money and if anything goes wrong you don’t have a contract or anyone who can help you. Your host could kick you out and what would you do? I would never dare to book outside the Airbnb system and I would see it as huge red flags if a host did what your host is doing. 

[Helen3]

as I've said above 4.40 is considered very low by Airbnb @Geoffrey191  and is a score that can lead to hosts getting kicked off the platform. 

i would not book with a host that tries to circumvent Airbnb and get you to book off platform where you have no protection if things go wrong. 

you've been given lots of good  advice here your choice as to whether you book it . I wouldn't . 

it seems you're determined to go ahead despite the red flags so good luck 

[Geoffrey191]

Well you didnt specify what was a low rating was. still thank you for your answer and concern.

[Bhumika]

Hi @Geoffrey191 ,

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the listing and asking for advice from other Hosts.

We refrain from posting a link to an active listing that could identify a Host or their location (unless the Host shares the link by themselves in the Community Center for feedback). You may refer to the Community Center Guidelines.