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Post by High Priestess on Jun 21, 2019 3:40:52 GMT
This was prompted after seeing more than the usual number of posts lately from hosts who complain about Airbnb guests but don't seem to take sufficient precautions to protect themselves. globalhostingblogs.com/2019/06/20/proactive-self-protective-hosting/ I will be adding to this article tomorrow, more tips on how to screen guests and protect oneself. |
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Post by Mabel on Jun 22, 2019 15:08:10 GMT
Excellent article. I wish there were a way for Airbnb to see it and the majority of the hosting community as well.
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Post by High Priestess on Jun 22, 2019 16:18:11 GMT
Thanks Mabel. I have posted it on some other host community groups, and people do check on that website a lot to see articles there so it will be seen "around town"....
There are some signs that problems are increasing for hosts using Airbnb. It can be hard to tell for sure what is going on with Airbnb policy, often times, because when hosts tell stories about things that happened to them or what customer service said, one has difficulty ascertaining if the host is telling the whole story, or whether this one customer service rep really represents Airbnb policy. There's a possibility that some customer service agents are not well informed, or on the other hand that some are going off like loose cannons and just doing their own thing without any policy backup for their action.
But ...for instance...one host in another group recently said that "Airbnb told her" that she is not supposed to be asking questions of guests prior to accepting them for a stay. I dont' know if this is completely true. It might be that there were just particular questions this host asked that for whatever reason, the guest felt were out of line and complained to Airbnb. But, if it is true that Airbnb doesn't want a host asking any questions of prospective guests, it is very likely the most insane thing I have yet heard. It would in essence mean that Airbnb is actively trying to prevent hosts from screening their guests. Which is incredibly dangerous for hosts and would make it all but impossible for many to host!
So....the moral of the story is that hosts have to assiduously protect our own interests and realize Airbnb has shown in many ways that they do not "have our back" as the saying goes.
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Post by Mabel on Jun 22, 2019 20:13:12 GMT
i don't think that's the case - what the host claimed. I read the terms often on what hosts can and cannot say or do. They are very specific about the kinds of questions we are permitted to ask and not ask. I would assume that this host may have asked some of the forbidden questions, though likely completely justified, or phrased in a similar manner and customer service pointed out the rules against it. To forbid asking any questions at all would be in opposition to their prompts to hosts about asking what the guest is coming here for, how many, what their plans are, etc.
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Post by High Priestess on Jun 23, 2019 3:54:42 GMT
That may well be the case, Mabel. It would make more sense than the suggestion they are forbidding hosts doing any screening!!
Yet given some upsetting things we've seen them do, one wonders....
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