Post by High Priestess on May 29, 2016 19:50:43 GMT
Juliet and Ed shared on Hosting 911 Dec 2014
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-96859
What should I do about this person? (if anything)
I got a reservation request from "Serafina", for 2 people. No photo, no profile, and no reviews. I wrote back asking her to provide these, and I also asked her to let me know who the other person was (spouse? friend?) and she sent the following reply. (Although she gives her real name in the email, I have changed it here to "Jane and John Doe" to respect their privacy.)
"Hello,I did put in the reservation after I wrote to you last night, and there has the phone number. I think all that part is fine. We are Jane and John Doe, married 40 years. Serafina is just for fun on this email. We have used airbnb many times but never given a photo. Is that to be sent via this email or somewhere else? It is just the two of us driving to MemphisBut, this is an exchange and not official, so I am not sure what to do next
regarding the photo.Please let me know as last night I believe it said you had to officially
accept our request.Thank you, Jane".In the end, I accepted them without the photo, etc, because they are an older couple and she said they are not "tech savvy". She also said they had used Airbnb several times before. So then I asked her how come no reviews? She said her daughter made the (email hidden)ey are nice people, quiet, polite, etc, but I was really shocked that they used a pseudonym "just for fun". Airbnb is built on trust! So here's my question: should I mention it, when I review "Serafina" that she is really Jane Doe, or should I alert Airbnb about it? I have not spoken to her about it again, they are quiet people that seem to want to keep to themselves. Thanks!!
16 comments•2 likes
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Suzanne
Kathy
Leah
Leaha year ago
If you require govt ID, then come back as saying that you need the names to match on the profile to the ID, otherwise airbnb's requirements would preve
Reply Like 2 replies•2 likes
Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
Leah, up until now, I have never required govt ID, but this is starting to make me think I should.
Leah
Leaha year ago
Use it as an excuse to make sure their names match
Leah
Leaha year ago
Prevent you from accepting.
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
That part about calling herself a different name "just for fun" is kind of strange. Is there anything about the woman or the couple that would shed light on this? I would be wondering if the woman had some type of delusion, and sometimes thought of herself as another person, or if perhaps she had a dissociative identity disorder. Introducing oneself by another name to someone one presumably wants to be taken seriously by, is not typical behavior and does not demonstrate good judgement.
Reply Like 4 replies•2 likes
Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
The only thing I can think of that would shed light on this is the fact that she seems somewhat paranoid about a number of things: e.g. she doesn't eat out in restaurants because they are "dirty", and she told me by email that she was not going to put her photo online; she offered to send it to me privately instead. It did indeed seem very strange to me that she would use a false name. Not just strange, but wrong. Should I alert Airbnb to this fact, or just let it slide? would you mention it in the review, if this happened to you?
Sheryl
Sheryl a year ago
Many, many people prefer not to post their photos online. And they use names other than their legal ones when creating their profile - - - just for fun. Several host postings here have whimsical names or nicknames associated with the profiles. Only when you look at their profiles can you see that, in their reviews, they are referred to by their given names. So, I don't see that as a sign of deception or mental illness. That said, I do require that a prospective guest post their photo on the website and tell me their name. That name and photo should match the government issued ID required at check-in. My position is that, if you are going to book with me on a website, I need the assurance of full "public" disclosure of your identity. Without it, I will not give you my trust.
Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
Sheryl, thank you. As always, you are spot on. I guess you're right; even in these groups some people prefer not to reveal their real names - or their photo. In the future I'm going to start to ask for Govt. ID. So, no need to alert Airbnb in your opinion?
Sheryl
Sheryl a year ago
I think you should trust your instincts. If the combination of a missing name and photo are combined with answers that don't make sense and give you a creepy feeling, I think you should report it. Err on the side of caution and let AIRBNB sort it out. My comment was only meant to say that nicknames or pictures of cats, toys or cartoons don't necessarily indicate subterfuge. But they may! And if the sum of indications concerns you, trust that.
Gillian
Gilliana year ago
Jane Doe.... John Doe... Seriously. Have you ever watched a crime show? Theyre the names for unknown dead victims. Serafina is probably the correct name!
Sounds ridiculous, very dodgy if not downright scary. No way booking without photo ID.
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Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
No, Jane Doe and John Doe is what I am calling them in this forum, to protect their privacy. I thought that in the US it's common to use those names to conceal someone's identity, didn't know it was only for dead people! My bad. But Serafina is most definitely NOT the real name. In fact after i accepted the reservation, I was given the full name as "Serafina Pekkala" which I googled and it turns out to be the name of a witch.
Naomi & Stephen
Naomi & Stephena year ago
Weird.
Serafina
Serafinaa year ago
Someone calling herself Serafina Pekkala is the equivalent of someone calling himself Luke Skywalker. It's a popular fictional character from a bestselling children's book and major motion picture. As a Finnish-American Serafina, myself (not your prospective guest), I don't see anything weird about it.
Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
Serafina.... thanks! that explains a lot. The guest (who has already stayed here) is an elementary school teacher and has a blog about children's books; no doubt she knows about this character (which I had never heard of).
Gillian
Gilliana year ago
Alert airbnb !
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Gillian
Gilliana year ago
Lol sorry, yes ! That makes sense. I should read properly. Deaf need photo I'd still . Good luck
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I can understand people not wanting to post photos of themselves online, but if they want to use a nickname to protect themselves I don't think it is accurate for them to say they are doing it "just for fun". Again, to represent oneself that way to a host whom one wants to stay with and be taken seriously by, is in my mind not a good beginning. The comment about all restaurants being dirty would make me concerned about the guest having a distorted view, something that could end up effecting me negatively. I would pass on this guest.
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Susan
Susana year ago
I'd pass on this reservation. My requirements are photo and verifications, 1 of which must be offline verified. The days of taking anyone "upright and breathing" are over for me. If one can't be honest in the airbnb profile and has tech difficulties, I'm not interested in Hosting that Guest, no matter how "nice" they sound and that their explanation seems "plausible".
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Susan
Susana year ago
contact airbnb, have them cancel the reservation for you and have the Guest rehomed someplace.... this could very well be a scam of some sort...
Naomi & Stephen
Naomi & Stephena year ago
It won't look good if she reviews your place as 'dirty'
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Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
I realize my initial post didn't make the situation very clear.... I already accepted the guest, they stayed for 3 nights and left this morning. They were nice people, quiet, polite, etc. I already received the email from Airbnb saying "Please review Serafina". My question was more about whether to "out" her in the review (as in: "Jane and John were good guests...." or whether it's worth actually letting Airbnb know about it. From all the great replies, i have decided to mention their real names in the review, which will sort of show that they are not named Serafina, and in the future I will ask for Government photo ID, and I will put in my listing that the name of the person making the reservation must match the name on the photo ID. That raises another question for me: for those of you who require photo ID, when the guest arrives, how do you request to see that, without seeming too controlling/unfriendly about it? Thanks!!
Reply Like 2 replies•1 like
Carrie
Carriea year ago
i think if your experience with "Serafina Pekkala + companion" was fine, and you had their actual names and contact info, i would just leave it and let them enjoy their nerdy inside joke. personally i go by a different name socially than legally. that goes for many cultures around the world so i wouldn't worry too much about name.
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I like the "Jane and John," and I would simply edit the review to include the private comment to Airbnb so that in case it's an issue in the future, there's a history.
Fiona
Fionaa year ago
I just make it part of the checklist of things I do at check in. I state in my HR that only registered/reserved guests may check in and how would I know if I didn't ask them for their id? No-one has even balked. I also print out a copy of their itinerary and have them sign that they received a housekey and at the same time I note what form of id they showed, (eg. Driver's License, passport, etc.) I don't note any of the identifying details of the id, just that I looked at it.
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Jana
Janaa year ago
I do not like the idea of guests or hosts using a false name. I don't care if it's just for fun, to protect their privacy or whatever the reason. If someone is going to stay in my home, I need to know that persons real name. I need to protect myself, not the guests. What if something happens to the guest while in my home? I haven't required ID up until now but this is making me reconsider that.
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Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
Now that the guests have left, I called Airbnb customer service, and spoke to Matthew. He wasn't extremely helpful. I asked him 2 questions: First, whether or not to use the guests' real names in the review, and Second, How is it even possible to sign up for Airbnb with a name that's not the real name. His answer to question #1 was "Ask her what she'd prefer", and to #2, he said yes, people can use a different name than what's on their financial info. Rather disappointing, I thought. He did say that I could flag her message to me , the one saying that she's using a fake name "just for fun". So I flagged it. Anyway, this is a learning experience, and I will now be requiring photo ID>
Reply Like 1 reply•2 likes
Juliet and Ed
Juliet and Eda year ago
In the end, I took Airbnb's advice and asked her what she'd like to be called in the review. She said it was fine to use her real name, and thanked me for asking. So all's well that end's well..... but I have amended my listing to state that the person making the reservation must be the same person that is staying, and that I may ask for photo ID.
Leah
Leaha year ago
I think having the govt issued ID included as a requirement helps to show a guest that hosts take it seriously in knowing whom we host. They don't know that airbnb doesnt show us, so for all they know, hosts have it and may be less inclined to cause mischief vs using just FB as acceptable verification.
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I have done a guest review using the guest's real name, when they didn't use their real name in their profile. I didn't necessarily do it to "out" them but because I felt uncomfortable referring to a person by a fake name. They can call themselves the fake name but they can't ask me to join their game.
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Wendy
Wendya year ago
I believe in full disclosure--it is my home after all. I want photos that represent the person currently (not 10 year old photos), and real names. PERIOD! (for my safely...should anything happen to me...there is a paper trail via Airbnb.