Difficulties with verification

Alan shared on Hosting 911 Jan 5 2015

www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-102553

FIRST TIME USER VERIFICATION



For the second time in 6 months of hosting, we are experiencing an issue with a first time airbnb user being prevented to make a booking due to incomplete verification. She has supplied email, telephone, picture and a profile. She has been asked to make a video to include in her profile and scan her drivers licence.I have contacted airbnb customer service (3 emails and 2 phone conversations) and have been told that as the company grows, stricter verification processes are required to prevent all types of computer fraud - exactly the same reason why my prospective guest does not want her personal details scanned from her driving licence. After all of my efforts with the guest and contact with airbnb over the past 24 hours I am still in the same position.I understand the need to have a secure process as we are inviting people into our homes, BUT if airbnb is going to increase the levels of verification required as the company grows, (a paraphrase of what I was told) then I think we can all expect difficulties ahead in securing new users bookings. Is airbnb just getting too large an organisation now... is it losing it's personal touch in the booking process. Once the customer can get through the booking process they will discover the real airbnb, but what a journey it is for them!
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Nic and Rach

Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Do your settings require Verified ID?

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Carrie
Carriea year ago
I have sometimes removed my verification requirement for long enough for someone having difficulty to complete a booking, and then re-instated it immediately after the booking was complete.

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mark
marka year ago
Same

Alan
Alana year ago
Thanks for your feedback. I have turned on Instant Book for them with no success. I cannot see where I can turn off the verification requirement... perhaps you could guide me to that? many thanks.

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Nic and Rach
Nic and Racha year ago
Go to Manage listing and on the left you will see " Reservation Requirements"
click on that and then UN- check your verification requirements... and you're done.

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Leah
Leaha year ago
Sometimes also, guests are chosen at random to go through those extra steps especially with the video.

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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I had this same problem about 12 days ago. I don't require verified ID, but a guest had submitted a reservation request to me, and Airbnb held it up. They stopped the reservation request from going to me, and then told the guest she had to complete verified ID. It ended up taking my guest over 6 hours of work to do the booking. I wasn't happy about it, all the hoops she was made to jump through.

See my post about that here:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-99899

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Alan
Alana year ago
I have altered the reservation requirements to unlock the verification requirements, declined the booking and asked for her to make a new booking... no luck! Still declined and won't accept her credit card. This message arrived a few minutes ago, and shortly after that another telling me she still cannot book.

Hi there: I did speak to a chap at airbnb..and he understands the (email hidden)ny people are irritated at the verification process which is intrusive. Sadly, while I have a choice and can go elsehwere, you guys are stuck having to try to run a business under the airbnb policies which don't seem to be very (website hidden):my email. If that was the issue too bad they didn't just say so. The (website hidden) is a failry new email account that I have but I also have an older email account from my internet server that I could have used instead. I will try once more in a while to book. I will start the whole process from the start...

I am angry that I have worked hard to keep this lady interested for 36 hours but to no avail. The promised airbnb customer service made me have not materialised. So no support for the client and no support for me. As I stated earlier perhaps airbnb is just getting too big and cumbersome... what a pity. Offer us security, that's great but what good is that if we cannot get bookings from people who want us to host them. Thank you to all of the above who have helped me with this query, I appreciate your input.

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Susan
Susana year ago
getting involved when you had no power to assist just yanked this woman's chain for 36 hours, and meanwhile you "could" have accepted a reservation from another guest who is verified.

Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
Not to fuel the fire, but since you mentioned security, here's a little more about verified ID: bit.ly/airbnb_verified_id

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Susan
Susana year ago
frankly, I don't believe a Host should do the legwork for a guest and I also require a minimum of 3 verifications, 1 of which offline verified, photos and a brief description of the purpose of their stay. I will not spend the time to help a guest get approved on airbnb as there many more that are waiting to book my accommodations.

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Susan
Susana year ago
while the verification process is not perfect, it does, however, create some hoops that people need to go through to stay at my residence. and after 81 reviews/3 years of Hosting I've never had a problem. honest people have nothing to hide/nothing to fear and understand that in this day and age no one has any semblance of privacy anymore.

Danny
Dannya year ago
The word is out on the Verification Company. They have stated categorically that they will not ensure privacy of the uploaded information and will not hesitate to sell or rent the info. AirBnb needs to remedy this situation asap.
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Susan
Susana year ago
they legally need to send out their privacy policy on an annual basis. US regulations require this and other actions regarding Host and Guest privacy.

Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
Evidently they have changed their privacy policy: www.jumio.com/legal-information/privacy-policy/jumio-inc-privacy-policy-for-online-services/ since this article was written: huff.to/1wSAxFu

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Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
not that it makes the process any more foolproof or safe.

Susan
Susana year ago
well, nothing is ever totally safe/foolproof and given that airbnb is evolving along with the upward curve, I'd say that they're probably behind the curve on security issues such as hacking as well. while airbnb promotes the warm and fuzzy sharing economy, that is really far from the truth, people are quite willing to take advantage of Hosts/steal/damage/lie and more and it isn't really very much fun as a Host to feel warm and fuzzy about that. And, airbnb really places the responsibility on the Host, while not totally transparent, to protect themselves and their accommodations through whatever means that would be to accept a Guest. the backup insurance is just that and while egregious damage, if documented promptly, will be considered and at times paid for by airbnb, it by no means takes the place of a secure method to validate guest names and provide security to Hosts.

Salvia
Salviaa year ago
Insane!

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Salvia
Salviaa year ago
Waiting to see when one can at least cash some money for making all this personal data available...

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Alan
Alana year ago
All I was doing for my prospective guest was to offer the highest level of customer service. Our reviews indicate that we look after them once they are here... my point was, if getting them here will become an issue, then we are scuppered!!

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Susan
Susana year ago
as a Host, you are NOT required to troubleshoot verification processes, spend your time on providing quality experience to those that book in.

Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I think you did a great job Alan & John. I would also attempt to help my guest to a certain extent, as I do now, required or not. It helps the community as a whole (regardless of my feelings about verified ID).