Post by High Priestess on Oct 15, 2015 11:12:57 GMT
Jessica shared Oct 14 2015
Getting the room for someone else
I just got a request for a medical student for two weeks from their mom. She doesn't have any reviews and says her son is 28yrs old. When asked if he could request me from his acct. She claims that she does all his travel arrangements because of his busy schedule. What's your opinion here?
Clare
I'd be very careful. How do you know she is his Mom? Could be anybody! If it were me, I would require that the son establish his own account and profile. Medical student? Sounds too good to be true.
Jessica
My thoughts exactly -
Lori and Tom
A 28 year old man can't make his own travel arrangements? Even if he's that busy, his MOM is doing it for him? So much strangeness in so few words.
Jessica
Thank you for responding. Going w/ my gut. 28 is well into adulthood
Peter
Now I know a few young men who don't make their own Airbnb travel arrangements. What are they called - Brian, Joe and Nate. Yes, they have personal assistants who book for them on Airbnb - whatever it says otherwise on the can!
Clare
Peter, those guys are welcome at my place anytime! Well..don't know Nate. Might have to verify his ID!
And, another thought, Jessica, if there were a problem, the "mother" might just as well ignore you since she wasn't the person staying at your place.
Fiona
I have had requests like this and I tell them ruthfully Airbnb prohibits 3rd party reservations and the person has to have their own account.
Fiona
I even tell them "t"ruthfully.
Andrew (andrew)
How interesting...I've gotten this exact request, almost verbatim. And other hosts who have posted very similar ones here. Food for thought. Decline!
Susie&Rod
We've received this request also! Very interesting....
Raymond & Elaine
www.airbnb.com/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member
"Transparency and trust are vital to the Airbnb experience. People rely on information in Airbnb profiles, reviews, and other verifications when deciding whether to host or stay with someone.
That’s why we require all Airbnb reservations to be booked by someone who is part of the reservation and is actually going to stay at the listing.
Jeannette
Time for this 28 y.o. grown baby to launch.
Juliet and Ed
Whether or not he's a baby or a grown man, or a student, or a mama's boy or whoever is not so much the point. The point is that if someone else makes the reservation, then the guest has not read any of the listing, or the rules, or seen the photos. That would be, for me, the main reason to decline.
Raymond & Elaine
I think the main reason to decline is that it is against airbnb policy.
Regina
You're a new host, and unfortunately some potential guests will see you as fresh meat. Meaning, some may request things from you that they would not request from an experienced host. Protect yourself and decline. You will get more and better guests.
Serafina (Serafina)
A 28-year-old having his mom make reservations for him is just weird. I do take a lot of reservations from adult children booking space for their parents coming from overseas and looking for someplace in the neighborhood, however. But the people booking are here every day with their family and included in the reservation, whether or not they are sleeping overnight.
Peter
I live near lots of student accom. It is quite common to have students from the U.S. booking for a parental visit. I regard this as in the spirit of the rules because the student is going to be at the listing with his folks some of the time.
Bertina
I allowed a sister to boom for her brother. The brother was from France, spoke no English. He was a chain smoker and coffee drinker and stayed in my house all day for almost two weeks. I has to get the carpets replaced at my expense because the scent of smoke was horrinle.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Three points:
(1) as Fiona and Raymond and Elaine point out, 3rd party reservations are a violation of Airbnb policy.
(2) That said, I think there is some room for "interpretation" on the intention of that policy, in terms of -- will the person who booked actually be staying there some of the time or not, ...as Peter points out. If they aren't actually intending to stay there some of the time (and in this case it would seem not) then I would respond to the inquirer pointing out the AIrbnb rules and tell her to have her son set up his own account and inquire himself.
(3) Even if the inquirer is going to stay "some" of the time and you feel comfortable with the inquirer, you still need to get to know the person who will be staying there "most" or "all" of the time and who is the main guest. For that reason, I suggest always having the "main" guest be the one doing the booking. You really need them to answer your questions and go through your screening process, read your rules, acknowledge they have read your rules etc.
IT's not necessary to "decline" the Mom inquirers in any formal way -- just tell her that you'd be happy to have her son stay with you but he needs to be the one contacting you.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Bertina's example is a good one to show why you have to screen the main guest, not the one who inquires on their behalf. Sometimes there is a reason why the main guest isn't the one inquiring, and it's because they are the type of person whom others often turn down. So they set up a "system" where the less desirable person hides behind a more appealing appearing person. Your task then is to not be deceived by appearances and get to the reality behind the smokescreen.
Getting the room for someone else
I just got a request for a medical student for two weeks from their mom. She doesn't have any reviews and says her son is 28yrs old. When asked if he could request me from his acct. She claims that she does all his travel arrangements because of his busy schedule. What's your opinion here?
Clare
I'd be very careful. How do you know she is his Mom? Could be anybody! If it were me, I would require that the son establish his own account and profile. Medical student? Sounds too good to be true.
Jessica
My thoughts exactly -
Lori and Tom
A 28 year old man can't make his own travel arrangements? Even if he's that busy, his MOM is doing it for him? So much strangeness in so few words.
Jessica
Thank you for responding. Going w/ my gut. 28 is well into adulthood
Peter
Now I know a few young men who don't make their own Airbnb travel arrangements. What are they called - Brian, Joe and Nate. Yes, they have personal assistants who book for them on Airbnb - whatever it says otherwise on the can!
Clare
Peter, those guys are welcome at my place anytime! Well..don't know Nate. Might have to verify his ID!
And, another thought, Jessica, if there were a problem, the "mother" might just as well ignore you since she wasn't the person staying at your place.
Fiona
I have had requests like this and I tell them ruthfully Airbnb prohibits 3rd party reservations and the person has to have their own account.
Fiona
I even tell them "t"ruthfully.
Andrew (andrew)
How interesting...I've gotten this exact request, almost verbatim. And other hosts who have posted very similar ones here. Food for thought. Decline!
Susie&Rod
We've received this request also! Very interesting....
Raymond & Elaine
www.airbnb.com/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member
"Transparency and trust are vital to the Airbnb experience. People rely on information in Airbnb profiles, reviews, and other verifications when deciding whether to host or stay with someone.
That’s why we require all Airbnb reservations to be booked by someone who is part of the reservation and is actually going to stay at the listing.
Jeannette
Time for this 28 y.o. grown baby to launch.
Juliet and Ed
Whether or not he's a baby or a grown man, or a student, or a mama's boy or whoever is not so much the point. The point is that if someone else makes the reservation, then the guest has not read any of the listing, or the rules, or seen the photos. That would be, for me, the main reason to decline.
Raymond & Elaine
I think the main reason to decline is that it is against airbnb policy.
Regina
You're a new host, and unfortunately some potential guests will see you as fresh meat. Meaning, some may request things from you that they would not request from an experienced host. Protect yourself and decline. You will get more and better guests.
Serafina (Serafina)
A 28-year-old having his mom make reservations for him is just weird. I do take a lot of reservations from adult children booking space for their parents coming from overseas and looking for someplace in the neighborhood, however. But the people booking are here every day with their family and included in the reservation, whether or not they are sleeping overnight.
Peter
I live near lots of student accom. It is quite common to have students from the U.S. booking for a parental visit. I regard this as in the spirit of the rules because the student is going to be at the listing with his folks some of the time.
Bertina
I allowed a sister to boom for her brother. The brother was from France, spoke no English. He was a chain smoker and coffee drinker and stayed in my house all day for almost two weeks. I has to get the carpets replaced at my expense because the scent of smoke was horrinle.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Three points:
(1) as Fiona and Raymond and Elaine point out, 3rd party reservations are a violation of Airbnb policy.
(2) That said, I think there is some room for "interpretation" on the intention of that policy, in terms of -- will the person who booked actually be staying there some of the time or not, ...as Peter points out. If they aren't actually intending to stay there some of the time (and in this case it would seem not) then I would respond to the inquirer pointing out the AIrbnb rules and tell her to have her son set up his own account and inquire himself.
(3) Even if the inquirer is going to stay "some" of the time and you feel comfortable with the inquirer, you still need to get to know the person who will be staying there "most" or "all" of the time and who is the main guest. For that reason, I suggest always having the "main" guest be the one doing the booking. You really need them to answer your questions and go through your screening process, read your rules, acknowledge they have read your rules etc.
IT's not necessary to "decline" the Mom inquirers in any formal way -- just tell her that you'd be happy to have her son stay with you but he needs to be the one contacting you.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Bertina's example is a good one to show why you have to screen the main guest, not the one who inquires on their behalf. Sometimes there is a reason why the main guest isn't the one inquiring, and it's because they are the type of person whom others often turn down. So they set up a "system" where the less desirable person hides behind a more appealing appearing person. Your task then is to not be deceived by appearances and get to the reality behind the smokescreen.