My protential guest wants to call me & Airbnb keeps blocking any contact details

[Jenny206]

Hi, I called Airbnb and there response's were....  We remove text from messages when our system detects words or numbers that might include contact information. Communicating or paying outside Airbnb can put you at risk, so we do this to help protect you from potential online fraud.

We ask that you communicate only through the Airbnb message thread until you have a confirmed Airbnb reservation. After a reservation is accepted, the phone number, listing address, and an anonymized version of your email address are automatically shared.

Airbnb also asked me to send my details phone number in words rather than numerals, also that also failed.

The client is getting frustrated and they have several questions about specific details, how can i contact them or them contact me ??? Any help appreciated.

[Emiel1]

Hello @Jenny206 , Your guest can contact you via the Airbnb email system.

On the left side of your listing ( https://www.airbnb.nl/rooms/18212276 ) is a link: contact host

Your guest can only call you when the reservation is confirmed. That's the way it works on Airbnb.

BTW You wrote: 

"Airbnb also asked me to send my details phone number in words rather than numerals, also that also failed."

I can not imagine Airbnb asked you to do so, because then the are breaking there own rules.

Best regards,Emiel

[Jenny206]

I guarantree that is what is was asked to do. I called Airbnb this morning and the assistant told me to do that...

Also the guest wants to extend the stay by 1 day, how can i do this, it was a pre approved booking !!

[Fred13]

'Alter' the booking, one of the options that appear underneath the guest profile when you click on their name while in the Calendar Page.

Very odd request about you sending your phone number 'in code' to bypass their message security check.

[Jenny206]

that was from AirBNB's support phone number in Sydney - Not the guest..

[Sarah977]

It sounds like you have a pre-approved booking because there are details you and the prospective guest want to work out prior to her actually booking, including an extra day. She has not booked the dates yet- all she has to do is let her pre-approval expire and rebook for new dates, then you pre-approve those.

Once she has actually booked, you can send email addresses and phone numbers without them being blocked. In the meantime, just keep communicating with her through airbnb messaging.

Many potential guests try to get private info from hosts so they can make a private deal outside of airbnb. Not allowed, that is the reason for those rules.

[Robin4]

@Jenny206 @Emiel1 @Sarah977 @Fred13

Jenny, experience has taught many hosts that potential guests who have a list of questions to ask prior to booking turn out to be poor guests to host.

Hagglers do not make good guests! In most instances they are aware of how the Airbnb booking system works but, by asking questions they are strengthening their bargaining power and weakening yours.....you are all the time giving ground to them.

Jenny, under no circumstance would anyone asociated with Airbnb support suggest you try to communicate with a potential guest by-passing the security and privacy measures that are built into the system, and any support person found doing this would have their position terminated!

We might talk in these terms here on the CC forum and offer the odd dodgy solution or work-around, but nobody representing the company and company policy would be tollerated offering such advice!

Jenny, If you have offered this guest a pre-approval you are at liberty to withdraw that pre-approval and send the guest a special offer for a nominated number of days at a nominated nightly rate, which the potential guest can either accept or decline or not pursue.

Keep all talk and messages within the message stream so there is a record of it if something should happen down the track with this potential hosting.

Personally Jenny their are tastier fish in the Airbnb sea without hauling in a Pirahna!

Cheers.....Rob

w o r ymv

[Jenny206]

Hi Rob, Thanks for sharing your comments and i have taken your advise, at no time was the person trying to deal directly and Airbnb have them varified with and several stays  The person just wanted to talk about the river and the boat he is wanting to take and where to travel in the river, what way to go etc. No a text conversation. thanks Jenny

[LazyMan0]

I would normally agree with you but my situation involves a guest from Canada who wants to book for three months. I can understand how someone staying in a new place for that long would want to talk with the host. There is a lot of communication that will take place durring their stay and understanding who you're dealing with is important. But, I also understand Air BnB's policy -- they're huge now keeping a lid on outside communication as they do. But just a negative nuance of this.