Anyone else had trouble with 'requirements of booking' ie: requesting guests complete all verifications and have a profile shot?
I know when I joined up two years ago I had terrible trouble getting my passport to be accepted via the web cam. I became so frustrated that I closed the computer. When I logged on the next morning. All verifications were up and running. When I spoke to airbnb re: this they said you must 'refresh' and allow 24 hours and yet I don't think it gives any such information while you are actually trying to process it.
Last week I had an instant book from China, wanting to come for 10 days. No profile photo/no verifications and had just joined airbnb and didn't speak much English. He only asked where was the nearest airport. I told him to please complete the verification process and carefully read all the information on my listing. My place is very rural and maybe not where he'd want to spend 10 days of a trip to Australia. He hadn't realised he needed a car etc. All this was a lot of wasted time. I didn't want to lose either my response rating or be penalised for cancellation. I rang airbnb and they told me he had a booking pending in Victoria (about four hours flight away from me!) So I didn't need to cancel as the booking expired. I asked what I could do to ensure prospective guests had verification and profile photo at the very least (reviews are great, but we all have to start somewhere.) They suggested 'reservation requirements'. That was a few days ago and I thought nothing more about it...until now.
I've just spent over an hour on the phone to airbnb, going around in circles with a rep called Lance, who I wouldn't say was helpful (most are very helpful). The problem was last night a guest was trying to book , got stuck and couldn't complete the verification because it kept rejecting his upload via web cam, he gave up on my listing and booked somewhere else.
This morning he found out he had booked both mine and another on the same weekend. He wanted a refund. I rang to explain I didn't want to continue making verification necessary at booking, because I would continue to lose bookings and frustrate guests if I did.
When I tried to refund his money, it wouldn't let me refund the whole amount (because I set it up as 'strict'), which I want to keep, but in this case, when it's not his fault I'm happy to return his money. I've found the whole thing extremely frustrating. I have a large property and I have work to do.
This part of the system needs ironing out.
Thanks for reading, any suggestions gratefully appreciated!
Sue
