Just had another 'personal info' substituting for Verified ID situation come up.
Me to guest:
Hi, Prashanth, I see you are new to Airbnb. I would love to have you stay with me, however, I do need to have you let the company verify your government-issued identification before I approve the request. If you will please go back to your profile and finish that portion, I can approve you right away. Also, sometimes they are slow to put that online, so if you will let me know when that is done, I can call them quickly so I can get you confirmed asap. Thanks.
His Reply:
Thank you for the quick message. I did verify my profile and yes your listing would be my first experience with Airbnb. Could you please let me know if you still get a message that I'm not verified? I can take it up with Airbnb and see if they have updated. Please let me know. Looking forward to hearing from you.
My answer to him:
Hi, Prashanth, For some reason, about three weeks ago, Airbnb suddenly decided that some mystery 'personal info' would suffice to take the place of having a Government-Issued ID on file for a guest. (They won't disclose to hosts what constitutes 'personal info' but will say that it does not include Government-Issued ID.)
As a single woman, I am not comfortable accepting guests who only have an email, a phone number, and 'personal info' on file. If you will please send in a picture of your passport or driver's license, I will be happy to confirm your stay right away. You'll likely find you'll have an easier time getting other hosts to confirm as well once that is listed as part of your verification package. Thanks. m
Are they trying to dissuade folks from submitting the Government-Issued ID? Is this their way of circumventing having to provide this info to law enforcement when a crime is committed by a guest?