Urgent help required

[Westpoint0]

Hi guys - I've been successfully hosting 6 apartments in Dorset for 14 months so am fairly experienced.

However, I'm having an issue with a guest who booked weeks ago - his booking for 3 nights states 'verification pending' on the booking. He is due to check in on Thursday. His profile states 'verified'. Confusing I know..

I've attempted to try and figure this one out by looking at forums and stuff but am fairly laid back and hoped it would just sort itself out (I know, I know...). I just figured it was a glitch.

However, now he is asking for my bank details and address to pay me directly but I'm having internal alarm bells. I said I'd happily accept cash at check in if he was having so many problems (never had to do that.) and now he's suggesting he's booked for 5 nights not 3. 

I'm a bit lost at what to do and can't seem to find a direct contact at airbnb for help.

Anyone experienced this?

Many thanks in advance!!

Tracey

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Westpoint0

You are setting yourself up for trouble - agreeing to take cash removes any protection you may get from AirBnB.  Under no circumstances should you even think twice about handing over your bank details either.

Sounds like he is not verified, and/or cannot get a valid payment method set up.

Contact AirBnB on Twitter: search for AirBnBhelp and ask for their advice. Let them know he is asking for bank details, and offering to pay cash, etc...sounds quite dodgy to me

[Westpoint0]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

It does doesn't it. My airbnb experiences up until now have been great - excellent!

I know - it was one of those 'I don't know how to deal with this - so I'll just go with the flow' moments. Big mistake. Huge.

I'll tweet them. Like a young person. Lol 🙂

[Helen3]

Hello @Westpoint0

2nd post Community Help forum shows you all the ways of contacting Airbnb.

I would never accept a guest whose payment hasn't gone through.

It's up to the guest to call Airbnb to sort this out. Advise your guest to call Airbnb. Until they do, then their booking isn't confirmed.

Why would you want to allow the guest to pay cash on arrival. You do know that you could be thrown off BNB for doing this and that if something goes wrong with the booking you wouldn't be protected if there was damage or your guest broke your house rules. 

[Westpoint0]

Thanks Helen - I kept hoping he'd sort it out at his end. 

We've been unuaully busy here in West Bay because of Broadchurch and I've dropped a few balls. We accept guests ouside of airbnb who do pay cash so it was a sort of crap response on my behalf. 

I'll reiterate to him first thing that this is his issue not mine - I really appreciate you taking the time to repsond. Thank you.

[Zacharias0]

Trust your instincts. Even if everything they tell you sounds great if they have an issue with the verification or payment details then let the reservation go to the next person. I've had this happen twice: both times the reservation was in limbo and then cancelled by AirBnB, but the guest didn't know that. It just showed on my screen "pending" or "awaiting verification". The guest will have to call to get it figured out. You may want to call AirBnB as well to make sure that the reseration is actually "confirmed".  Another host stated a guest can be confirmed on our end, but on theres it can show "pending". They could stay the entire time and not pay you a dime and you don't realize it until after they check out.  Peace of mind is worth more than the unknown.

[Westpoint0]

Thank you Zachiaras - I will do that first thing tomorrow.

This community forum is great! 

I should post on here more often about my less stressful and more amusing airbnb situations!

[Rachael26]

@Westpoint0

Please do come back with other questions and especially the amusing stories - nothing like a good dose of British Humour!!

Cheers!