They want my photograph

Tooyoung, it wasn't giving a photo that bothered me. I did that and had a few successful visits when I didn't trash anyone's room.
Then Airbnb refused a booking I tried to make and asked me to send them a picture of my passport or photo driving licence.
The booking was at a house I had booked with them before so the host tried to get it to go through, but no luck without the ID.

We used AirBnB for the first time last year to book a small apartmetn in St Davids. I didn't have to send a photo or share my FB profile but was asked to tell the owner why we were going to the area (a trip with DH 's choir) and she responded.

I can understand why they may want a photo, quite reasonable I think, It certainly would not stop me going on holiday.

I had to supply pic when I booked Airbnb for trip abroad. I had a pic of the owner she has pic of me made it easier when we first met can't see a problem. People post pics on FB/Snapchat etc etc everyday then "worry" when asked by a legitimate business, doesn't make sense to me but then I'm old

I have no intention of ever using Airbnb - if ever there was an opportunity for a scam this is it. Even if the seller is legitimate they are depriving an accommodation business, which has to jump through umpteen hoops, from income. Meanwhile too many landlords in cities are taking advantage of short term rentals to deprive of people of a home. Greed rules!

Aha, yes, if they have trashed rooms before - but then the friend could post a pic of the offender looking a bit different and they could get away with it.

I've used Airbnb a lot and I'm sure they are very trustworthy. They are trying to protect the people who are letting out their rooms .... that's all!!

fluttERBY, there is the example of prostitution given above - and a whole lot of other criminal uses, then there are people banned from Airbnb for trashing the accommodation or running noisy parties or whatever, who get round the ban by getting a friend to book under their name and then turn up pretending to be their friend and continue their poor behaviour.

Trying to imagine a scenario where someone books somewhere in the name of J Smith and a different person turns up saying they are J Smith. Why would someone book it and send someone else? Am I being dim?

Someone could book as J Smith and give a photo of J Not Smith so the "right" person turns up. So what?

Confused.

It's depressing how evil some people can be, M0nica.

Actually, FarNorth I heard recently that some criminal rings in London, were using Airbnb, accommodation to hire rooms to run brothels. Get a couple of rooms, use them for a few nights and then move the, mainly trafficked, girls on somewhere else. Helps them control the girls, who have no idea where they are as they are moved so often, and makes it difficult for the police to keep up with the criminals and their operations..

The people booking for illicit purposes will not be booking someone's spare room, I don't expect, but will rent a whole flat or house.
People renting a holiday flat or house, in the UK, do not have to show ID.

Maybe it is only the Brits who have a problem, tho, and Airbnb is operating globally.

Many Airbnb letters are not letting out rooms in there homes, they are letting out rooms in property used only for that purpose so are effectively running a business.

There is at least one big tourist destination, I think in Germany, that has made it necessary for anyone letting on Airbnb to get planning consent first because some areas of their town were having their character completely changed and problems caused for permanent residents by the number of properties run as Airbnb businesses.

To be frank, I think this is only an issue for Britain, as you do not have photographic ids. Most other countries in Europe do and you are expected to show it when you pay in a shop using a credit card, when you book a hotel, etc, etc. The British are much more wary of producing photographic ID than others, but I think it is a cultural thing.
I can understand the policy adopted by Airbnb as they have had issues with people booking for illicit purposes as described by someone earlier in the thread.

You have to put yourself in the postion of the people offering you their spare room, sometimes they live there, too. They a want a photo to be sure that it is an Airbnb person that will take the room.
Your photo says probably less about you that the x number if posts on GN.

Yes!! I wondered if anyone had the same experience as I had with them. They had so much personal information of mine, but they still wanted a video clip of me. They said it was for security purposes. I had trusted them with all the info that they wanted, but they wanted more! We have rented numerous properties in Britain and Europe, and never had to produce so much detail. I understand the need for some of it, but it's the business they're in, and unfortunately, they have to take chances.

If you don’t have an up to date social media presence, or don’t use it or it’s tge first time you’ve booked thru airbnb it’s a way they can check you are who you say you are, after all they are, in theory, allowing you into their home.

Airbnb have had problems with people booking places for illicit purposes like paid for sex and drug purposes so I guess they are just making sure that people who are who they say they are. The law can make them liable for criminal conviction if they knowingly let out places for illicit purposes so you can hardly blame them for being careful. Any photo posted anywhere, taken in the street without your knowledge or processed through a third party could leave you vulnerable but you have to weigh up the likelihood. It wouldn't bother me to send a photo but I hate sending my passport or driving licence because I think they are more susceptible to fraud.

On the face of it it certainly does seem ridiculous. I recall that many years ago when I went for an interview at an art school I was asked for a photo as they wanted to make sure that I wasn't an imposter!
I'm not too savvy on the technology front and without asking one of my nephews I wouldn't have the first idea of how to download a photo of myself anyway.

I assumed my photo upload was a security measure for the apartment owner.

I’m just curious to know what the advantages of Airbnb are. I’ve booked cottages and b&b for years from guide books, and latterly from online ads but have never used this agency. There have been full descriptions of properties and Trip Adviser leave helpful comments. I haven’t always had to pay an agency fee, but if I have it’s been minimal. I’ve never had to produce a photo. I’m just wondering what, if anything, is special about this California based agency.

A photo on a facebook account is not a guarantee that is what the account holder looks like. I've has several requests to be friends from strangers in other countries, mostly USA, who are fit army types, a little grey hair, just what an English granny might go for. But oddly the accounts are fairly new and have few friends and almost no posts on the timeline. It is generally accepted they are scams in some way.

We have used airbnb for years and have always been very happy with the properties we stay in. I am signed in with my email account which has my photo on it. I have no problem with that. And all the hosts have their photo on their page.

*OF not if
High Street STORE
I must check before posting - sorry.

NanKate

Exoerian do not notify you if someone uses your name for fraudulent purposes.
I am a member and ultimately paid £20 for 2 years membership of CIFAS after my name and date if birth was used by someone to take out 2 lines of credit ( thousands of £s) with a well known high street street which has a directory.
I knew nothing about it until I received a letter from a debt collection agency. It was then up to me to prove I knew nothing about it (which I managed to do at a cost, both financial and time-wise)
It is still ongoing and, although my credit files are spotless, the company has made no apology whatsoever and is being investigated by the retail Ombudsman. The police do NOTHING if you have not lost any money.
All I can say is that although companies say (in their ts&cs) that they MAY check that the bank details correspond with the name, DOB and address given among other checks they MAY carry out, they, in their own words, 'trust that the proposed account holder is giving the correct information'. In other words they rarely, if ever, check.
The fraudster apparently lives hundreds of miles from where I live so how that info got into their hands...who knows. We have to give out so much data nowadays that fraud is on the increase. Beware.