sandralist

Do any of you know who TassieTreck is? If privacy isn't an issue, please let's have the real name and e-mail of the poster. (just kidding).

The claim was made that a possible violation of AirBnB policy was reported to AirBnb. That should satisfy all of you.

But this thread could be a lie, vendetta, blah blah. Maybe you are the gullible ones.

bvlenci

My point is that the email address was public knowledge before it was posted here.

tom_mn

While the normal procedure from Air BNB and Flipkey is for them to hold the money till the rental has started, it is normal procedure for all the other sites (vrbo, holidayhome, others) for the renter to pay a deposit or even in full up front via paypal or bank transfer. 3 times I have paid cash in full before renting, and it has worked out.

sandralist

How was that e-mail public knowledge? Does Airbnb allow it hosts to put their privatel email address on its website? Why would they do that if they were trying prevent people from going around their system?

I also want to add if people trust TassieTreck is a real poster without an agenda, then they ought to trust that TassieTreck is telling the truth about having contacted AirBnb about this. Does AirBnb police its "hosts" or not? Or do they allow scamsters to use the site and put their e-mails on it with invitations to contact them? Which is it?

RM67

No, Airbnb forbids you from putting your email in the listing - its against the rules. And I would hazard a guess they have some sort of software to detect and hide such information.

However, if you'd read the OP properly you'd see that it is alleged the host got round this by having the email address on some of the photos of the apartment. So no-one has compromised the privacy of the host - the host openly displayed this information on the world wide web themselves.

Sassafrass

It looks as if the apartment owner had her email on the photos of her apartment, something which AirBnB may have missed. Still, if you are on the AirBnB website, it has the contact host tab, and that is through AirBnB. I did not finish the contact because I do not wish to correspond with the owner. However, it looks like the OP probably contacted the owner by going to the email on the photos rather than through the legitimate website. What they should have done was simply let AirBnB know about the email posted on the photos.

While the owner may have deliberately had their email printed on the photos to get around the AirBnB website, they may also have done it to prevent scammers from using their photos to list an apartment they do not own.
Either way, the OP may not have read the AirBnB rules and gone through their website as you are supposed to do, or hoped to go directly to the owner and bypass AirBnB, or thought it was OK to go ahead and contact the owner through their email.

If you contact an owner through AirBnB, they know you have been vetted and they know you are going to pay through AirBnB.

If you contact through their email directly, they do not know you and would likely want money handled directly to them.

So, could be a scam, but could also be several errors coming together to make it seem like a scam.

MmePerdu

"How was that e-mail public knowledge? Does Airbnb allow it hosts to put their privatel email address on its website? Why would they do that if they were trying prevent people from going around their system?"

Ms List, click on the link given above by MaineGG https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6623982 and LOOK AT THE PHOTOS. The lister of the property circumvented the site rules by a tricky addition to their photos, rather than in the text where Airbnb would have caught it and blocked it. So, as mentioned, outed themselves, made the email public in violation of the site rules. Airbnb does not ever, before or after booking, give out an email address. Communication is through the site only.

lincasanova

Unless I haven't read this correctly, the OP DID EVERYTHING correctly. She notified AirBnB about the suggestion of this owner for her ( the OP) to send her the money directly to her German account.

The OP did NOT do that, and immediately notified AirBnB, sending them all the info she had..

Plus.. to be nice, she has notified anyone reading this about this scam so it may not happen to someone else or a newbie to the system.

Sassafrass

The OP said, "She [the owner] had put her email address on some of the photos, and once I replied, " . . .

That quote from the OP suggests she replied to the email printed on the photos rather than responding through the AirBnB "contact host" tab.

Of course, the email should not be printed on the photos, and AirBnB needs to remove them, but they would also ask the OP, "Did you respond directly to the owner using the email address printed on the photos? If so, why?"

The OP also said, "her replies had phony AirBnB stuff. . ." Exactly what might that have been?

Sassafrass

The crucial question - did the OP reply directly to the emails on the photos or through the AirBnB website?

MmePerdu

I assume she contacted the owner using the email address on the photos. It's the only plausible way the owner could request payment directly and give banking information for the OP to use. All numbers are masked by the site in correspondence using the site. I also think the OP is blameless, despite falling for the email address content.

I also think she may never hear from Airbnb. In the beginning they were very responsive to contacts but no more. It's hard to get them when you want to discuss an issue, unless an "emergency" which I figure they'd answer, just a guess. They may, in fact, not even care much about a phony listing. That's what lawyers are for and, despite the fact that I still use the site, one gets the drift after a while that there is no more fuzzy in this particular "sharing" business. It's all business now & huge and I don't like it but accept the reality that comes with their success.

Sue_xx_yy

For what it's worth, I tried following the link given by MaineGG and my screen says "this listing is no longer available." So AirBnB may have heard OP's complaint and taken down the listing, or Madame Charming 2 rooms Brera skedaddled, whatever, the problem seems to be now moot.

Alamojo

Airbnb in my opinion and experience is a HORRIBLE choice. I made the mistake of booking with them. My experience: their customer service is arrogant and they are in my example untrustworthy. I was planning a South American vacation in June and heard about Airbnb. I went to their website and thought it was a cool concept. I could save money and try something new. What a mistake. After booking and paying for my room some 35 days in advance I thought everything was set and cool. At the last minute, practically on the eve of my departure, they suspended my account and canceled my paid reservation without explanation. I only found out through a private message from my chosen host as I was packing to leave. When I tried to correct Airbnb over the matter they demanded a copy of my passport, access to my Face Book and Google accounts and reconfirmation of my cell number. I didn't want a last-minute derailment of my plans so I unwisely complied. After all that, they wrote that my already 30 days ahead paid reservation was illegitimate and that my account was suspended. Attempts to receive a reason were ignored and I was repeatedly told that they didn't have to give an explanation and were not liable in any way for the mess. Subsequently I had to revoke their permissions, change passwords and accept their corporate hubris / insulting customer service as the "final word". I am now very committed to telling the world of my wretched experience in hopes of sparing other trusting travelers a similar big steaming pile or Airbnb treatment. The good news is, my money was refunded (they had no choice really), I didn't add to their profits and my host of choice understood and received me with a nice welcome. Beware of Airbnb. They might jerk you around as you're in departure as well. I am glad to say that already 4 other friends have now dumped their plans to use Airbnb and I will continue on a righteous mission to share my experience honestly as a cautionary tale regarding Airbnb. The exponential result should make it worthwhile. Choose wisely and seek accommodations elsewhere.

nochblad

Alamojo

multiple defamatory postings - you have been reported and hopefully Fodors will remove you

pariswat

Alamojo is on a mission.

nochblad

pariswat -

his mission is his Alamo (jo)

pariswat

He will end up eating his 'croquettes'.

BTW : nochblad sounds Flemish or Netherlands - just a coincidence or you're from there ?

nochblad

pariswat

those who have seen my postings over the years may have noticed that occasionally I have given my email address for follow-up which is bladnoch@...... so nochblad is a play on this - nothing more

although I have lived in Italy for over 30 years I was born in Scotland. Bladnoch is the most southerly Scotch whisky distillery and I remember visiting it in the 1960's.