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ID photos for AirBnB

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bungeejumper
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ID photos for AirBnB

#116877

Postby bungeejumper » February 9th, 2018, 1:36 pm

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but we're first-timers at this AirBnB game. The hostess wants to have a copy of my wife's government record photo, which would be the one on her driving licence or her passport.

We could send her the file photo that we've got, but it's hard to see how that would carry any weight or validity unless it was also attached to the official document in question. So what do others do? Scan the whole passport page, including the photo? I still don't see how that would any more secure than sending her any photo at all, because it would be a moment's job to forge it on Photoshop, but anything for a peaceful life. ;)

There, I said it was a stupid question!

TIA

BJ

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Re: ID photos for AirBnB

#116884

Postby didds » February 9th, 2018, 1:59 pm

I've never been asked for ID photos etc when staying at an airbnb (though we've only used them three or four times to be fair).

What does the airbnb host hope this will achieve - did they indicate?

Is it to ID the person when they arrive ... by which time its "too late"?

What would she do if a booker didn't own a govt photo ID e.g. didn't drive, doesn't hold a passport?

TBH - its sounds a bit odd.

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Re: ID photos for AirBnB

#116895

Postby melonfool » February 9th, 2018, 2:23 pm

I have used AirBnB loads and never been asked for this - AirBnB confirm your ID when you set up the account and you have a photo on your profile.

I would not be sending any photos and I might even report them to AirBnB. There could be some scam behind this though I'm struggling to think what, maybe it's just bad manners!

Mel

bungeejumper
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Re: ID photos for AirBnB

#116903

Postby bungeejumper » February 9th, 2018, 2:52 pm

Many thanks for the thoughts, all. I see from the following that we're supposed to upload a photo and have a profile and all that. It's possible that my wife has got the wrong end of the stick, and that this is what the hostess means? Although I've certainly heard of US AirBnB-ers wanting passport photo documentation, I hadn't heard of it in the UK.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/6 ... file-photo

Will look into it further.

BJ

melonfool
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Re: ID photos for AirBnB

#116926

Postby melonfool » February 9th, 2018, 4:04 pm

Ah, yes, you really should have a profile.

It's not like a hotel booking site, the idea is (was) that this is just a site that puts people with something to sell in touch with people who need to buy it, and is part of the 'sharing economy', which works a lot on trust and so it's about people getting to know each other a bit.

Mel

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Re: ID photos for AirBnB

#116935

Postby bungeejumper » February 9th, 2018, 4:42 pm

Thanks Mel, thanks all, light is slowly dawning. Yes, it was the AirBnB set-up that we needed to do. And we started setting it up, and we were getting along just fine until we got to the point where we had to validate the passport page that we'd just uploaded.....

...A simple task, for which we needed (a) an iPad or (b) a mobile phone with the AirBnB app, or (c) a computer with a camera that would be capable of taking an instant picture of my wife. But we don't have any of those things, and so we're stuffed till tomorrow when I can get a laptop on the case. GaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Life is giving me lemons. And I'm fresh out of G&T. :(

BJ


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