4 ms·

If someone comes from Craigslist, you can at least Google for their name, try to find a Facebook page, etc... BEFORE they enter your house. At best, the way it

by ry0ohki 15y ago

If someone comes from Craigslist, you can at least Google for their name, try to find a Facebook page, etc... BEFORE they enter your house. At best, the way it is for the author, she could have done some checking, but at that point the freak is already in her house.

mseebach 15y ago
No, after the booking is completed, still well before keys are handed over, personal contact information is made available. Sure, it's inconvenient if you have to turn someone down after researching them but after they paid, but that's hardly the issue here.
- robtoo 15y ago
  If effective protective measures can only be taken after the sale has been made / contract signed / whatever, then the marketplace really isn't providing "trust, transparency, and authenticity". In fact, it is actively working to prevent them.
- mikecaron 15y ago
  But the author of the article makes a point to say this was too late a point in time, as they were already out of town.
  - mseebach 15y ago
    He also writes: If anything, I blame myself. In retrospect, and as I read through my initial email exchanges with Dj, I recognize now that something was “off” in his manner of communication, that I trusted too easily, and probably did not do my due diligence to properly protect myself and my home. There is nothing in the article that indicates that the situation would have turned out any different if he had access to "Dj"s contact information earlier.
pavel_lishin 15y ago
> If someone comes from Craigslist, you can at least Google for their name You mean a name. Who says it's their name? The reason that we trust AirBNB and choose to host travelers is because if we do come home to find all of our things missing, AirBNB at least has a credit card on file, and can at least prove to the police that someone was staying at your place?
- ruchi 15y ago
  > AirBNB at least has a credit card on file Might be stolen especially in the light of this case.
dcarter 15y ago
He could still have a fake Facebook account. Their method of trading contact info is not at fault. IF they can catch this guy based on the information AirBnB collected when he signed up, then they're fine. If not they need to have a more strict membership sign up process so that if and when this does happen, the guilty can be made accountable.

by ry0ohki 15y ago

mseebach 15y ago

No, after the booking is completed, still well before keys are handed over, personal contact information is made available. Sure, it's inconvenient if you have to turn someone down after researching them but after they paid, but that's hardly the issue here.

robtoo 15y ago
If effective protective measures can only be taken after the sale has been made / contract signed / whatever, then the marketplace really isn't providing "trust, transparency, and authenticity". In fact, it is actively working to prevent them.
mikecaron 15y ago
But the author of the article makes a point to say this was too late a point in time, as they were already out of town.
- mseebach 15y ago
  He also writes: If anything, I blame myself. In retrospect, and as I read through my initial email exchanges with Dj, I recognize now that something was “off” in his manner of communication, that I trusted too easily, and probably did not do my due diligence to properly protect myself and my home. There is nothing in the article that indicates that the situation would have turned out any different if he had access to "Dj"s contact information earlier.

pavel_lishin 15y ago

> If someone comes from Craigslist, you can at least Google for their name You mean a name. Who says it's their name? The reason that we trust AirBNB and choose to host travelers is because if we do come home to find all of our things missing, AirBNB at least has a credit card on file, and can at least prove to the police that someone was staying at your place?

ruchi 15y ago
> AirBNB at least has a credit card on file Might be stolen especially in the light of this case.

dcarter 15y ago

He could still have a fake Facebook account. Their method of trading contact info is not at fault. IF they can catch this guy based on the information AirBnB collected when he signed up, then they're fine. If not they need to have a more strict membership sign up process so that if and when this does happen, the guilty can be made accountable.