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The first time I tried to use Airbnb, they confirmed my reservation and charged my credit card. They then texted me a few hours later insisting I upload a profi
by sgtnoodle 4y ago
The first time I tried to use Airbnb, they confirmed my reservation and charged my credit card. They then texted me a few hours later insisting I upload a profile picture or they would cancel my reservation. I didn't, and so they cancelled the reservation. I was just trying to book a cottage in my local area, so I tried to exchange contact info with the host through the messaging system, but they filtered out our phone numbers then presumably shadow-blocked us from further correspondence.
I have no sympathy for Airbnb.
- holografix 4y agoSo you’re upset that Airbnb tried to reduce the number of scammers/bots on their platform by requiring profile photos and because they tried to stop you for using them to to direct deals with the supplier and cut them out?
- manicdee 4y agoHow does a profile picture prevent scammers and bots?
- sgtnoodle 4y agoThey literally cut themselves out of the deal after making it. If a profile picture was important to them to the point of being necessary for a reservation, they should have insisted on me providing a profile picture before ever giving me a confirmation or charging my credit card. They were clearly implementing a dark pattern to coerce people to upload a profile picture based on a sunk cost fallacy, probably because a lot of people would choose not to use their service rather than upload a profile photo.