I realize AirBnb was in having a conference in Paris the week of the bombings, but have they completely lost their minds?
We have used Airbnb a couple of times since following the exploits of our new favorite travel couple "Senior Nomads in Europe" which I first read about on TUG.
But I digress. Here's the issue. For several months now I have been perusing AirBnb options for a planned 2016 trip to Spain. Just looking. Checking out areas, prices, different places on the same laptop from my house that I have used for years. This past week, when I just went to the site, it requested that they needed to verify my account. The website said they would call me on the cell phone number listed with the account. I emailed them and explained that my daughter's cell phone number is on the account, because the first booking we did was for her in Paris when she was on a summer school program in 2014. So the Paris host needed HER cell phone number, not mine. We pay the bills, she has the fun. I gave them MY cell phone number, so they could verify my account.
I get the auto-response that they will look into, but I am still locked out and can't view the web site, at all for a couple of days. Then, I get an email asking me to send them the image of my government-issued photo i.d., so that they can verify my account. I quickly take a picture of my driver's license and then I pause,
wait a minute. They are asking me to transmit the image of my driver's license across the internet. There is so much hacking, and data-stealing these days. There could end up being hundreds of people in China, or wherever -- flashing around images of my drivers license with their face photo-shopped on. Nah..... that does NOT sound like a good idea. No thank you. I even deleted the image from my phone.
So I email back to Airbnb: Target was hacked, Chase bank was hacked, Anthem-BlueCross was hacked, the U.S. Govt list of people applying for security clearance was hacked. No, I am not transmitting you a copy of my government-issued photo i.d., just so I can peruse your website. You will have to verify my account some other way. I am at the same email, the same home address, the same laptop computer. I get an email with the same auto-response "someone will get back to you".
Two more days go by. I get an email back from Airbnb.
"Hello XXXXX,
I see that you have successfully completed our security measures and are now able to access your account. Please let me know if you are still experiencing any difficulties and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Best regards, XXXXXX"
Are you kidding me? I am still completely locked out of the website. I cannot access my account. I have not completed the verification, and if these idiots cannot even put 2+2 together that I can't even access the website, why in the world would I ever trust them with a photo image of my driver's license or passport image. Plus, what kind of idiots even ASK you to transmit that kind of stuff to them?
I haven't heard back, and I am still locked out. Can't even view the website. But hallelujah, I have discovered there is FlipKey and several other alternatives. What a bunch of horses asses. Airbnb is a great idea, but maybe this is another one of those companies run by a bunch of arrogant 20-year olds who don't have a clue?
I just want to warn people here on TUG --- think twice before sending someone the image of your driver's license, passport, etc. You don't know where it might end up, and do they legitimately need that information for their business with you? NO, they don't!
"Think Twice Before Giving AirBnB Your ID"
Posted: 03/03/2014 12:21 am EST
http://ift.tt/1XbqwXi
--- Rene
We have used Airbnb a couple of times since following the exploits of our new favorite travel couple "Senior Nomads in Europe" which I first read about on TUG.
But I digress. Here's the issue. For several months now I have been perusing AirBnb options for a planned 2016 trip to Spain. Just looking. Checking out areas, prices, different places on the same laptop from my house that I have used for years. This past week, when I just went to the site, it requested that they needed to verify my account. The website said they would call me on the cell phone number listed with the account. I emailed them and explained that my daughter's cell phone number is on the account, because the first booking we did was for her in Paris when she was on a summer school program in 2014. So the Paris host needed HER cell phone number, not mine. We pay the bills, she has the fun. I gave them MY cell phone number, so they could verify my account.
I get the auto-response that they will look into, but I am still locked out and can't view the web site, at all for a couple of days. Then, I get an email asking me to send them the image of my government-issued photo i.d., so that they can verify my account. I quickly take a picture of my driver's license and then I pause,
wait a minute. They are asking me to transmit the image of my driver's license across the internet. There is so much hacking, and data-stealing these days. There could end up being hundreds of people in China, or wherever -- flashing around images of my drivers license with their face photo-shopped on. Nah..... that does NOT sound like a good idea. No thank you. I even deleted the image from my phone.
So I email back to Airbnb: Target was hacked, Chase bank was hacked, Anthem-BlueCross was hacked, the U.S. Govt list of people applying for security clearance was hacked. No, I am not transmitting you a copy of my government-issued photo i.d., just so I can peruse your website. You will have to verify my account some other way. I am at the same email, the same home address, the same laptop computer. I get an email with the same auto-response "someone will get back to you".
Two more days go by. I get an email back from Airbnb.
"Hello XXXXX,
I see that you have successfully completed our security measures and are now able to access your account. Please let me know if you are still experiencing any difficulties and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Best regards, XXXXXX"
Are you kidding me? I am still completely locked out of the website. I cannot access my account. I have not completed the verification, and if these idiots cannot even put 2+2 together that I can't even access the website, why in the world would I ever trust them with a photo image of my driver's license or passport image. Plus, what kind of idiots even ASK you to transmit that kind of stuff to them?
I haven't heard back, and I am still locked out. Can't even view the website. But hallelujah, I have discovered there is FlipKey and several other alternatives. What a bunch of horses asses. Airbnb is a great idea, but maybe this is another one of those companies run by a bunch of arrogant 20-year olds who don't have a clue?
I just want to warn people here on TUG --- think twice before sending someone the image of your driver's license, passport, etc. You don't know where it might end up, and do they legitimately need that information for their business with you? NO, they don't!
"Think Twice Before Giving AirBnB Your ID"
Posted: 03/03/2014 12:21 am EST
http://ift.tt/1XbqwXi
--- Rene
AirBnb: Request image of your govt-issued photo id. Have they lost their minds?
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