I thought the same but it does not matter wether this is a setup or not. What matters is that it could happen. airbnb can't do the same: sending somebody in a Hotel and destroy the room? That would prove nothing.
Hotels/dedicated accommodations are run by professionals and the business model is sound.
Airbnb is maybe too ahead of its time and will work greatly when our online identities are more "stable" if you see what I mean.
Right now it's like finding a good developer by asking my friends in Facebook because it seems cheaper and cooler.
It's not.
Hosting somebody is not as easy as pointing the bed and the bathroom.
It's way more complicated than that.
Safety is just one aspect that non professional hosts have troubles dealing with.
Disclaimer: I run an accommodation reservation system in many ways similar to airbnb and I love their idea.
But we are going in the opposite direction: only professional hosts renting places dedicated to tourists (they don't live there), local Managers meeting and selecting the owners, visiting the accommodations (I often even test them sleeping there) and supporting the guests locally.
It does not allow for fast growth but it's much safer for all the parties involved.
by finding a good tenant by asking your friends on Facebook might be a good idea - some form of social vouching would really help (even if it's friend-of-friend-of-friend).
Hotels/dedicated accommodations are run by professionals and the business model is sound. Airbnb is maybe too ahead of its time and will work greatly when our online identities are more "stable" if you see what I mean.
Right now it's like finding a good developer by asking my friends in Facebook because it seems cheaper and cooler. It's not. Hosting somebody is not as easy as pointing the bed and the bathroom. It's way more complicated than that. Safety is just one aspect that non professional hosts have troubles dealing with.
Disclaimer: I run an accommodation reservation system in many ways similar to airbnb and I love their idea.
But we are going in the opposite direction: only professional hosts renting places dedicated to tourists (they don't live there), local Managers meeting and selecting the owners, visiting the accommodations (I often even test them sleeping there) and supporting the guests locally. It does not allow for fast growth but it's much safer for all the parties involved.