This is the same credit card I've been using on their site for several years. This is no excuse.
Unless you have proof they aren't selling that data, I'd assume (based on my experience at a major location-sharing company and a major credit-reports website) that they are absolutely selling that data.
VRBO isn't directly comparable because it doesn't compete with AirBnB for hosts. Nobody lists only on VRBO, unless they've been banned from AirBnB.
VRBO doesn't do this, and has way harsher payout policies for new hosts than AirBnB. VRBO can do this because VRBO is not trying to attract new hosts (new to hosting, not new to VRBO) in the first place.
AirBnB can't do the VRBO thing and escrow payments to new hosts for 30 days, that would be super discouraging for newcomers trying to list their flat for the first time.
Hotels don't have to because there's no route to pay with a stolen credit card and then get that money into an account you use.
I could set up a fake AirBnB, steal credit cards, book my own fake AirBnB, and then run off with the cash. There's no equivalent workflow for hotels.
It's mostly a problem for "platform" style apps that have both ways to send money and ways to withdraw money. Turo and Ebay are probably better comparisons here, and may have similar issues.
That doesn't seem like Airbnb's problem though. I wouldn't think that's the only reason unless the government is making them do it. That's entirely possible, but at the same time, the information they're asking for is a gold mine for marketers.
Of course it's Airbnb's problem. They pay the fraudsters host account via bank transfer and then get a credit card chargeback, losing whatever money they paid the host.
I'm not convinced that money laundering laws mean someone with a legitimate business has to do intrusive data collection to police their customers. If they marketed Airbnb as a money laundering solution, that'd be different.
I did say it's possible the government is pressuring them do it, but that's something I suspect Airbnb could fight if they were motivated to do so.
(Chargebacks do make it their problem though, so my premise was false anyway.)
> I'm not convinced that money laundering laws mean someone with a legitimate business has to do intrusive data collection to police their customers. If they marketed Airbnb as a money laundering solution, that'd be different.
Chargeback periods can be super long, they'd have to keep the money in escrow for months. It's not impossible, but would severely discourage new hosts from signing up to the service.