I post this as a warning to other people. My complaint is about the absurdity of a travel site requiring a phone number and bank card as a form of ID. On my last trip, which lasted for quite a few weeks, I entered a local SIM card phone number and a travel card as my bank card so that Airbnb-related expenses and messages were dealt with in the country in which I was staying, without the bank and phone expenses with international transactions.

Now I am home. I have ditched the SIM card and the travel card and can’t log in. I phoned Airbnb (can’t get help any other way, as I can’t log in) and they are apparently unable to verify me any other way. I am pretty pissed off as I have a history on that account of where I have stayed. I cannot believe I am the only traveller using Airbnb who uses a local SIM and travel card – both temporary items – and that Airbnb is using these as the only form of verification. The introduction of this verification has occurred in that last couple of months. If you use a temporary SIM card on Airbnb and/or a travel card, remember to change it back at the end of your period overseas or you could lose access to your account.