Kristopher Hug

1. Do you think retailers, payment processors, and credit card companies are doing enough to keep your financial information secure? Or, is a certain level of fraud just a cost of doing business?
I do not think that retails, payment processors, and credit card companies are doing enough to keep financial information secure and the many reason for…[Read more]

Chase, it seems like everyone who has used Uber has had a positive experience and your post is no exception. My first experience with them went the same way. The driver was on time and very nice and the entire process down to payment was extremely easy. The online payment was probably my favorite feature. Another neat feature I have found with…[Read more]

Have you used Airbnb or Uber before? Do you have a positive or a negative view of them as companies?
I have never used Airbnb but I have previously used Uber several times. I use Uber whenever I am staying at a hotel in any city I travel to and I have found it a much better experience then a city taxi. I have an overall positive view of Uber as…[Read more]

Nicholas, I agree with you that renters should know the same about hosts but to what extent? Age, sex, occupation, ect.. is information that both parties should have but do you think that hosts should have access to a renters criminal history and vice-versa? Just curious to hear peoples comments on if they would allow that much intrusion/ if its…[Read more]

1. What kinds of information do you think renters should know about hosts? How is this similar or different to information you expect to know about a hotel?
I think the number one thing renters should know is the criminal record of their hosts. It is only right that you know the background of someone’s home you will be staying in. By knowing t…[Read more]

Chris, I agree that Airbnb can’t really do anything to prevent issues like this but I think if they would have put additional policies in place anywhere from 2007-onward they might have had incidents or incidents with lower severity. I know the “EJ” incident was rare but I’m sure there are many undocumented cases of minor damage or theft that…[Read more]

Chase, I agree with your point about the risk always being there in some form for things like this to happen. It’s inevitable, that’s why hotels make you put a credit card on your room when you stay a night. To go off your point about security deposits. I used to work with my parents in property management when they owned a few beach houses and…[Read more]

1. Is there anything Airbnb could have done in advance to avoid the “EJ” incident?
Could Airbnb have predicted the “EJ” incident? No but there are steps they could have taken anywhere from 2007 up until the incident that could have decreased the likelihood of something like this from happening. Crime to an extent, is inevitable in industr…[Read more]

I also have a portable external charging pack for my devices when I’m on the go. It seems that current battery tech is just barely good enough to allow a new phone to hold a charge all day but as soon as these devices get to be over a year old the batteries rapidly degrade. That’s why these external battery charging packs are so useful. I think…[Read more]

Nicole, you brought up the app I probably use the most but completely forgot to mention when I wrote my post. Google Maps and all Google apps in general are extremely useful and even scary accurate some times. I have the Google Nexus phone and if I park my car somewhere or drive to a certain place a lot my phone then remembers those locations…[Read more]

As someone who has moved three times in the past eight months to different parts of the country I have to say my favorite app and website is Facebook. With all the travel involved in my job it is hard to keep in touch with all of my family and friends but Facebook has made that a lot easier. Facebook messenger, which is an extension of Facebook…[Read more]