Couchsurfing Reviews 

I recently had an extremely disappointing experience with Couchsurfing’s customer support. After being charged €56 for a verification fee, I requested a refund under EU consumer protection laws, as I did not waive my right to the 14-day “cooling off” period. Despite multiple attempts to communicate, Couchsurfing repeatedly closed my case without any response or resolution.

This kind of service is unacceptable and undermines the trust that users place in the platform. Not only was I charged unfairly, but the complete lack of communication from Couchsurfing’s support team leaves me questioning their commitment to customer satisfaction and legal compliance. I have since filed a complaint with the EU consumer agency and would advise other users to be cautious, especially regarding hidden fees and poor customer service.

Had a very bad experience with the front office of couchsurfing.com. They charge you for nothing by trapping you. This is not honest and serious customer care.
I recommend: Do not register!

There are much better ways to get in touch with local people.

Verification Scam

BEWARE! They will charge you for verification without your consent. Do not deal with this shady website.

scammed at verification. Really a shame for a platform like this to scam / mislead people.

DON'T SUBSCRIVE - it's just a scam. Once started your experience they block your account and demand money or government IDs with all info in order to unlock it. The customer support also is not a support, it's probably some random auto-generated text just asking for money or government IDs, without any other text to provide information or other.

Unfortunately, my experience with Couchsurfing has been extremely negative. They withdrew $60 from my account without my consent or any warning. I was simply trying to explore the lifetime guarantee option and accidentally clicked the button, after which the money was taken automatically. I'm very disappointed with this approach to users. Please refund my money!

I loved couchsurfing when I used it over 5 years ago and it was free. I agreed to pay its annual fee a few years ago. Unhappily it is one of those many businesses that puts you on auto-renew and doesn’t warn you when the auto renew comes up. I asked to cancel and refund within an hour of seeing the charges. They refused to refund. Always the sign of a greedy business.

Verification scam. Steals money with your card info!

After payment of the monthy fee, my account was suspensed. After i contact the support, they told me they can not tell me details.

Same experience as anyone else on here: it charged me a 56 euro fee for verification. Not once in the process of verifying my card did it specify it would charge this amount. I’ve requested a refund now — to which I’m entitled under European law. Let’s see!

It's BAD!

If you don't have any references no host will take you! But I am new on the app, how can I have references?!!!!!

Scam!!
I had my profile verified and they charged me $60 with absolutely no information about it. and even though I sent an email within a minute to say I didn't agree and wanted a refund, they won't refund. you'd think you were dreaming!!! it's theft!!!!!

My profil have been removed without any particular reason, I have been meeting , travelling and hosting people from different ethnics and backgrounds.

I have been de platformed by one of the safety service managers Who explained to me that I have no longer the right to be in the community ....instead of reading my references or asking the people I ve met so far , he took this decision while I still pay for the annual membership and in // I promote the plate-forme by initiating many people to become members in it.

The way I have been treated has nothing to do with
professionnalisme because I ve been dedicating a lot of time and energy to help others in a spirit of sharing and being open to others.

I feel a big form of injustice starting from de platforming my profil and also the responses from this particular person.

I have heard stories of many people being deplatformed in CS. This is not a professionnal way to deal with members. A pure injustice

Impossible to delete or unsubscribe. They took my subscription even though I deleted app and tried every possible way to delete account. Don’t use this app. It’s criminal and should be investigated and shut down

couchsurfing do not follow authentic payment gateway method or process. I got tricked by them .They show amount in hidden manner.Took my money in the form of subscription even though I never wanted it,now refusing to payback. Unresponsive customer service.

After I paid their crappy CS blocked my profile without any explanation, it is happened actually twice.

This is a pure scam. They claim to connect hosts with travellers but their main aim is money. They charge to activate your account and give you a few hours to verify your account by adding another 60 USD. If you fail to verify they deactivate your account and claim you have violated their terms of which they are not specific. They will also write that the activation fee has been refunded but you will never see it in your account. In there terms there is no refunds. So this is pure scam. Be aware!!!

SCAMMERS - THEY REFUSED TO REFUND 56,00 EUROS ILLEGALLY CHARGED FOR "PAYMENT METHOD VERIFICATION"! And despite several emails, they keep cutting and pasting the usual standard response, not even bothering to call me with my correct name (clearly stated in my signature) but using my email address as my name! I will file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and I strongly advise anyone in the same situation who reads this review to do the same. These fraudsters have to be stopped.

I’m extremely disappointed with Couchsurfing's recent U-turn on lifetime membership. I paid a one-time fee for what was clearly advertised as a lifetime membership, with no mention of future fees. Now, they're charging additional fees, completely breaking the promise they made to loyal members like myself. Many others are in the same situation, and this move feels like a betrayal of the trust we placed in Couchsurfing. They should honor the original agreement and restore the lifetime access we were promised.

It’s not safe for women. When I was younger, man got into my bed in the middle of the night. When I talked with him about this situation, he guilt tripped me saying I’m making big deal out of nothing, crazy mf! Better pay more money and be safe.