Couchsurfing Reviews 766

TrustScore 1 out of 5

1.2

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Based on reviews, created with AI

Most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many people were dissatisfied with the payment process, citing unexpected charges and a lack of transparency regarding fees, especially for verification. Customers also frequently reported issues with pricing, noting that costs were often hidden or unclear until a charge had already occurred. Reviewers were also unhappy with the subscription model, feeling it was misleading and that charges appeared without clear consent. The refund process was a major source of frustration, with many struggling to receive their money back for charges they disputed. Additionally, the website itself was criticized for its lack of clarity regarding costs and for making it difficult to avoid unintended payments.

What people talk about most

Payment

Consumers express significant dissatisfaction with the payment process, particularly regarding unexpected and... See more

Price

Customers had negative experiences with price. Reviewers consistently express dissatisfaction with hidden and... See more

Subscription

Customers consistently note negative experiences with subscriptions. Many reviewers report unauthorized... See more

Refund

People report negative experiences with refund. Many customers express frustration, citing hidden fees and a... See more

Website

Users describe negative interactions with the website. Many reviewers report persistent technical issues, a... See more

Based on these reviews

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Was a great platform, now a nudost gay hangouts app. Was charged for annual after supporting though covid. Despite the platform being useless to me since covid. Asked for a refund for recent charge a... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I can confirm the sneaky verification charges which seems like a sc7m. At no point through the 'vetification' the amount charges is clearly stated. Luckily I paid through Payal and recovered the cha... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

My account was suddenly blocked without any explanation or warning, even though I had paid for one year's verification. Very few active users remain. The platform feels completely dead compared to w... See more


1.2

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

766 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not register on Couchsurfing.com !!!

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.

October 7, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Verification Scam

Verification Scam

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

September 27, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Verification scam (wise got my money back)

The verification scam got me. Contacting couchsurfing leads to nothing and they will refuse to refund you. Luckily my bank wise got my money back. Please do the same with your bank by puting in a dispute and link this trust pilot page. These people don't deserve your money. ALSO BE AWARE! They also auto subscribe you for the monthly subscription, so unsubscribe!

August 24, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DON'T SUBSCRIVE - SCAM !!

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.

September 25, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Negative

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!

September 6, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Greedy business

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.

September 19, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

verification scam

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!

September 15, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

It's BAD

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?!!!!!

September 9, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam!!

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!!!!!

September 9, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Deplatformed with no reason


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

September 6, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Impossible to delete or unsubscribe

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

September 3, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

🚨 RED ALERT ⚠️ PURE SCAM 🚨

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!!!

August 23, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SCAMMERS - please let's all file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

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.

August 18, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Couchsurfing is a Scam

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.

August 25, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

It’s not safe for women

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.

August 10, 2024
Unprompted review

Is this your company?

Claim your profile to access Trustpilot’s free business tools and connect with customers.

Get free account

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.

Learn more about other kinds of reviews.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look