The Death of Couchsurfing?

While the fee is very minimal and I have no issue paying it, I disagree with how CS went about requiring the fee. Many members' profiles (not mine) have been held hostage until they pay the fees. Members in the DC area CS community have reported that Couchsurfing International did not allow the option to delete the account, delete user data or opt-out of paying the fee without prior notice. The fee structure was imposed in such a way that users either had to pay the fee or be locked out of the account. In my opinion, that’s extortion!!!

While this hasn’t personally affected my account as I’ve donated plenty over the years, these deceptive practices do not sit well with me. You simply don’t treat a community of people who have supported you, even when moving from a not-for-profit to a monetized business model.

I’ve only ever used Couchsurfing platform for hangouts and local events, which have been great. I’ve met wonderful people. I’d recommend to current users of Couchsurfing to check out BeWelcome and Trust Roots. These platforms currently not have as many members as Couchsurfing. But, I recall a time as well when Couchsurfing didn’t have many members.

Article: https://medium.com/@jameshopest/the-death-of-couchsurfing-a87d9537edf2

#traveladdict #travelindustry #travelife #trustroots #couchsurfing #travel #BeWelcome #hospitality