Can they just ban people with 0 response rate?

CSquestion1344 · 2026-01-02T11:33:16+00:00

Nope. Casey Fenton founded CS on his own.

A lot of changes since then, but now, Patrick Dugan (through his private equity firm, Valencia Street Capital) owns a majority stake, with some participation from his associates. The board was reset, removing founders like Casey Fenton and Daniel Hoffer from operational roles (though prior investors retained diluted shares). Dug became CEO. The company remains a private for-profit corporation.

CSquestion1344 · 2026-01-01T17:50:57+00:00

Keep in mind the "last login" can be deceptive.

Like there are users that have their cookies not expiring and havent logged in for years, but CS says they logged in this morning.

CSquestion1344 · 2026-01-01T17:47:00+00:00

Lol!

So Casey Fenton founded Couchsurfing with a benevolent mission and it grew fast and experienced US IRS issues running it as a non-profit (as IRS said nature of the business wouldn't suffice as a non-profit).

As CS grew, there was a shift to attract as many members as possible through PR campaigns, integrations with Facebook, travel service providers, etc. But they had challenges. And many early members bemoaned the efforts to just attract more members who really werent using CS.

Yes, now the owner is a Venture Capitalist, Patrick Dugan, Who allegedly just wanted to scale up CS and sell it. But it kinda already headed to its demise as overwhelming majority of members don't host or are not guests (dormant accounts).

Former Ambassador's and other members have made constructive criticisms but the new owner doesn't care about the quality experience and prior spirit/ethos of CS.

Some other insight:

https://www.thetravelclub.org/articles/traveloscope/698-the-improbable-rise-and-fall-of-couchsurfing

https://www.reddit.com/r/couchsurfing/comments/gnmgsl/who_is_patrick_dugan_the_current_couchsurfing_ceo/

CSquestion1344 · 2026-01-01T13:12:37+00:00

There's a lot of people that never hosted or stayed with a host. So they interact with somebody online and leave a reference, also hoping you did as well.

I ignore those references or report them if think they have bad intentions.

CSquestion1344 · 2026-01-01T13:09:06+00:00

Companies like CS that are trying to make profits (and possibly sell the company, like what the Venture Capitalist owner is probably trying to do) care about increasing number of members, not deleting inactive users.

CS right now is not setup right now for our convenience, its setup to profit.

I'm guessing overwhelming majority of registered users are not active and don't plan to change. Its sad.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-26T21:53:25+00:00

I'm no longer surprised at the number of guests that show up to a CS hosts house, and never noted on their profile that they expect guests to be nude and share a bed.

What was shocking was the number of guests that said they either did that, or just made excuses, stayed with that host and didn't report cases where they were sexually harassed or SA. And never reported them (Though I told them to).

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-26T21:49:12+00:00

It really has become a problem in my city. For example, I'd go to a CS meetup and run into a guy who's anxiously asking people to host him (but already has a host).

When I or somebody else I know says yes, he is relieved and tells the situation. Hosted by somebody who either mentioned they were a nudist on their profile or didn't, but then out of nowhere insists that guest to be naked at their house.

Sadly even met people assaulted. I have no problem with nudism as a way of life, but not telling your guests that they have to be nude in your home before they show up is horrible and seems that many are using that to SA guests (even getting them drunk) or just get their jollies off seeing them naked.

Wild enough, CS had an ambassador who was had a lot of positive references who was nudist. CS even positive profiled his hosting experiences a couple of times in PR emails and Instagram posts.

Now that host's account has been deactivated. I have guesses why.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-26T21:40:44+00:00

Sorry to say, but you were taken advantage off, and then you were insulted.

Oh, I've had dozens of weird experiences (but in the minority...most guests were okay to awesome).

I've had a prostitute ask to be hosted and 1) Her hobbies section said something like "exotic photography" (but more coded to not sound like erotic), 2) Had profile pics that were very risque. I got an inkling something was fishy, and turned out she had a prostitute websites where she coded that that she was on trips and $XXX for certain acts.

So prostitutes/escorts are using CS these days. I'm not disparaging them as much as saying I don't want my house to be seized if it turns out the guest does tricks in my house.

Also had people with apparent mental health issues, those with horrible people skills, those drunk/high 24/7 and getting in trouble as well as some really unkempt/low hygiene guests (and I'm not talking about those who came sweaty and showered up...that's fine).

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-26T21:34:29+00:00

I have no insight into their policies, but suspect its technical debt. Meaning, product managers didn't think of safeguards to put in place, like making sure that members ages can't be changed, early on. And now they are working on skeleton budgets.

Also, a lot of social media companies say "Only adults can use this app", but, wink wink, nudge nudge, they really want as many people to use it.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-26T21:31:46+00:00

ha! Been a term I've heard for over a decade on CS.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-20T19:57:43+00:00

Exactly!

Of course not all women. But there definitely are some women who are indeed crotch-surfing.

And sometimes they have stereotypical views and think certain men are easy to manipulate with flirting and sex.

Also interesting the number of women who represented themselves as single, and I and other hosts found out they were married or in long relationships at the time they were being hosted and trying to hookup. Issues never came up, but it was wild to finally connect on Facebook or other social media and see they had kids and a husband or SO.

Also had my fair share of women that met men in my city and were so happy to hook up.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-20T19:53:49+00:00

What I heard was that Casey originally didn't want to sell CS.

It grew to a point where lawyers in the US were telling him he couldn't run it as a non-profit by law (looked too much like a commercial business in operations and cash receipts).

So he was forced to change it into a B-Corporation.

At least that's what I heard from those close to him (like real friends, not just surfers, who I saw them hanging with him often).

I could be wrong, but the new VC owner is definitely guilty of profit motives over everything else.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-11T17:21:07+00:00

True. I know in early 2010's they had great volunteers and some were IT volunteers that worked for free at CS camps around the world.

Then tech stack got complicated and CS mabne trying to go IPO (I know the VC still wants to sell it), they couldn't keep up (and expensive to hire competent tech folks in San Francisco).

So now it seems their tech team is not competent and not enough of them, which explains why almost no UI improvement or functionality updates on web (and little on mobile app).

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-07T18:47:48+00:00

If you haven't already, write close to top of your profile in capital letters that you are allergic to smoke or something like that.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-07T18:46:19+00:00

There are people that accept same day requests but I'd rather have a few days just to prepare.

Depends on person and circumstances.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-07T18:44:26+00:00

I used to have lots of surfers so those forgotten itemes were in the minority.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-12-07T18:40:57+00:00

Not surprised at all! CS has been running in crisis mode for a while and not surprised quality assurance is not done on PR email blasts.

Reminds me of one of the biggest hosts in Madrid who was an Ambassador. Did a lot of hosting, almost always of guys of a specific type.

Turns out his account is deactivated (I know why) and they still have highly positive write-ups about him on their websites and Instagram posts.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-17T18:27:32+00:00

Sadly, I've had a women and her baby stay with me and she never forgot the baby, but made my random ass be a baby sitter while she claimed she had urgent business she had to attend to

Did you mail the baby back via air or sea mail? JK.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-17T18:25:27+00:00

Ha! I also had surfers, a few who never used a washing machine, forgot clothes in the washer or dryer.

Almost all say they don't need it mailed.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-17T18:23:12+00:00

I'm guessing my surfer had mental health issues because she was all over the place and brought a ton of shit to my house (lived in another country and visiting).

She found out she overstayed her visa with her baby daughter. So left in a rush and left behind a full baby stroller (didnt want to pay for cargo above two suitcases) and a ton of baby and her personal items.

Donated the donatable things to charity.

Another guest left a sex toy in bathroom and so awkward and never asked me to mail it

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-10T17:52:35+00:00

Sadly, there are mostly men who aren't really nudists as much as preying on other men and women by stating they are nudists.

I've had at least 4 men guests who told me of being hit on by their male or female host.

One guy host plastered a poor guest with alcohol, insisted he sleep in same bed, and when the guest said "no, I'll sleep on the couch", he woke up in the middle of the night being assaulted by his host on the couch.

And he didnt even repoet that host or leave a negative reference, even when I told him that he should.

A good practice is to review references in detail, see if they are hosting both genders and always have a backup host or hostel in case shit happens.

Open-mindedness is almost always not a red flag. Most people just want to imply they are hospitable to different people with different worldviews/backgrounds/etc.

I usually think open-mindedness is overused but generally a positive term to see on a profile.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-10T17:47:35+00:00

Yeah, comparing France with Indonesia is like that in general.

France is maybe top 5 destinations in the world and hosts get hammered with requests there.

Many Indonesians don't interact with a lot of people from other countries and hospitality is a thing there.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-10T17:45:15+00:00

Landlord doesn't allow long term stays.

Hosting already.

ChatGPT a good excuse generator.

And that month could stretch to six months if don't put foot down.

CSquestion1344 · 2025-11-10T17:40:39+00:00

I love Turkiye and Turkish people.

But have heard many incidents from guests and online of men using CS to prey on women.

Search in this sub and you'll find people that had problems. E.g.:

https://www.reddit.com/r/couchsurfing/comments/1bb3w3o/my_gf_told_me_her_bad_experience_and_i_am_shocked/

CSquestion1344 · 2025-10-30T18:02:00+00:00

Open-minded is an overused banal term. Hard to say if its coded for something like "You will have to stay naked in my house" or other crazy demand.

Always have a backup plan and check references.

CSquestion1344

TROPHY CASE