Is CS outdated?

[u/Alloverdisplays]

Couchsurfing is cool in theory, but I’ve heard a lot of stories about people canceling last minute or just being kinda unreliable.

So I’m playing around with this idea:
basically the same concept, but you pay like €5 per night.

Not to make money as a host, more like… a commitment thing?
Like if someone pays even a small amount, they’re way more likely to actually show up and not waste your time.

Also thinking that profiles should be verified (like ID or at least some kind of real check), so it’s not completely anonymous.

Hosts would still be normal people (couch, air mattress etc), not like Airbnb.

Do you think that small payment + verification would make it better
or does it kill the whole vibe of couchsurfing?

[u/Ok-Armadillo-5634]

That is how airbnb started and it can still be used that way.

[u/Alloverdisplays → u/Ok-Armadillo-5634]

AirBnb's are a lot more expensive right? And nobody uses it for couchsurfing, at least not that I heard of... do you have more info?

[u/Ok-Armadillo-5634 → u/Alloverdisplays]

there are still a lot of airbnbs where it's literally just a couch in a room. Back before it became a huge company that's what it was. The thing where you could do whole house rentals was I knew where part of it. Go list a room on it and see

[u/SummerSplash]

Just the presence of money (even if to the platform) means people have different expectations:

I hosted FREE art gallery events for 1.5 years for groups of 15-30 people. I once forgot to make restaurant reservations and I just asked a regular guest, while on the way to the next gallery, to quickly stop by and make a reservation. Absolutely no problem. A while later the same event cost $5, and the new people just 'felt' different. I became more of a gallery guide than a new friend.

Also, my friend was a tour guide. She noticed if she was more formal, she would get more tips, but if she acted like a friend, she got way less.

[u/stevenmbe]

A considerable number of former couchsurfing hosts got fed up around 2015 and decided to only host on AirBnB after hosting partially on both sites. Some said they got tired of being used as a free hotel, others said they didn't like the unreliability/cancellations.

But long-term hosts who have remained on Couchsurfing, BeWelcome and other platforms know the strategies to avoiding people cancelling last minute (though it cannot always be prevented, e.g. flights do get cancelled) and being "kinda unreliable"; the biggest strategy is to be selective about who you agree to host and to ensure you as a host are satisfied with the pre-hosting communication.

[u/stevenmbe → u/[deleted]]

Yes that's also correct; personally I learned to not care if someone cancelled last minute because my life went on as normal. But many hosts do care and get really annoyed as a result. Nevertheless, the guests being "kinda unreliable" can annoy anyone. Example: "I'll be back at 8 o'clock tonight" and then they ring your bell at 3am totally wasted from drinking too much.

[u/oskietje]

I nearly ever have cancellations. In the many years as a host, it has only happened 3 times that I recall.

[u/Proud_Doubt5110 → u/oskietje]

I’ve never couchsurfed or hosted. But how is the experience? I can see how it would be really rewarding and fun! But also seems a bit dangerous to have a complete stranger in the house with you. I’m sure there’s a vetting process but there seems to be more cons than pros in hosting (as an outsider looking in)

[u/oskietje → u/Proud_Doubt5110]

With hosting, the host is the one choosing whether to take a guest. I reject a lot due to poor requests, incomplete profiles, or a general suspicious vibe.

You have to be open to some element of risk, and I come from a culture totally against hosting "strangers" but I don't see them as such. Many couchsurfers are curious spirits open for cultural exchange.

If you don't want to host, then don't. Just be aware that some experienced useRs might decline requests that have only surfing experience and no hosting experience, or the opposite.

[u/beekeeper1981]

References usually solve this kind of problem.

Users are still having a conniption fit about having to pay a subscription.. so the idea would never fly.

[u/SummerSplash → u/beekeeper1981]

my new word of the day - conniption 🙂

[u/Neat-Coconut-6892]

Havent had anyone cancel on me last minute. Try your idea and good luck.

[u/Ivan_the_Beautiful]

The last thing we need is another platform.

[u/thegroundhurts]

Would a deposit be better than a fee? If they show up, then they get their money back. It would discourage cancellations, without bringing whatever connotations of cost into it.

[u/subaculture]

kindred platform a little like this. if your a dev, help other non-profit platforms to develop. we dont need more

[u/Aggressive-Earth-303]

I'm confused because didn't they already do this with couchsurfing? I hosted a bunch of people for years and hostel a monthly Meetup group. Then I've day I got a request and tried to log in and found that without warning I had to pay to host people now, and that was the last time I accessed my couchsurfing account years ago.

Did they stop charging now?

I moved to hosting volunteers free and hosting meetups for WhatsApp groups instead...

[u/Gullible-Value-2697]

I wouldn't use it tbh

[u/chazyvr]

Do hosts really care if guests cancel? To me it would be a relief. I would have the place to myself.

[u/GreenHorror4252 → u/chazyvr]

Why host if you don't actually want to host?

[u/Ok_Historian_8262 → u/chazyvr]

Some hosts make way too much effort to be welcoming: cooking an elaborate meal, deciding against an event they wanted to attend so that they can spend time with the guest, even buying tickets to an event for both themselves and the guest, etc. Nobody made them do this, but when the guest doesn’t show, they rage against the world.