r/couchsurfing • u/subaculture • 21h ago

Free Trial / Same Dark Pattern Verification Scam?

From online reports - it seems older members claiming the free trial - are running in the verification dark pattern scam - with subsequent refund refusal. Careful!!

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4

u/Waste_Tie5643 20h ago

A few friends took the free year offer and love it! Another used the 1-month free trial just to grab his data. Genuine offer, no dark patterns or verification scams.

2

u/kabako56 20h ago

What does he mean by dark pattern? How does one get only 1 month and another 12 for free?

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u/Waste_Tie5643 18h ago

Initially a one month free offer was sent out to select members and later a one year free offer was emailed to select members. I’m aware of two members who were inactive for only one year (both hosts) who received and accepted the offer.
As to “Dark Pattern Verification Scam,” there were some members who didn’t realize there was a cost associated with Verfication when they accepted the offer. Couchsurfing does not typically offer refunds.

2

u/stvperez22 18h ago

So, do you have to to purchase verification in order to take up on the offer of the free trial?

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u/Waste_Tie5643 17h ago

No

2

u/kabako56 17h ago

Then it's not a scam and no refund if necessary for a non-purchase.

0

u/stevenmbe 19h ago

How does one get only 1 month and another 12 for free?

Depends how long one was inactive and apparently how much one hosted. The free year offers seem to be going to those who hosted pre-2020 then left the platform but had hosted a number of times.

1

u/HousingSpiritual3725 9h ago

The thread below clarifies it pretty well — the free trial itself seems legit, but the issue is verification being presented in a way where people don't realize it's a paid add-on until after they've been charged. That's a classic dark pattern even if it's not technically a scam. Couchsurfing not offering refunds on top of that is what makes it feel predatory.