Answers to some common Contact Us Questions

The statements and opinions on this page are solely those of its authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CouchSurfing International.

The following are some of the most common questions we see in the Contact Us (CUQ) group. Even if your question isn't answered here, we hope you'll find the information useful!

Locations

City not listed in database

My city (e.g. New York City) is not included in your database, so I can't enter my correct location. What can I do?

Here's what you do:

Go to a search engine (such as Google or Yahoo!)
Type this: latitude longitude New York City
Find the info: Lat/Lon of NYC is 40°43′N 74°00′W

Pass on this information to the Locations Team so that we can enter the city that is missing in the system.

If you cannot find these details anywhere on the web, please send as much information about the location as you can.

When you send the city's lat/lon info to our team, please be sure to include a link to the website where you found it so its accuracy can quickly be double-checked (e.g. New York).

City listed in wrong state/district/province

My city is assigned to the wrong state/Serbia is in fact a separate country/etc. Help!

We are aware that there are many bugs with the locations in our database, and we have a team of volunteers working to correct them. Please report any errors you encounter to the Locations Team. Thanks for helping us improve the site!

Profile showing wrong login location

My profile shows that I'm in Sydney, but I've never been there in my life, and I'm 1,000 miles away in the Outback, I swear!

What you are seeing is the information from the Last Login field. It is a security feature and has nothing to do with the address you list in your profile. Every time a member logs in, we trace their IP address to their country of origin and show it for others to see. This helps ensure that people are accurately reporting where they are in this world.

This information is only a guide and not 100% accurate. While it works for the majority of our members, it occasionally displays inaccurate information. This location is based on information provided by your Internet Service Provider. Please contact them if it is wrong, as we cannot change it.

Sometimes when users connect through large international providers (like AOL), their location will be reported incorrectly. For example, even though they are in Europe, the CS website may show that they are connecting from the US. Many AOL users are falsely reported as logging in from Potwin, Kansas. There's no real way around this other than getting your ISP to change its settings or logging in through a different ISP.

Languages

My language is missing from your list of languages - how do I get it added?

If you've checked the current list of Missing languages and find that your language isn't listed, please send a note to Contact Us with a link to a resource that provides detailed information about the missing language you'd like to see included.

Vouching

Another member just vouched for me. Why can't I vouch for my friends?

The vouching system was started from scratch after the big CS crash in 2006. The new system, designed to strengthen the integrity of CouchSurfing vouching and to draw attention to the seriousness of vouching, was developed at the CouchSurfing Collective in Montreal. The first CouchSurfers to be vouched for were the Administrators of CouchSurfing, who then vouched for their trustworthy friends. In the new system, you need three vouches before you yourself can start vouching for others. This is a security measure to preserve the integrity of vouching.

More information on vouching can be found here.

Verification

Paying for membership

I thought CouchSurfing was free! Why should I pay to join? I was never told people have to pay to be a member ...

CouchSurfing IS free. You are always welcome to use the site for free. Verification is an optional security feature that you are welcome to use or not, as you see fit. The money from the verification process is used for

Safety issues
The costs of running and maintaining the website and
Supporting all the collective volunteers who give so much of their time to improve the site for others

If you can't afford to get verified, no problem! We welcome you to continue using the site for free for as long as you like!

Verification without a credit card

I really want to get verified, but I don't have a credit card. What can I do?

Currently, the only way to get verified is with a credit card in your name or with a verified PayPal account. To get verified using your verified PayPal account, please log on to the CouchSurfing website, then donate the appropriate amount through the donation page. Once you have completed the transaction, be sure to inform the Verifications Team in order to have your donation counted for verification.

Be sure to mention:

That you donated through PayPal
The date of the transaction
The amount of the transaction

Issues with locked name fields

What do I do if the name on my profile doesn't exactly match the name on my credit card?

To get verified on CouchSurfing, it is important that the name listed in your profile match the name shown on your credit card. If your profile lists your name as "Joe Smith" while your credit card shows it as "Joe David Smith," this is normally fine for verification purposes. As long as the fields "Real first name" and "Last name" on this page can be reasonably matched to your credit card, the process should work. However, if you need to unlock your name and change it, please access step 1 of the verification process.

Changing your address

I locked in my name and address to be verified, but now I've moved. How can I change my address?

That depends on your verification level.

For level 1

If you have locked in your name and address (verification level 1) and need to change this information, just visit this page. Unlock your name and address, edit your location, then lock your information again when you're done.

For level 2 or 3

If you are verified at level 2 or 3 and need to change your address, just visit this page and follow the easy and clear instructions. You do NOT have to pay the verification fee again!

Your profile

Username issues

I want to change my username to something more suitable/fun/friendly/colorful. How can I do this?

First, check that your desired new username is not already in use by typing it into the address bar (for example: www.couchsurfing.com/people/casey). If a profile comes up, that username is taken. If you get an error page, that name is available!

Now edit your profile to change your username - and keep in mind that you can do this only once every three months.

I don't want other members to see my real name. What can I do?

No problem! Just edit your privacy preferences accordingly. To do this, visit this page and set "Hide Name" to Yes.

Age/birthdate issues

My profile doesn't show my correct age, even though I entered my birthdate correctly. How can I fix this?

The birthday/age calculator is highly subject to strange behavior. Sometimes it changes your age ahead of your birthday, sometimes it doesn't change it at all. It can usually be "tricked" into showing your correct age by going to your edit profile section and changing your year of birth to something else entirely, saving it, then repeating this process to change it back to the correct year. Sorry for the inconvenience!

I don't want my birthday/age to show on my profile at all! I selected "Nobody" for "Who should see your birthday?", but it still shows up. What do I have to do to hide it?

This setting hides your birthday - but not, of course, from YOU. You can still see your birthday because it is YOUR profile.

It is not possible to hide your age (apart from "disguising" it by entering the wrong year of birth). Of course many members would like an option to hide their age as well as their birthday, but it is an integral part of the CouchSearch function, as some members only feel comfortable staying with people in a certain age range. Nevertheless, it has been requested that this option be modified to allow members to search by age while still giving anyone who wants it the option to hide their age from their profile. This may or may not be implemented sometime in the future.

Adding friends

How do I add friends to my profile?

To add another CouchSurfing member (whether someone you've met through CouchSurfing or someone you've known for years) to your list of friends, just go to that member's profile and click on the button "+ Add to my friends". On the next page, read the instructions carefully and fill in the requested information. When you click on "Save connection information," that member will receive an automated notification that you have requested a friend link. As soon as the member approves your request, they will be added to your list of friends!

Here is some more information about creating connections on CouchSurfing.

Photos

Why am I required to upload a photo to my profile?

Well, you don't HAVE to post a photo, but we would love it if you did! Plus your profile won't be considered complete without one. Here's why:

The strength of our system depends on members being as open and up-front with other members as possible. If you fill out your profile fully, and post even just one or two pictures of yourself, people will be more likely to host you or want to be hosted by you - because they will be able to figure out (especially from what you say in your profile) if you're someone they might get along with. If you don't have any digital pictures of yourself, that's OK - you can upload one later when you do get one. For now, maybe you have another photo, perhaps of a place you've visited, that you could post in the meantime?

So, no, you don't have to post a photo, but we certainly encourage you to do so, and we definitely encourage you to fill out your profile in as much detail as you can (and are comfortable with!).

I already uploaded a photo - why doesn't it show up on my profile or in the search results?

Generally, you simply need to edit the photo and click on "set as main photo". However, there are sometimes some minor issues with the image server. If you have already clicked on "set as main photo" and it still doesn't appear, please go have a nice cup of tea while you wait for the server hiccup to pass.

Creating a new profile after deleting an old one

I deleted my old profile and want to create a new one, but now the site won't accept my email address

It is against CouchSurfing's Terms of Use to create more than one profile. We'd rather you just use the same account than create a new one, as this will allow you to keep all your friend links, references and vouch status, if applicable. It's easier for everyone involved. To have your deleted account reinstated, just send a request to Contact Us!

Messages

Deleting system messages

How can I completely remove my sent/received/deleted messages from the system?

You can move messages from your Inbox to your Deleted messages folder. However, messages in your Sent and Deleted messages folders are retained permanently for safety reasons. If a member were to delete a message fully from our system, and then have a complaint against another member, we would not be able to assist them if it their interaction cannot be proven through our system. This is because we're unable to use MSN conversations, SMS, or off-site emails as any evidence in a dispute. We mark this clearly on every message sent through CS, as well as mentioning it in our Terms of Use, so that members are aware of this.

Reply % issues

I always reply to every couch request I receive, but my profile shows I've replied to 0%! Can you please fix this for me?

This figure is calculated automatically by the CouchSurfing website and cannot be changed manually. It is based solely on the couch requests (not regular system messages) you receive and reply to through the CouchSurfing website and not by using the reply link in the message that gets forwarded to your personal e-mail address.

If you check this list, you will see which requests are missing a "proper" reply. If there is no reply date noted next to the message, it means you did not reply (or, during a certain period when CS messages fell victim to a bug, did not reply through your CS inbox). You will need to click on the message subject to open the request from within your CS inbox, then hit the Reply button to send a reply. You can just explain nicely why you are replying again even though you already wrote to them before (assuming that you did!) - or perhaps just say Hello! and ask how your long-lost CS friend is doing. This is the Only way to increase your percentage.

I recently received a couch request but the member deleted their profile before I could reply. Now it's affecting my reply percentage! What can I do?

Normally the system should take deleted profiles into account and adjust your reply percentage accordingly. Recently, however, there seems to be a bug in this function. As mentioned above, this figure is calculated automatically and cannot be changed manually, so there is nothing to do but wait. The Tech Team is looking into it and your patience is greatly appreciated.

Sending mass messages

How can I send a message to everyone in ...?

We prefer that members send individual emails and couch requests on CouchSurfing, as that maintains the level of personal interaction that we are hoping to foster through this project. It may take longer, but you're bound to get better results!

The sole way we currently support mass emailing between members is when a CouchSurfer wants to set up a meeting. Here's how you do that:

Create a meeting on the Meetings page (see Meeting HOWTO for more instructions if you need them).
You can now send messages to the members who turn up in the results of your ten most recent CouchSearches, as well as to any group(s) that you are a member of.
Sit back and wait for the Meeting Message Approvers to approve your meeting message.

Groups

Leaving a group

How can I leave a group I joined?

To leave a group, simply go to the main page of the group you want to leave and click on the button "Leave this Group" under Group Options (near the bottom center). That's it! Or you can follow the illustrated explanation on How_to_leave_a_group.

However, if your reason for leaving is because you are receiving too many messages from that group, please see the next section!

Group communications settings

I'm getting way too many messages from the group I just joined. My inbox is overflowing! How do I stop them??

You can easily change your group communication settings (or disable them altogether) by going to your group communication settings page

If you set communications to

Instant = You will get an email each time someone posts a new message
Daily = You will get one email per day from that group - that should already help a lot for active groups!
Weekly = You will get just one email per week from that group
None = You will not receive any emails from that group in your personal inbox, but you are still a member of the group (and can post to it, too)

Media

Do you have a collection of articles that have previously been written about CouchSurfing?

We sure do! Check out the press page!

How can I get in touch with one of your members about conducting an interview/writing a story on CouchSurfing.com?

Please contact one of our media coordinators through media@couchsurfing.com - they can answer any questions you might have. Alternatively, feel free to send a proposal to media@couchsurfing.com, and one of our media coordinators will get back to you.

For further information, please see the Media FAQ.

Other questions

Getting started

I'm new here! How do I start "surfing"?

Let's say you plan to spend a few days in Paris. You click on CouchSearch and enter the relevant information, such as the country (France) and the city (Paris). Then click on 'List surfers on next page' and up to 300 members will show up. Look through some profiles until you find someone who looks interesting to you and who you think you'd get along with well.

In each profile, there is a button labeled 'CouchSurf with XYZ' above the main photo. Click on it and write a nice message to this person asking if you can surf their couch. Provide as much information as you can - like your arrival and departure date, how many people you're traveling with, and maybe even the reason why you chose this particular member. Click on 'Send' and wait for their reply. That's it! :-) Easy, isn't it?

Just keep in mind that people in big cities like Paris, London, New York, etc. sometimes get flooded by requests. So you will increase your chances of getting a couch by having a completely filled out profile that tells a lot about you and includes photos (preferably some that clearly show other members who they can expect to see on their doorstep). Some (though certainly not all) members also prefer to host only members who have at least started the verification process.

Can families participate, too, or is this site just for solo travelers?

CouchSurfing is open to EVERYONE! And there are a lot of members (and families) who are happy to host families. Please visit the Family Welcome Group to get an idea of what's possible.

You can also find more information on the Family CouchSurfing wiki page.

It seems this community is aimed primarily at the younger crowd - do you have many members in their 40s/50s/60s/older? I'd love to join, but I'm not sure I'd fit in. Is there an age limit?

CouchSurfing is open to members of ALL ages, backgrounds, education levels, locations and virtually any other demography you can imagine. The only exception is that, for legal/liability reasons, we do not allow members under the age of 18. While the majority of our members are indeed under 30 years of age, we still have plenty of members in their 50s and above. We even have a Global Ambassador who is 72 years old! We deeply appreciate the participation of the older generations, as they bring some balance to this very young community.

Please take a look at our statistics, and then perhaps check out the CS for all ages group. At the bottom of that page, you can choose the subgroup for your age bracket and, when you have a profile, start meeting other young-at-heart CouchSurfers!

Learning more

I'm just trying to find out more about CouchSurfing before I start contacting members ... can you point me to some more general information?

There is a LOT of information available in many different places between the CouchSurfing website and the CouchSurfing wiki. It can certainly be overwhelming for new members! But don't be afraid to just browse through the site - getting *lost* in it is the best way to learn!

However, if what you're looking for is a more focused direction, the following pages offer some good information, tips and other FAQs about CouchSurfing.

CouchSurfing Guide

How to Write a Couch Request

Safety for Surfers

How to be a Good Guest

Safety for Hosts

How to be a Good Host

CouchSurfing icons

What do all those different icons mean that I see on members' profiles?"

We're glad you asked! Here is a handy key to identifying them, organized according to the profile section they are found in.

Personal Designations

Definitely has couch	Has couch	Maybe has couch	No couch
Traveling at the moment	Meet for Coffee or a Drink	Unverified	Verified at level 1
Verified at level 2	Verified at level 3	Has been vouched for	Extremely trusted by the CouchSurfing leadership