Host Deactivation Policy

Worldpackers believes in collaborative experiences that transform people and the world. To ensure every exchange achieves this goal, community member feedback is the platform’s primary regulatory instrument — guided by the Worldpackers Policy for the Quality and Safety of Experiences.

In this article you will learn more about:

• What does it mean to have an account deactivated?

• What happens to a deactivated account?

• Severity levels and deactivation timeframes

• What happens after the deactivation period?

• Deactivation due to quality

• Deactivation due to extreme cases

Deactivation is a protective measure applied by Worldpackers when the Policy for the Quality and Safety of Experiences are not fully met. A deactivation consists of a formal suspension of the account, in which the platform access can only be reconsidered after the minimum stipulated period has been fulfilled and upon review by our team, which will assess the possibility of reactivation.

During the effective period of the measure, the host loses access to the platform features: listing vacancies, exchanging messages, and confirming new trips.

Commitment to dialogue

Before any deactivation is made effective, our team will contact the host to inform them that improvements to the offered experience are necessary and to understand their perspective on what occurred.

Important: The identity and detailed content of the reports are kept strictly confidential. The host will be notified about the subject matter in order to provide visibility of areas for improvement, but the reporters’ data and report details are protected by our privacy policy.

Upon deactivation, the following measures are automatically applied:

• Suspension of access and visibility: The profile, listings, and access to platform features are removed immediately.

• Closure of conversations: All active messages are closed.

• Cancellation of trips: Confirmed trips and pre-approvals are cancelled.

• Communication to travelers: Worldpackers formally notifies travelers with trips scheduled within 30 days and provides support to minimize impact.

• Block on new accounts: The host cannot create new profiles during the deactivation period. Duplicate accounts identified will be deactivated without prior notice.

Note: Account data and history remain archived to support the reactivation review after the stipulated period. The processing of personal data carried out during investigation, deactivation, and reactivation processes will comply with our Privacy Policy and applicable law. If you wish, you may request deletion of your data at any time, as provided in our Privacy Policy.

The deactivation timeframe is defined based on the severity level of the reported situation:

• Low-severity negative feedback — 6-month deactivation

Feedback of operational or behavioral misalignment that negatively affects the experience, without involving physical risk or extreme severity.

• Serious feedback — 1-year deactivation

Feedback pointing to critical and serious issues that, while not posing an immediate risk to the traveler’s physical integrity, significantly compromise the safety, well-being, and quality of the experience — including situations that violate the agreement established between host and traveler and make continuation of the experience unfeasible.

• Extreme feedback — 5-year deactivation

Feedback involving crimes and conflicts compromising the physical, moral, and/or psychological integrity of travelers.

Reactivation is not automatic. After the period has been fulfilled, the host must contact the Worldpackers team and request a review, which involves assessing the project’s history and the viability of returning to the platform.

Worldpackers reserves the right to keep the account deactivated if the review concludes that the project still does not offer a safe and collaborative experience.

Recurrence

In the event of a new deactivation, the period applied may be equivalent to double the previous one, at Worldpackers’ discretion, taking into account the severity of the new facts, the host’s history, and other relevant circumstances.

• Low-severity negative feedback: 6 months → 1 year → 2 years…
• Serious feedback: 1 year → 2 years → 4 years…
• Extreme feedback: 5 years → 10 years → 20 years…

Quality deactivation occurs based on negative feedback — public (reviews on the platform) or private (reports sent directly to Worldpackers) — pointing to situations classified as low-severity negative feedback, serious feedback, and/or extreme feedback. Click here to learn more about the classifications.

Internal review process

Upon receiving a report, Worldpackers initiates an internal investigation that includes analysis of the host’s complete feedback history and, when necessary, contact with travelers who have recently stayed at the project. Reports and feedback received — whether public or private — are not evaluated in isolation, always being considered together with the account history, documentary evidence, and other information collected during the investigation. All reports and identities are treated under strict confidentiality, and no decision is made without going through this analysis.

Reactivation after quality deactivation

After the period, the host must request a new review. The team will assess whether the conditions that led to the deactivation have been overcome and whether the project’s return is viable for the community. To learn more about the timeframes for requesting account reactivation, click here.

Worldpackers reserves the right to keep the account deactivated if the review concludes that the project still does not offer a safe and collaborative experience.

All personal data processing carried out during investigation, deactivation, and eventual reactivation processes will comply with our Privacy Policy.

Deactivation due to extreme cases is applied when feedback — public or private — points to reports of crimes and/or situations that compromise the physical, moral, and/or psychological integrity of travelers.

If official documents issued by local authorities or other records (such as audio and images) are presented that prove the situation, the account will be paused immediately for three days so that an internal review can be carried out. During this period, already confirmed trips will not be cancelled; however, new applications will not be accepted.

Internal review process

The process follows the same protocol as quality deactivation: analysis of the host’s complete feedback history and, when necessary, contact with travelers who have recently stayed at the project. Reports and feedback received — whether public or private — are not evaluated in isolation, always being considered together with the account history, documentary evidence, and other information collected during the investigation. All reports and identities are treated under strict confidentiality, and no decision is made without going through this analysis.

Reactivation after extreme cases

The account will remain deactivated for at least 5 years. After this period, reactivation is not automatic: the host must request a review from the Worldpackers team, which will decide whether the project’s return is safe for the community. To learn more about the timeframes for requesting account reactivation, click here.

Worldpackers reserves the right to keep the account deactivated if the review concludes that the project still does not offer a safe and collaborative experience.

All personal data processing carried out during investigation, deactivation, and eventual reactivation processes will comply with our Privacy Policy.

+ See the Temporary Pause Policy, which precedes account deactivation.