The first website I am trying out is true.com. I read somewhere that they were mostly for serious relationships; we'll see if this is accurate or not.
When you first indicate that you want to search for free, the screen walks you through several prompts, from the basic (male/female seeking male/female, age range, location) all the way to the detailed (religion, race, build, hair color preferences, education level & career, previously married or already has children, etc). Very good start. It's funny, too, but each time you get more specific about what you want, a tally at the bottom shows you how many potential matches are left.
The last prompt requires your personal information, as well as your credit care information, even though the button indicates that you are merely signing up for a 3-day trial. Does it feel a little scammy yet?
Before you bust out that credit card, here's what the terms & conditions say, in tiny font, I might add:
- A full paying subscription to True.com at a rate of $49.99 per month plus applicable taxes
- The Coaching Center Profile Service at a rate of $4.99 per month plus applicable taxes
- TRUE Chat at a rate of $9.98 per month plus applicable taxes
*copied directly from true.com
And here is there policy on cancellations:
True.com Subscription: In order to avoid any Subscription payments to True.com (including payments for your subscription to True.com, Coaching Center Profile Service and TRUE Chat) you must cancel your Trial no later than the 3rd day of activation. You may cancel by calling True.com at 1.866.583.TRUE (8783) (toll free in the United States and Canada) or 1.214.775.0866 (International Callers, toll charges apply) and requesting cancellation or you may follow the instructions at the link “Cancel My Subscription” provided on the My Account page to cancel.
*copied directly from true.com
We're already down $50, and that doesn't even include the good stuff... that's extra.
The next page has a big ad, proclaiming for just 1 payment of $9.99, you can have better sex! Woot. It also includes your 'receipt,' and a note that you must call to cancel.
For your profile, you can add not just pics, but a video or sound clip of yourself- this is the first time I've seen this feature on a dating site.
And yet, the user interface feels scammy, still. There is an ad for Russian girls and God knows what else on the right, and it keeps trying to take me to the Get Better Sex! ad. Not a good sign.
There appears to be no way to get around the Get Better Sex ad. I try to look at my matches, it pops up, I try to take the personality test, it pops up. I'm getting annoyed and frustrated, and I haven't even been able to look at my matches yet. It appears that you must sign up for this (which does include other special features like compatibility options) before you can do anything else.
True.com is getting a negative review, simply because there is no way around the spam. I didn't even make it to the 3 free days because the whole site felt too scammy. If you have better luck, let me know. As it stands, true.com gets a big, fat raspberry.
Problem: Online dating.
Lord knows, I've tried enough sites by now. From a brief internet search, it appeared that most sites regarding online dating sites are about tips, tricks, and giving brief synopses of the sites, usually positive, and not getting to the nitty gritty. No site/blog/article got in to the real detail, positive or negative, like what their search engine was like, did they have features like chat, webcam, personal messaging, or most importantly, the costs of these various sites.
Solution: I will try out various online dating sites for one month each. I will report back on their tools, including searches, personality profiles, messaging/chat, etc., as well as cost and success rate of possible matches.
I consider myself a fairly difficult customer, so really finding matches for me will prove difficult; if the reader is more easy going, than their results would, of course, be different.
And the reader should always keep in mind that whatever successes or failures I achieve, it is based on the number of singles on the site and the demographics of my locality. Rural vs. metro areas, East vs. West vs. North vs. South, blue state vs. red, and other facets of the reader's location are going to determine how many singles in their area will be online and potential matches.
Here are my stats for a base reference:
Female, white, 26 yrs old, located in Columbus, GA
Christian, liberal, educated, employed seeking the same in a mate
Looking for serious relationship
Preference for white, tall, broad male with dark eyes and hair in the 27-37 year range
I'll be glad to take suggestions on what sites to hit. I've done several in the past already, but I will excuse those previous experiences and begin with a clean slate and profile for each dating site. Questions, comments, criticisms are much appreciated.
