Do you need to pay to find love? While dating sites like eHarmony and Match charge users a paid subscription there are plenty of services like Tinder or OkCupid that promise you a happily ever after for free. So the question is why do people still (especially women) prefer to use pay-for-use dating sites? Here are a few important reasons:
Improved Safety
The world of online dating is, unfortunately, riddled with scammers. Women, in particular, need to exercise a lot of caution when using these platforms, as they’re typically the primary target. For instance, just last year the Sussex Police arrested a 23-year old man for stealing from two women he met on ‘Plenty of Fish’, a free dating website.
Police say the perpetrator (Connor Richardson) had secured the trust of these women to such an extent that he was allowed to go inside their homes unattended. After having earned this privilege, he then stole belongings including cash, ATM cards and a few electronics including a PlayStation 4 controller and a few games.
Reading this, you might be tempted to call these women ‘gullible’ but the truth is that it could happen to anyone. The scammer could be especially charming or he might offer reasons that sound perfectly plausible and you could be none the wiser. Hence, we all need some help weeding out these people.
Paid dating sites offer numerous services to prevent scammers from taking advantage of unsuspecting users. For instance, platforms like Loveaholics perform a thorough verification process on new profiles which would typically weed out any catfish. These platforms are also more likely to have active, high-quality customer support. Hence, if you do notice some suspicious behavior you’ll be able to report it immediately. In addition, some paid sites have moderators that oversee activity in public forums. If they notice any scamming type behavior they won’t hesitate to ban these individuals for life.
Unfortunately, free sites don’t offer the same level of safety features. That’s probably the main reason why scammers like Connor Richardson prefer to sign up for free services as opposed to paid ones.
‘Free’ Sites aren’t Always Free
Some dating sites may be free to join but they come with a lot of restrictions. For instance, the ‘free’ service Hinge puts a limit on the number of ‘likes’ which you can use to start up a conversation. In order to be able to have an unlimited number of conversations with your matches, you’ll need to go for ‘preferred membership’ which is simply a nicer way of saying ‘paid subscription’.
Free Dating sites may also block you from using certain features unless you pay. For example, OkCupid prevents free users from accessing the following:
- ‘See who likes you’ – a feature that gives you a list of everyone that has sent you a ‘like’
- Advanced search filter – allows you to narrow down your search with filters like ‘attractiveness’, and ‘body type’
- Message read receipts – this lets you know whether your message has been read by the recipient
Features like the ones mentioned above can help you find a better match on a dating site. For instance, being able to filter by things such as ‘attractiveness’ and ‘body type’ will make it easier for you to find your dream partner without having to scroll or swipe through a long list of profiles first.
Talk to Better-Quality Matches
Men and women on paid memberships are likely more serious about having a relationship for the simple reason that they’re willing to pay for it. It shows that they’re willing to invest in finding love rather than making a half-assed effort on a free site.
One thing is for sure, by opting for a paid service, you’re more likely to avoid the creeps. This is because pretty much all dating sites block unpaid members from sending messages to women who have upgraded profiles. Hence, those that aren’t committed enough to want to spend money will be forced to move along.
You’ll Be Encouraged To Put More Effort Into Dating
When we’re spending money on a service, we always want a good return. Hence, having to pay for a dating site will put more pressure on you to take your love life seriously. You’ll be more encouraged to spend more time on your profile, uploading higher quality pictures and adding more details to it. The more you refine your profile, the better the chances of you finding a great match. Hence, you’re more likely to have fun, safe dates.
When it comes to dating sites it’s always a better idea to go for a pay-to-use platform than a free one. Sites like Flirtila or meet a milf offer improved safety, better tools, and features and keep away the creeps.
