Are Dating Sites Jerking You Around?

“Date Bait!”  “Worthless winks!” “Fake femmes!” DATING FRAUD EXPOSED!!! No response to your online profile? Turns out it may not be you but them – Match.com and Yahoo may be contributing to your failure to find love on the Internet by employing deceptive dating practices.  Internet dating horror stories are commonplace but they usually involve flaky individuals not the service providers.

In two lawsuits filed in the federal courts, one defendant alleges being sent fake profiles to keep him interested.  Another swears that the same woman’s photo appeared in multiple profiles in different cities. Online dating, a half billion dollar industry is generating a potential feeding frenzy among class-action sharks smelling blood money in the murky depths of true love. 

Is it false advertising or are the sham profiles similar to the loss leaders advertised on Black Friday over the Thanksgiving weekend? For example, I arrived at Circuit City, Friday morning to find that all the advertised $200 laptops were gone by 5:05 am.  Seems whether it’s electronics or electronic dating, demand far outstrips supply.

I don’t know if the digital dating service providers should be more afraid of the lawyers or losing their customers.  With a customer dissatisfaction rating of 35%, it won’t be long before more consumers figure out this isn’t where the boys or the girls are. Sounds like online matchmakers are on their way to being just as unloved as used car salesmen.

What’s really wrong with Match’s cyberdating model may not even come out in court. Trish McDermott, the former Vice President of Romance for Match is prepared to kiss and tell.  She suggests that the real problem with the Match business model is that you can’t tell who’s a subscriber and who’s not when you’re winking and emailing potential suitors.  Only subscribers can respond to any digital interest, meaning you could be unlucky enough in love to choose all online teasers. Sure, that cute hunk is single but he’s not available in their database; you might have better luck getting to know him at the neighborhood sports bar.

Comments

[lorie]

MY BOYFRIEND I LIVE WITH IS TALKING TO SOMEONE IN THE UKINE ARE WHATEVER EVERYONE TELLS ME THIS A WHORE SITE THOSE GIRLS WORK FOR MONEY TO GET MONEY I DONT WANT TO LOSE HIM OVER A SHAM I LOVE HIM HE WANTS ME TO GO NOW HOW CAN I SHOW HIM ITS A SHAM THEY LIE TO YOU TO PULL YOU IN AND THEN YOUR ALONE THEY SEND YOU SOMETHING WITHOUT EVEN ASKING HE FEEL BUT SAYS HE LOVE ME THIS GIRL DONT KNOW HIS PASS AND WILL NOT CARE HOW DO I STOP IT EVEN IT I LEAVE I STILL LOVE HIM TO SAVE HIM HELP

[MIKE]

IM STARTING TO THINK THE WEB SITE OWNERS ARE PUTTING THE SITES ON AUTO-PILOT AND JUMPING SHIP , WHAT DO YOU THINK?????

ALL THE SITES ARE NO LONGER BEING MANAGED
AND SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN

FEED BACK ON ALL MY POST WOULD BE NICE , THANKS

[MIKE]

JOHN , PLENTYOFFISH IS A WASTE OF TIME! HOW MANY WOMEN TALK OR CHAT WITH YOU AND CONTINUE TO TALK OR CHAT WITH YOU , NOT TO LONG I BET?????

ALL CAN E-MAIL ME IF U WANT??
MIKEY_J_00@YAHOO.COM

[MIKE]

"HOW DO WE SHUT THE SITES DOWN?????????????????????" , "ALL OF THEM" TO GIVE THEM A WAKE UP CALL.
FIX THE SITE OR GET SHUT DOWN! THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM?

[MIKE]

THERE ARE NO GOOD DATING SITES ON THE INTERNET AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MIKE]

SCAM ALERT FOR HORNYMATCHES.COM
this web site is so fake , everyone on it is online 24/7 and everyone has 1 photo on their profile. if i sent a message to someone on the web site and the reply doesn't match my question , sooooo fake just to get your money
S - C - A - M FROM H - E - L - L

[MIKE]

SCAM ALERT:
this web site is so fake , everyone on it is online 24/7 and everyone has 1 photo on their profile. if i sent a message to someone on the web site and the reply doesn't match my question , sooooo fake just to get your money
S - C - A - M FROM H - E - L - L

[john]

try this one http://www.plentyoffish.com totally free

[john]

i have found an totally free dating site at that pays u to pass to your friends it has 600 000 members so far an u are paid down to 10 levels people are already making 100 an month check it out www.yuwie.com/yuwie.asp?r=117577

[Britneyblogger]

Have you seen any decent single sites out there? I have been looking for activities that don’t cost an arm and a leg? In my search, I’ve been on several sites looking for local events. The only one I was able to find is http://www.singlesinmotion.com Know of any other?

[Rick]

Hey There,

Tried a number of date sites over the past two years - was stupid enough to pay for membership to a few as well. It would be nice if these sham sites could at least be upfront to begin with. "Don't bother wasting your time or money here unless you're 18 to 35 years old, have the looks and money of a movie star and the build of a tri-athlete." Because if you're a regular older joe like me - forget it you're just spinning your wheels and wasting good money and time!

[Nick]

I have been a member of singleparent .com and they have so many fake girls .same pics diffrent countries ,as well as noone with a webcam or even in my own city you try to meet them and its all fake what can a person do?

[Matt]

There's a new site called DateRater.org that anyone can use to rate and review internet dating sites. So people can let others know which sites offer the best services, all based on user reviews.

[Emma Tarrington]

Match.com readily took my money last August - when I asked for a refund they began the run around that is still going on.

American Singles is absolutely fraught with fake profiles, one out of every four is fake and many men and women are being conned. It is a shame that the above mentioned sites are continuing business.

[Sarah]

Hi Jerusha,
Just wanted to add my experience of trying a few match sites. It seems that once you've been on a site for more than a couple months, you've pretty much gone through the whole database. That's when you start getting matched with the same profiles over and over. Or worse, each "match" is so far from what you said you're looking for it's obvious the site is desperately trying to keep your interest(aka $).