Match.com Sued Over Dead/Fake Profiles
from the you-only-need-to-find-one dept
Last year, dating site Match.com threatened some rivals, saying that the numbers they put out concerning marketing probably couldn't be supported, and ordering them to cease and desist with misleading claims. Of course, all that really did was make a lot of people turn around and look more closely at Match.com's own claims, which seemed only fair. I have no idea if this latest story is a result of some of that scrutiny, but a class action lawsuit has been filed against Match.com by users of the service who claimed that the company was quite misleading with its own stats. Of specific concern is the actual number of users touted by Match, who (the plaintiffs claim) leaves "dead" accounts on the system just so it can boost its numbers. Also, there are claims that many of the profiles are fakes, using images of porn actresses, models, or people from other dating sites (though, if accurate, this could just be the work of spammers, rather than Match itself). Separately, there are claims that just as accounts are about to expire, members get a notice that someone wants to contact them -- but they have to renew their subscription to respond. Except, when they do renew, it turns out that the person who wanted to contact them has disappeared. All that does seem a bit sneaky, if true.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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a pertinent link
http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/why-you-should-never-pay-for-online-dating/
Uses the dating sites' published sites to show some interesting things. According to the blog,
96% of eHarmony alleged 20 million profiles are dead
You're 12x as likely to get married in a given year if you *aren't* on Match.com
eHarmony, whose whole purpose and message is to help you find a spouse, fails to do so for 94% of the people who try.
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As someone who has never used an online dating site, I've always wanted to ask what the actual experience was like. I started a longterm relationship a couple years back, but even if I hadn't I couldn't see myself diving into the online dating scene. Not because I see anything intrinsically wrong with it, but I just can't get my head around the matchmaking aspect of it, which kills all the spontanaeity. I used to get the same shivers when people said they wanted to "set me up" with a friend of theirs. Ugh....
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Dating sites are a good and easy way to get a first date. I spent a lot of time on my profile and put some things in there that would make people think "I don't like that" like my political affiliation, or a weird hobby. after looking at so many bland profiles, I wanted mine to stand out.
Anyway, like I said it's super easy to get a first date (compared to more traditional ways of meeting people), and it seems like because of that some people are like "hmm... I don't like brown eyes, let me try the next one". On match and POF I think I only had one female start contact with me. (eHarmony makes it easy for the female to start communication, that was a positive). So the man seems to do all the starting communication. I personally had all my "first dates" at someplace very very casual, like a bookstore cafe, so nobody was "trapped".
I had lots of first dates.. perhaps 20% of them went to second dates, and two turned into relationships.
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Yeah, there was the one with the facial piercings that acted like a sprinkler system everytime she laughed with wine in her mouth. Blind Dates ... Shiver!!!
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I got set up with a girl that seriously talked to me about her shoe shopping for nearly thirty minutes. I left halfway through the date and went drinking with some buddies and met another girl that night. I have to thank that horrible date for the assist I suppose....
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Good point!
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Additional interesting resources for online dating:
Dating in the Internet Era
http://searchwithmylife.com/dating-in-the-internet-era/
Facebook apps to find a date
http://reviewsmylife.com/top-5-facebook-apps-to-find-a-date/
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Hmmm...
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All of the dating sites are scams
They rarely deleted old unused accounts, they encourage fake profiles to boost their numbers, and probably the worst of it is that you pay to contact their member, but they forget to tell you that member has to pay to respond as well.
WHY would women pay for a dating site at all???
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Re: All of the dating sites are scams
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All of the dating sites are scams
They rarely deleted old unused accounts, they encourage fake profiles to boost their numbers, and probably the worst of it is that you pay to contact their member, but they forget to tell you that member has to pay to respond as well.
WHY would women pay for a dating site at all???
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Re:
are all the people who pay money on dating sites and get
screwed. I guess that makes up about percent of everybody
who joins the sites. Who are the rest?
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This is often done by having various girls send the guys "I am interested in you" notices, which cannot be replied to without being a full paying member. One the guy becomes a paying member, he finds that none of these girls ever actually reply. These accounts appear to be created by the site owners only for the purposes of the "come on" to get people to pay for the service.
Many new dating sites also seed their systems with fake or canned profiles. There are people out there who do nothing but scrape images from facebook, flickr, and the like, and use those images as the basis of profiles. Others just go on dating sites and scrape profiles, and resell them.
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I had a subscription for 3 months, the whole time not one girl would reply to emails or winks. And almost get nobody viewing my profile even after sending emails out to many different girls. But the day after my subscription expires I get a notification that someone sent me an email. Then about a week later, I get the notification that someone added me as a favorite. Then a few days later, someone else added me as a favorite. I also get all these 'someone viewed your profile. All these notifications to persuade me to renew my subscription.
Which I know if I do, I'll find out that the girl who sent me the email, will either say 'inactive for over 3 weeks' or the profile will be deleted. Same with ones who saved me as a favorite.
It's a huge scam to try and get people to renew, and I really think this should be illegal. I hope that court case goes forward.
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I'm guessing that the suit is being brought by 1.) one law office who did a bit of finagling to get some "members" to agree to jump on the bandwagon so the suit could be initiated for profit and epic win (this is the likely scenario). Or 2.) Fat disgruntled pigs who couldn't attract flies with rotten meat stapled to their face.
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I've used a few dating sites - some free, some pay. Of the ones I've used, Chemistry.com is the worst. Chemistry and Match are the same company.
The ONLY contacts I ever received on Chemistry were fake. While I was a paid member, I had few matches actually show up in my queue and none ever hinted at responding - only a couple ever logged in long enough to click "not interested". I have to believe that a large number of those accounts were either fake or had been sitting there so long the person behind them was years gone. Once my subscription ran out, exactly as you mention here, I suddenly start getting craploads of messages saying "she is interested in you".
Eharmony, on the other hand, was very different. I got lots of matches while I was a paid member. Most of them responded - some positively, some just to click 'not interested'. I communicated with quite a few people, and a couple led to dates. All in all, I feel like they were pretty honest.
And to be thorough, I'll say that the free sites have been better. I won't say the name but the "largest free dating site" has been the most successful for me. I've talked to LOTS of people for free, had a good number of dates, some good, some bad, and one that may last :)
But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to find out Match is as fishy as Chemistry was for me. I also wouldn't be surprised to find out the same parent company owns a number of adult-oriented sites that are full of spammers and scammers.
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Re: Agreed, Match and Chemistry are lame.
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if the sites that are supposedly set up to match your profile with someone elses so that you are more likely to hit it off, why would anyone say not interested without so much as a how-do-you-do?
that right there just screams ripoff... but maybe thats just me...
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Dating sites...waste of my time, emotion and money. Regret!
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Match
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sex
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MATCH FAKES
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fakerssss
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fake profiles
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Match.com is a scam and eHarmony is a lost cause
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Dating
Then sites like POF which are free make money from advertising on their site, the more members they can get to sign up the more they charge for advertising.
Yep dating in the 21 century is tough, no matter what route you try. Empathy to all singles out there still looking...including me!
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They are all places for people to steal your photos and private info for their own personal gain. You will rarely meet a real person on these sites.
For example, they will often offer to meet with you and give you a number to call them hoping that you will call them when they won't show up so they can get your phone number. This has happened to me several times, except I never called these numbers. Do not ever give out any personal information to anyone unless you've met them already and you know they are a real person.
I am canceling all of my accounts. It is too dangerous and there are no regulations protecting consumers.
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Scams
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match.com scamming practices
see the screenshot: http://oi49.tinypic.com/jzi6mh.jpg
it a deliberate move to encourage people by displaying high number views/winks and then put the fee higher! this is outrageous practice, also discriminating users to access services. in this circumstances i did NOT subscribe and will keenly share it with other bloggers on the forum.
before i post it publicly i offered match.com to explain the situation but did not hear from them. the reason i turned to paid dating portal was in pursuit of more ethical approach and genuine experience. because of the data manipulation i'm concerned whether users on match.com site are actually genuine persons, or merely automated avatars just to drive the sales higher!!
very disappointed...
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1. Fake profiles (i love how i log into match and the same gorgeous girl from 3 years ago are still listed as active with same pictures, are these site created profiles?. There is also plenty of scammers who seem to pop in and out with single profile pics and o i am stuck in Europe plz send cash...)
2. Single mothers looking for bachelors with well paying jobs for $$$.
3. "I can do better than my husband/bf so let me a make profile and see what i get"
4. Genuine single women sadly they make up smallest portion of match profiles'.
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Too add
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Too add
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I ended by finding my wife the old fashioned way but my wife had unique perspective on it she said most of her friends who are on there are in it to boost their egos, they are still single and have wild expectation of their true partner. They end up getting what they deserve (cheaters).
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Eharmony also has no option to provide feedback via email, I rang to get a contact to do so and was told I would be emailed one, still waiting......
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?
I don't follow the logic on this comment, why would they do that it's not like Too Catch an Internet Predator on MSNBC where it's a sting operation for pedos.
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Dating sites will make you hate women
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Match.com is the worst company you can deal with....
They are the worst company for customer care, NEVER use your credit card to ever PAY them you will REGRET it. Do a proper review via Google and see how they have screwed others before you before you part with your hard earned money! Don't be a FOOL.....i say this in the hope you don't get ripped off like i did!
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Want to sue eharmony
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totally true and even worse
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Re: totally true and even worse
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And the disappearance of this AWESOME!!! matches... SAME HERE!!! It happened to me and MANY!!!, MANY!!! others.
I really hope the get caught!!!
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granny ate my mom
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date in asia
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Match Full Of Match
in Dallas about one year ago - NOTHING changed ! Shock ? Why ? The world is rather imperfect !
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Match Full Of Match
in Dallas about one year ago - NOTHING changed ! Shock ? Why ? The world is rather imperfect !)
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Empty or expired profiles
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Scammers and dead profiles
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Zoosk dating site
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Match.com
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e harmony , a real "dead " person they keep on
the reason i am back is because she Died , Oc 26,2015.
http://www.eharmony.com/member/matchprofile/match/1587563954
this is a very clear example of a real dead person who they have on profile and who should not have been there for 7 years, but who is actually dead. i would want to know how to make this public or add to a suit that says this is a wrong practice.
gg
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A Big Con
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Fake emails when subscription is expiring
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