Free dating sites are very appealing to those who want to find their better halves. We used to think that online dating is always related to money and payments but it is not really so. You can still use dating sites for free and enjoy all their perks to the fullest.
However, it’s necessary not to forget about your safety and you should know that free dating has its pitfalls as well. Read the guide below and find out all the pros and cons of free dating sites and the dangers that might wait for you there.
What is free dating
It is necessary to admit that dating is never free. Even when you meet your crush in the street, café, or club and do not pay anything for that, you still invest finances in the process. You take your girlfriend to the dates, pay the bills, make gifts. You do everything to impress her and all romantic things and actions still need investments.
There are free online dating sites though where you can also meet girls and not pay anything for that. If you are looking for free dating sites where you don’t even need to sign up, you will hardly find them. Most such platforms require you to submit your email or sign up with your Facebook or Google account.
Such a procedure isn’t time-consuming and won’t take much of your time. Free online dating sites are an easy way of finding someone to communicate with, and if you are lucky enough, to have a real date with.
Free dating sites are not fully… free
If we are speaking about various online dating sites, there are some paid ones with quite expensive membership plans and subscriptions and free dating sites. However, those sites you used to consider free don’t provide their dating services free of charge.
It means that even such platforms like Badoo or Mamba where people usually join to get in touch are not free anymore. Yes, you can subscribe, create a profile, and be a member but to use them to the fullest, it’s necessary to purchase a subscription.
Such subscriptions are not expensive and their cost is rather nominal. Almost everyone has tried such a popular dating app as Tinder that is considered to be free. You know that to enjoy all its features to the fullest, you need to buy a membership. It can be a monthly or yearly subscription.
The cost of such dating sites is not very high, so you can always try how they work and whether they are good for you.
The perks of free dating websites
There is nothing to speak about when it comes to free online dating. The price is the biggest benefit of such sites and apps. Their zero or very low cost is very appealing to members from all over the world. People from almost any country can afford such subscriptions.
A very low price is not the only benefit of free dating websites, so let’s try to figure out what advantages you can enjoy when joining them.
They are good if you have no experience in online dating
Let’s be honest —online dating is not for everyone. Some people cannot live without it and look for their crushes only this way while others do not imagine meeting someone on dating sites. You may have no experience in this kind of dating, so free online dating would be a good option to try it out.
After trying, you may consider it to be not your way of dating at all, so why pay for something that might not suit you? Create a profile, see how it works, how people communicate on such sites and decide whether you would like to continue doing it seriously.
No obligations
Free dating sites do not oblige you. You do not pass any verification procedures and thus, do not owe anyone. You don’t have to renew your membership every month like on many dating sites. You don’t bear almost any responsibility for your actions and behavior.
Of course, more or less serious free dating websites may ban you and delete your profile if your behavior is improper and violates their rules. In most cases though, no one controls it.
You can use your social network as a free dating site
People spending a vast amount of time on social media do not imagine their lives without it. If you are one of them, there is good news. Facebook launched a dating platform for its users from certain countries. If you are single and looking for dating, you can join it.
If it’s not available for your country yet, don’t worry because it’s developing very fast and there are no doubts that the platform will cover all of the countries very soon.
Even without that specialized platform, you can meet girls through social media by joining various groups for singles or just exchanging messages with others. Be careful though because cute girls do not like it when unknown guys video call them on social media. If you don’t want to seem arrogant, better ask for her permission first.
Free dating sites’ drawbacks
The perks of free online dating websites are obvious. They are very affordable and sometimes really free. If you are happy with enjoying just basic features, you may not pay anything at all. However, even those websites where you can date for free have their pitfalls and dangers.
To make sure that such services suit you, check out all the downsides of using them, weigh all the pros and cons, and only then make your decision. Dating is not a joke, especially for those who take it seriously, so it is necessary to be aware of everything that might be waiting for you.
Nine of ten profiles are fake
The statistics say that only one of ten profiles on such dating sites and apps like Tinder or Badoo is real. It means that you may spend a lion’s share of time browsing fake profiles. Are you looking to date someone real or just browse ghost profiles?
If your goal is not just killing your time or having fun, you might not be excited about sending messages to people who do not exist or don’t care to answer to you. Browsing fake profiles is even somewhat offensive.
Thus, if you want to communicate and talk in video chats with real people, think twice about whether you need such a free dating site.
Scam
Free online dating sites are not only teeming with fake profiles. Each fake profile may mean there is a scammer behind it. It is much easier for them to do their dirty business on such resources because they don’t have to submit their documents for verification.
No one pays, so no one goes through control and bears responsibility for his or her actions. If you are scammed, you won’t even be able to claim it because the terms and conditions of free dating websites say that they are not responsible for the actions of their members.
To avoid scam on free dating sites, do the following:
- After starting your conversation with a woman, ask her for a video chat. Yes, she may be busy and this is normal but she should find some time soon. After all, isn’t she interested to see if you are real and look like your profile pictures? If she makes excuses all the time, better forget about that person.
- Do not share your personal or contact information too soon. Scammers on free dating sites want to exchange contacts the soonest so their communication with you would not be kept on any sites. Realize that serious girls take care of their safety and they prefer communicating through the site. If someone is asking you for your full name and contact info too soon and even insists, think twice what for.
- Do not send money to anyone. If you met a great girl on a free dating website but haven’t met her in real life yet, don’t hurry to help her financially. Girls are there not for financial help, aren’t they? Even if your new crush tells you hundreds of heartbreaking stories and makes you feel pity for her, don’t lose your common sense and try to meet her in reality first.
No customer support
Customer support is very important for any dating site but when you date for free, don’t expect someone to solve your issues. If you have problems with scammers, no one will hear and help. You will be left face to face with your problems.
Since you don’t pay or pay too little for being a member, you cannot claim anything. Before using any free online dating website, put in a bit of effort to read terms and conditions. If you get into trouble and someone just fools you, you will not blame anyone because it was your choice.
Remember that on free dating sites not only you don’t owe anyone but no one owes you anything. Want to be safe when dating? Be cautious and aware of all the red flags.
