BBB Tip: Choosing a Dating Service

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people decide this is the time to get online and find love. If you plan to try an online dating service, read on!

Do Your Research. Talk to friends, family members, and neighbors for recommendations of reputable dating services in your area. Read Business Profiles on bbb.org and make sure the business you are considering does not have any unanswered/unresolved complaints. Check the company’s website to become familiar with the business. See if the company has a satisfaction guaranteed policy and understand the details of the policy.

Determine What You Are Looking For. Before you start looking for a dating service, it's important to decide what you're looking for in a relationship. Whether you are looking for casual companionship or a relationship that will potentially lead to marriage may affect which dating service you choose. 

Determine Who You Are Looking For. Know what's important to you in a potential match and what qualities you are looking for in a partner. Ask yourself how important it is that a date lives locally. Make a list of priorities to help narrow down your search since dating services are designed to meet specific factors.

Compare Pricing/Services. Decide on a monthly budget you are willing to spend for a dating service. Compare prices and what’s included in the membership to find the best value for your money. Many sites offer a free trial to test out their services before purchasing. Although there are free dating sites, spending a little extra money can be worth the cost for the added benefits of a premium service.

Be Cautious. When meeting a date, be sure to do so in a public place and that someone knows where you are and who you are meeting. Although most people join dating sites with the intention of find a relationship, some are using love to scam other users. Be wary of people who insist on leaving the dating site and using personal email, profess their love immediately, say they live in the U.S. but are currently overseas, or cancel a date because of a traumatic event or bad business deal. Scammers may ask you to wire money for travel, medical emergencies, hotel, and hospital expenses for their family members, visas and other documents, or temporary money setbacks. 

Read more about Romance Scams in BBB's study "How Scammers Use Impersonation, Blackmail, and Trickery to Steal from Unsuspecting Daters."

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Should You Consider A Professional Matchmaking Service?

There are 3 major obstacles when it comes to finding a romantic partner to share your life with.

1. You have to FIND him/her.
2. You have to MEET him/her.
3. You need to determine COMPATIBILITY.

The majority of relationships are entered into based initially upon a foundation of attraction and chemistry.  With the divorce rate being over 67% this is not a successful recipe for long-term bliss.

Matchmakers find you potential mates based upon the important factors of compatibility, shared values and hobbies and physical preferences.

Years of research proves that there are 21 areas of indication that will either make or break a relationship.  They include sociability, sexual attitudes, religious beliefs, spontaneity, dining out frequency, romance, clothing style, and career influences, to name a few.

Professional matchmaking services using this scientific formula also measure your degree of trust, possessiveness, activity level, jealousy, organization, etc.  These areas take 12-24 months to determine on your own.

The reason relationships don’t work out is that ultimately we are not compatible with the people we date.

Determining compatibility first and foremost is a more efficient use of your time, and allows the relationships to be built on a much stronger foundation before adding in the attraction and the chemistry components.

Another bonus of working with a professional matchmaking service is that you are guaranteed to meet X number of people who you are compatible with long-term AND who are looking for the same end result as you.

The hardest thing to determine on your own when dating is what your date’s intent is. Perhaps they want a relationship or perhaps they are just looking for someone fun to “knock boots” with.  With every client belonging to the matchmaking firm that you will meet, you KNOW the timing is right for them to find someone that they can share a loving relationship with. Everyone has invested their hope, heart’s and their money.  This knowledge puts the fun back into dating and enables you to simply relax, allowing yourself to be vulnerable and most importantly to be yourself.

When you join a matchmaking service, you’re not just looking for your special someone; they are also looking for you.

Everyone you meet has invested in meeting you.

Everyone has dating blind spots. Sometimes we continuously choose the same “type” of person who is not necessarily right for us. Other times, we take unconscious actions that sabotage our success in dating. When working with a professional matchmaking service, you are working with an entire team of professionals including marketing (to consistently head hunt for your potential match), matchmakers, relationship experts, dating coaches and image consultants. This team of dedicated entirely to your success!!

The only guarantee in life is you. It’s time to do something about your future relationships. Consider taking the pressure off and hire a professional matchmaking firm. Maybe you’ll find you the partner of your dreams.

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