HotmailLose heart, not money, with dating services
Latest money video |
 Is Black Friday the best day for deals? Nov. 27: TODAY’s consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman reveals what items you should make sure to grab today and what you should hold off on. |
 | Video |
 | Romances blossoming in recession July 15: With more people out of jobs in these tough economic times, some are using their extra free time to look for love. TODAY’s Amy Robach reports. Today show |
6. Understand what is meant by a free trial. The words “free trial” may sound straightforward enough, but in the world of online dating they might be anything but. Since a trial period can mean so many different things on different sites, take the time to read the fine print about this — and if the fine print is hard to find, call the customer service number and ask for specifics. Many consumers complained to the BBB about signing up for a free trial but getting funneled into a paid subscription instead. That’s all the more reason to avoid entering your credit-card information until you know exactly when you’ll start being charged.
7. Protect your personal e-mail address. For safety and privacy reasons, avoid sharing your personal e-mail address with anyone you meet over the Internet. Ideally the online dating service you use will offer on-site messaging and e-mail services. If that’s not the case, you can take a moment to create a separate — and free — e-mail address through Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo! and then use that address to manage your online dating life.
8. Never cave in when confronted with high-pressure sales tactics. Whether you’re dealing with a salesperson face-to-face at a matchmaking company or visiting a slew of online dating sites, don’t sign up for anything too quickly. Read contracts over with care in the privacy of your own home before you agree to spend a dime. With matchmaking services, don’t be afraid to change terms in the contract that make you uncomfortable or to haggle over price. If you encounter high-pressure tactics or pie-in-the-sky promises, walk away.
9. Think about your safety. Reflect on ways to stay safe with the people you meet — and with people you never meet. For example, your online dating profile may remain posted on a Web site for quite a while after your membership has ended. All sorts of people could continue reading up about you and contacting you at that point. If you don’t want this to happen, keep pestering the service until your profile is removed. As far as dating safety is concerned, find out exactly what the service does to screen for criminals and married people. This information may not be as easy to get as you might think.
Other safety tips:
- Avoid sharing your personal information, such as your last name, home phone number and address, too quickly with anyone you date.
- Always meet in a public place for your first date.
- Be sure to let a close friend know where you’ll be and who you’ll be meeting.
10. Think about your privacy. Tip No. 4 mentioned the importance of reading a company’s privacy policy. Here’s a little bit more food for thought in that vein: Even if a company says it won’t sell your personal information to anyone, it still may share your information with its “cobranded companies,” partners and advertisers. Clarify whether or not that’s the case. If it is, and if you don’t feel comfortable with that approach, don’t sign up.
Sources:
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM 10 TIPS |
 10 Tips Section Front |
| Add 10 Tips headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide