Are paid dating sites a guarantee of safe dating?

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Dating in the modern world is moving into the virtual world. Despite its great popularity, the use of online dating services has its risks, which are often the subject of horror stories. Can paid dating sites save you from the potential dangers of online dating? Find out what to prepare for if you want to try online dating.

A long correspondence or a date like something out of a horror movie

If you are considering online dating, you need to be patient. There are a number of challenges ahead of you that you will face. What are the most common?

A big time investment

Getting acquainted on an online dating site requires a lot of time - you have to register, fill out a profile, choose suitable photos, actively search for profiles of counterparts and respond to messages. Correspondence can be long and boring at times, or it can get lost in the air.

Sexual harassment

Another unpleasant pitfall that most women encounter on a dating site is sexual harassment. This can take various forms - from sending lascivious and vulgar messages with sexual undertones to photos of "male assets" of specific users. Unfortunately, some gentlemen don't turn heads after a few messages, but only on the first date. If the first thing you do on a date at a coffee shop is ask if you're into bondage or group sex, you'll probably be in the clear. These are all real risks that you are likely to face when dating online.

Lying and misrepresenting photos

Lying about age, marital status, number of children or concealing important information are common pitfalls encountered by users of dating sites and are the cause of many disappointments. You may also be disillusioned by the difference between the profile photo and the actual appearance of the person you meet on an arranged date. In the era of simple photo editing and retouching, it is not a problem to lose several tens of kilograms and make your face look many years younger. Then, when you are sitting in a cafe with a person who looks completely different in reality than in the photo and is not attracted to you at all, you can get hot if you don't know how to get out of a bad date as quickly as possible.

The disparity between young men and women

There are fewer women than men on dating sites, so men may be at a bit of a disadvantage if they are looking for a partner under the age of 40. Young women are usually easier to meet in the real world than men.

Fraud and manipulation

The biggest fear of online dating is security. Be careful when dating a stranger whose identity you don't know anything about. At least the first date should take place in a public place, because you never know with whom you have the honor. In the anonymous environment of the Internet, a number of pathological personalities may be hiding, who may not have the best intentions for you. Give yourself enough time to get to know each other better before you invite your counterpart from a dating site to your home. Also, be careful when chatting on the Internet, don't share your personal or payment card or account information with anyone. Dating sites are full of fraudsters who try to lure people out of money. To do this, they use various manipulative techniques, promises of acquaintance or emotional blackmail.

Free vs paid online dating sites

Unlike a free dating site, a paid dating site requires payment of a membership fee. The fee will discourage those who take dating only as a game, which will please all those who are looking for a serious and promising relationship. Users of paid dating sites tend to be more serious and motivated. Sexual harassment is also less common here.

Other benefits usually include profile checking and verification, which will reduce the risk of fake profiles and fraud. Security, privacy and customer support are also usually at a higher level. The best-known and most used paid dating sites in the Czech Republic are eDarling.cz, EliteDate.cz and Be2.cz. Although paid dating sites will reduce some of the risks, you need to be careful.

Beware of the premium trial membership

If you decide to register or join a paid dating site, read the terms and conditions carefully so you don't stumble. There are many Czech and foreign dating sites that take advantage of the lack of information of their customers and rely on the fact that only a few people read the terms and conditions carefully. When registering, these dating sites usually require entering a payment card. If you do not cancel your membership within the contractual period, some dating sites will automatically charge you the membership fee for the next period after the free trial period has expired, even though you no longer plan to use the dating site's services.

The amount can be in the range of several hundreds or thousands of crowns. Therefore, if you enter your payment card information somewhere, find out in advance whether the membership automatically switches to a paid one after the trial version expires. If you miss the membership termination deadline, the membership fee will be automatically charged to your card. You may also be familiar with similar practices from various online streaming services, where automatic membership renewal is also an established practice.

If you decide to use paid online dating sites despite all the risks, be guided by trusted user reviews when choosing. Please read the terms and conditions carefully and do not post sensitive or personal information about yourself, such as your date of birth, employer name or address.

Speed dating as an alternative to online dating

Now you know the risks involved in online dating. However, it would be a shame to give up on getting to know each other completely. Speed dating is a safer and more fun alternative to meet. At dating evenings in Prague, you can personally meet up to 7-11 single counterparts in one evening and save a lot of time that you would have spent on correspondence and arranging dates.

This dating model has many advantages over online dating sites. You will know right away if a spark has jumped between you and if you will find common ground. If the spark doesn't fly, you'll avoid face-to-face rejection or the complexities of how to escape a failed date. If, on the other hand, the spark jumps on both sides, the moderator will exchange your contacts after the end of the evening. The next date will be completely under your control. In addition, speed dating has no hidden fees – you only pay for the date night you booked. Reserve the date of your fateful date.

Autor: Jakub Žwak