I should be embarrassed to have had as long and unsuccessful experience with online dating as I have had, but I’m not, it’s just another channel to meet people and it seems every channel is as mundane as the next right now, or maybe I’m just getting jaded. Anyway, what has this got to do with customer experience?
Well, match.com has been pissing me off for some time, most recently with it’s mandate that you can’t be wearing sunglasses in your “main” picture. This is just an indication of match’s authoritarian view of its customers, you’d better listen “because match knows best”. Lot’s of guidelines, lots of bureaucracy, and everyone’s profile sounds the same as everyone else’s, I mean, who doesn’t like good food and watching movies. Somehow matches control over the “profile” creation process has stunted their customers creativity as opposed to enhanced, encouraged or motivated it.
Enter consumating.com, a dating concept from Austin, and in keeping with Austin’s freewheeling attitudes, you don’t get the feeling that this is a dating site that will try and squeeze you into a palatable shape for the rest of the internet community to consume. One of the interesting aspects of consumating is it is a dating site that asks questions of the community on a regular basis, in some ways, encouraging its customers to contribute to a community blog on different topics, so instead of a stagnant profile to get to know people you get to see their answers to some more interesting questions. For example, the week that the crazy woman escaped to las vegas and faked rape to escape a wedding, consumating.com asked “what would you do to get out of a wedding?” And, yes, people do use swear words on the site, and also give some answers that might lead you to believe that they are sociopaths, but at least it gives these profiles a human voice and a chance to cut through the veneer that most of us have.
And of course note the obligitory Folksonomy, although this is the first folksonomy I’ve seen that contains the term “mexicancandy”
Here are some of the questions they ask:
That’s great. nowadays the most popular Tv show in Turkey is named “Ah Kalbim”. It’s a dating compettion. One person asks questions to the candidate behind the barrier. And candidates reply and their answers show their personality. same concept but cool.
I think match.com is ahead of the others. In my perception match.com has a greater number of features and searching capabilities. Also, now Dr. Phil is getting involved with Match.com, I think match.com would win the online date service poll.
See for yourself: http://todayspolls.googlepages.com/match_dating_poll
Match.com is a scam… I tried it and found no one worth responding to. I tried to cancel my subscription after the first two weeks of seeing what they had to offer - then I got an email that said I had to reactivate my account in order to read it - when I did - unbeknownst to me - it reupped my renewal and I just got a deduction from my checking account for $60. I protested the charge with Match.com and was told “Match.com does not have a refund policy” so in other words, I was tricked into renewing and even though as soon as I noticed it, I cancelled again, they still charged my account 3 months later. THIS IS A TOTAL SCAM - DON’T FALL FOR IT…
A MUST-READ FOR ANYONE SCREWED OVER BY MATCH.COM
I just experienced what many of you have shared: the highly anti-consumer “auto-renewal” feature that supposedly appears in match.com’s contract. Following lollipop’s advice to John, I, too, did the following:
-Called the following number
1.800.926.2824
-Selected 1 for general inquiries, NOT the cancellation prompt, or anything related to complaints
-Got through to Kelly, a rep who politely stated that the auto-renewal policy was part of the contract to which I agreed
-Made Kelly aware that I am a legal assistant for a major local firm and after discussing the “policy” with my lawyer friends, was urged to take legal action over fraud
- She reiterated the agreeed-upon policy but did say that she would speak to her supervisor about my demand for a refund
- I also added that I want something in writing to assure me that I will not be billed in the future after canceling my account
- Kelly returned and said that she would refund my auto-renewal fee in 72 hours but could not provide a written assurance. I could write to the following address and/or email and try there:
match.com
customer care
po 45272
dallas, texas
75225
executiveteam@match.com
So…I’m not in the clear, yet. I will update to let you know if I see the auto-renewal fee refunded on my VISA statement. The point is that if this works, we have more power than we think. We can get our money back by not backing down and do our best to inform others to stay the hell away from this scam.
Perhaps, we can also suggest places for lonely souls to connect online without paying a cent.
(Follow up to previous post) Fought match.com and won.
They refunded the renewal fee the very same day. Dropping the word “fraud” and threatening to expose their anti-consumer practices seemed to work. Using a VERY stern tone and demanding to speak to the supervisor if the rep couldn’t do anything didn’t hurt either.
Remember, no matter what crap they feed you about wanting to provide convenience, putting the customer’s interests first, don’t be fooled into thinking they care in the least. These are manipulative, unfeeling vultures of human desperation. They don’t expect you to stand up to them.
Best of luck to you all.