Cupid cleared but advised to change

Two weeks ago we wrote an article about the Edinburgh based company Cupid PLC – a company that owns some major dating sites, including cupid.com, loopylove, datingforparents and flirt.com to mention a few.

As some of you might now Cupid has been in hot water due to the fact that they were accused of dubious practices like fake profiles to encourage users to subscribe. Two weeks ago we wrote an article that Cupid had ordered an independent review to look into their sites and we promised we’d let you know as soon as we know what the results were.

It now turns out that after the review by KPMG they have been cleared of the accusation of fake profiles but have been advised to change the way they operate to be more transparent and its’ staff to identify themselves more clearly when in correspondence with the users.

What does this mean? We by no means want to accuse any dating site unfairly but as we recently re-reviewed some of their sites we did in fact experience some dubious practices again. Despite Cupid’s claims that they don’t engage in the practice of trying to encourage unpaid members to sign up by sending them several messages that appear as if they have been sent by ordinary members, we experienced a few cases when we were contacted through emails even before we had finished our profiles and uploaded a photo. It’s hard to believe it was a coincidence as it happened on several occasions on a Cupid-owned site. As regular users of most paid dating sites we can say that it rarely has happened to us on other sites.

But in any case in the interest of objectivity and neutrality we are prepared to give Cupid the benefit of the doubt and take into account what KPMG said in their review – that it’s just Cupid’s staff whose methods are ‘potentially leading to confusion’. If in the future the emails that you get immediately after signing up appear to come from Cupid staff instead of just random fellow users, we will greet this change with open arms. Cupid has also promised to introduce something they have called ‘Dating Advisors’ on their sites who will promote ‘safe dating’. They’re planning to offer the option of „safe mode“ communication to let the users decide who they communicate with.

But for now let us be clear: if you sign up in one of the Cupid-owned websites, do be a little cautious about the emails that you receive and only subscribe to their paid membership if you’re sure that all the interest you get on the site is completely genuine.

About the Author

Aet Suvari has been reviewing and writing about the world of online dating since 2008 and the launch of Online Dating Help. A stickler for promoting ethical practices within the UK dating industry she champions the sites that get it right while highlighting those holding it back. You can follow her on Google+