Report: Online Dating's Bad for the Wallet

February 4, 2008 RSS Feed Print
  • Comment (2)

Not only do you have to worry about your heart while making dates online, but now your wallet is at risk, too. The Better Business Bureau reports today that complaints about online dating services are on the rise.

The most common gripe? Poor matches. Consumers said they were set up with people who did not meet their criteria, including some who were already married or who smoked despite their request for a nonsmoker.

And the bad dates came at a hefty price, with many services costing upwards of $50 a month.

To protect your money (and heart), the BBB recommends that you be skeptical of advertising for online dating, do a Web search before signing up to see if others have complained about the company, and stand strong against high-pressure sales tactics and automatic contract renewals. (And remember, you can always dispute unfair charges with your credit card company.)

• You can learn about the benefits of living in a small house and creating an emergency fund, among other financial tips, at this week's Carnival of Personal Finance.

Tags:
internet,
personal finance

Reader Comments Read all comments (2)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Following your line of reasoning, so is marriage.

Barry of CA 11:22PM May 15, 2009

Its prostitution, the service being the pimp, madam.

Its all about sex.FOR MONEY

Rev PM overby of MN 6:45PM February 04, 2008

Alpha Consumer

Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about making smarter financial decisions. She’s the author of Generation Earn: The Young Professional's Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back.

advertisement

Latest Video

advertisement