The tail end of a Tivo-skipped commercial informed me that Match.com is now guaranteeing you’ll meet someone special in 6 months, or they’ll give you another six months free. Though I’ve pretty much given up on Internet dating at this point, I was curious enough to check out the fine print.
It’s actually pretty reasonable: write a profile, post a picture, and email or respond to 5 people a month. The only tricky part is the time frames you have to get setup and then to claim the guarantee: 7 days on either end.
From a business point of view, it’s a good move to shed the perception that they could care less if you meet anyone as long as you keep shelling out $20+ a month. Statistically, I bet few people can stomach more than a few months of Internet dating (myself included), or remember to come back during that one week to claim the guarantee, so the real cost of the promotion is pretty low.
The one upside to the offer is to encourage people to be more active participants, which some other niche sites have explored by letting you rate others based on responsiveness and even actual dates.
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