Based in Dallas, TX, Match.com got its start in 1995 and has become a global online dating service that, while free to join, costs plenty if you want to use more than a basic search and nudge. The home page has a modern, clean look, while the website in general is well laid out, with good use of color and layout.

Pros

• Large member base – Match.com claims to have over 15 million members in 37 countries. That’s a lot of people! To put that into perspective, the population of New York City is just over 8,000,000.
• Six month guarantee – Their guarantee is that you will “find someone special in 6 months, or we’ll give you 6 months free”. There are a number of rules and conditions that must be adhered to, but it is good to know that they stand behind their product.
• Easy to sign up – to create an account takes less than 30 seconds. The profile one must create can take a while to fill out though (it took me over 20 minutes) so best to give this some thought prior to completing it.
• Changes to your profile and account settings are easy to do and if you run into problems, the help section is easy to find, well laid out and contains answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Cons

• You HAVE to create a free profile before prices are disclosed. Match.com fees range from $16.99 per month with a minimum six month subscription to $19.99 for a three month subscription and $34.99 per month for a one month subscription. Even using the most cost effective route, that comes to over $200 per year. Ouch.
• Automatic membership renewal. Watch out for this one. If you don’t cancel your account before your membership expires, you membership is automatically renewed and your method of payment charged. There are no prorated refunds, so if you cancel your membership in the middle of a period, they keep the dollars.
• It took a bit of searching to find out how to contact customer service. “Contact us” can be found at the bottom of most pages, buried amongst the links to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and other legal stuff, in text so small it’s easy to overlook.
• If you’re not a paid subscriber, paid subscribers can email, nudge and IM you BUT you can only view who has nudged you. You cannot view or reply to email or IM until you have purchased a subscription.
• Dressed in what looks like a nightie with only the barest hint of breasts, the “Lolita” on the home page is disturbing and distasteful. This photo does not belong on the front page of a dating service that one must be 18 years of age or older to join.

Match.com is well put together with a global presence, but get out your credit card, ‘cause it’ll cost you plenty!