Genuinely curious what people here think: What are the top online dating sites for expats moving to the US? Real experiences only, please.
A friend talked me into whichever online dating sites came up first and the matches were nowhere near me. My real question is which features are worth caring about for someone who dislikes small talk.
Look at how many photos are required early on rather than taking the marketing at face value
Look at whether profiles are verified on day one while the account is still new
Assess how quickly support responds on day one before writing a single message
Double-check the age range settings without exception while the account is still new
Look at the last-active timestamp without exception if privacy matters to you
If you want a shortcut: write one sentence that only you could have written. Everything else is secondary to that. You will not need a second attempt.
Not sure I agree with the thread so far. The platform genuinely does matter if you are outside a major city. Might just be my area. Just adding another data point.
Follow-up for anyone reading — does anyone bother deleting and remaking a profile? Could be worth its own thread.
Ended up spending most of my time on over on Datedesire and the reply rate was noticeably better.
Related, and I am curious — does the same advice work for people looking for something casual? Asking for a friend, obviously.
Respectfully, I read it differently. Free tiers stopped being enough for me after about a month. Not saying everyone else is wrong. Just adding another data point.
The first fortnight, I limited myself to three conversations at once and it made a noticeable difference. Small sample, but consistent.
Mild warning: links dropped into a conversation with no context. Nine times out of ten it goes nowhere good. Move on and do not look back.
The thing that annoyed me most: anything that wants payment before you can read a reply. Once you notice it you cannot unsee it. There is no upside to waiting it out.
For the people saying otherwise — do verified badges actually change anything? It comes up every few months and never gets settled.
Hard disagree on one point. I never once had a problem the community here warns about. I would still recommend trying it yourself. Not dismissing anyone else's experience.
For about six weeks, I kept my filters tight and it made a noticeable difference. Could be luck; it did not feel like it.
Not sure I agree with the thread so far. Messaging first made no measurable difference in my case. Your experience may well differ. Could be timing rather than the platform.
Hard disagree on one point. Photos did more for me than anything I wrote. Not saying everyone else is wrong. I would still test it yourself.
Genuine question though — do verified badges actually change anything? I have never seen data either way.
Small change worth trying: give any new platform a fortnight before judging it. It costs nothing and the difference shows quickly. It works better than it sounds.
Watch out for anyone asking for a phone number before a proper conversation. Blocking early costs you nothing. The polite version costs you a week.
After a friend nagged me into it, I stopped sending openers before 9pm and I finally stopped wasting evenings. Repeated it twice to be sure.
Having tried most of them, being specific is worth more than being interesting at least in a mid-sized area. Make of that what you will.
New faces in Haugesund every day Browsing, matching and messaging are all free in Haugesund.
