HOW TO FIND LOVE IN LOCKDOWN
IT’S ALREADY COMPLICATED enough, but Covid has also made finding love a lot more challenging than it should be for Aussies seeking a partner. Help is at hand, with dating apps and websites charging between $20 and $70 a month to support more singles to find a companion.
Online dating pioneer eharmony reported a 27% increase in messages in April 2020 compared with March when social distancing and stay-at- home restrictions were first put in place. To be fair, the online dating revolution pre-dates the pandemic, and some industry bodies claim 4.5 million Aussies are swiping their way to love. Speed dating perhaps challenged online courting in the early noughties, but now sites such as eharmony have as many as 1.5 million members and counting.
Relationships Australia also contends that virtual dating platforms are preferred for finding a partner than chance meetings through a usually expensive night out at a local club, pub or bar, which are currently off-limits during lockdowns anyway.
Over 1500 apps or websites seek to draw single men and women to their dating services. Here we’ll focus on several popular dating sites such as eharmony, RSVP and Match.com. We will ignore those platforms facilitating casual dalliances, which aren’t exactly Covid-safe in the current environment.
eharmony
It is free to register for the singles service with eharmony, but you will have only a limited ability to send and read personalised messages. If you purchase a premium membership, there is a $59.90 monthly fee for a six-month subscription. This plan lets you view unlimited photos, send unlimited messages, see who has viewed your profile, conduct searches for possible love matches based on specific criteria (such as distance) and communicate with possible perfect matches via video. If you’re prepared to sign up to eharmony for 12 months, you’ll pay $45.90 a month, less a 50% discount for the first month. Extend the subscription to two years and you’ll pay $35.90 a month with a 50% discount for the first month.
Match.com
According to the comparison site Finder, Match. com is a favourite with the over-50s who are seeking companionship. It’s free to sign up and view other singles. As a full member, you can chat with other potential love matches, send and receive messages and see who has viewed your profile – it’s even possible to block other members from viewing your profile. At the time of writing in late August, the most popular standard plan costs $27.50 a month for a six-month subscription. There is also $22.58 a month for a yearly subscription or $36 a month for a three-month plan. If you’re prepared to go month to month, the minimum fee is $52.99.
RSVP
I last reviewed RSVP for Money in 2004, and it still appears to be a favourite with singles seeking a long-term relationship. It uses a system of “stamps” to help initiate contact. One stamp opens 60 days of communication via chat or messaging with any one member. Stamps cost $42 for three, while six cost $63. Or there’s a subscription, which includes a fixed number of stamps (usually four) that never expire, premium privacy where only other RSVP members can interact with you, improved profile visibility and more. RSVP offers a one-month subscription for $56, three months for $45 a month and six months for $30 a month.
Watch for scammers
Finally, a word of caution. In 2021, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that, after investment scams, which accounted for $328 million, romance rip-offs were the next biggest category, costing $131 million. So, the message is clear: when using online dating sites or apps, stay vigilant to give yourself the best chance of finding long-term love, and not wasting your money.