Online dating is a common practice nowadays. However many people fall victim to unfair practices when looking for love. Some websites, including those based outside of the EU, for example in Switzerland, continue to lure users with trial memberships and promise “verified” profiles. In reality, however, they often just want people to sign up to pay high fees for automatically renewed memberships. Find out how to spot them with this article.

Many dating websites offer the first few days of membership at a discounted price. After this period, however, the contract is automatically renewed, usually for several following months, and a large amount is deducted from the user’s account.

All of this is usually hidden in the terms and conditions, and the true nature of the contract is not clearly communicated to the consumer, as required by the European and Czech consumer rights legislation.

Another usual problem is that without paying, you can’t chat with others, view photos, or reply to messages. Sometimes it turns out that the supposed “interested parties” are actually fake profiles – they may be paid moderators who are supposed to keep users active until the next contract renewal date, and thus keep the users paying.

A Czech consumer paid for a three-day trial membership on a foreign dating site that promised to connect her with “personalities in your area.” After three days, without any notice, she was charged approximately CZK 3,000 for an automatic three-month membership renewal.

Another consumer signed up for a dating site that claimed that all connections were “verified.” However, after paying, he found that most profiles did not respond or communicated robotically. When he tried to cancel his membership, he received an email response stating that he had to send his cancellation by fax—which is an absurd requirement in this day and age.

Some people turn to their bank with a request for a chargeback. Thanks to this tool, their bank figuratively withdraws the money back from the company’s bank if the latter cannot prove that everything was done in compliance with law. The main thing is that consumers are clearly informed when selecting the service and before making their first payment. This is not the case with unfair dating sites.

However, it is important to note that not all dating sites are problematic. There are reputable platforms with clearly stated terms and conditions where people can really date. Many of them have operated for years, have good reviews, and offer free registration with the option to upgrade services after initial trial.

So what is the best thing to do? Carefully consider whether you know exactly what you are committing yourself to. Look for words such as “automatic renewal” or “termination” in the terms and conditions. It is good to know what features you have without paying and what you would get after paying.

Look at the experience of others. Alternatively, in addition to verified servers, consider the possibility of meeting offline—summer is the perfect time for this.

Also, pay attention to the company’s registered office. If it is outside of the EU (for example, in Switzerland), the solution may be more difficult and the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) will not be able to assist you.

The article was published in the dTest magazine 06/2025.