8 Surprising Facts About Plenty of Fish

Here’s 8 surprising facts about PlentyofFish.com, the largest ‘free’ online dating site in the world.

1. Be wary of the forums on Plenty of Fish (POF)

There’s a vocal minority of wounded dating soldiers venting their frustrations. Don’t get caught up in it. Forums are not representative of the main dating population and certainly not the people you are looking to meet. Steer clear of the whingers and whiners.

2. Plenty of Fish is not a free dating site

It offers paid services. It’s free to join, but if you want to get access to better features you’ve got to pay. You can pay to have your profile feature more prominently. “Pay to be serious at Plenty of Fish” costs around $10 per month for a three month package and drops to around $6 a month when you purchase a 12 month package. What do you get for your money? A serious member badge and your profile are highlighted in yellow throughout the search results. You can also pay to see the status of your emails (if they are read, not read, deleted) and purchase digital gifts. Some members have complained of having their messaging restricted and accounts deleted if they don’t upgrade. Upgrading to paid services is pushed hard.

3. Plenty of Fish makes most of its money from selling advertising

The more time you spend on POF, the more ads you’re exposed to, and the more advertising revenue PlentyofFish.com earns. The requirement to do matching and psychology test means POF can deliver more targeted advertising to you. The advertising standards are well below that of Google, Facebook and Yahoo. Some of the ads are distasteful and offensive. Beware of dirty tricks as some advertisers will say or do just about anything to get you to click on the ad.

4. At Plenty of Fish it’s all about quantity not quality

It’s questionable how many quality dating prospects there are on Plenty of Fish. Beware of fake and non-active profiles. It’s so easy to set up a profile anyone can do it, multiple times. There’s no information reported about how old or stale profiles are treated or deleted on PlentyofFish.com. Advertisers set up multiple profiles so they can view what ads are being run. Some people set up multiple profiles to appeal to and deceive different audiences.

5. Plenty of Fish has a reputation as a casual sex site

It’s not the best place to go looking for a long-term relationship. It is a good place to get familiar with how online dating works as many of the features are free.

6. There’s no background checking on Plenty of Fish

That’s your responsibility. There are people registered that are already in serious relationships (cheaters) looking for affairs or a ménage-a-trois.

7. If you’re into instant gratification Plenty of Fish may not be for you.

It takes time and effort to sort the wheat from the chaff. You can find relationship-minded singles but they are in the minority. Be patient and stick to a plan.

8. POF is a Canadian company

Plentyoffish.com is not subject to United States laws about using people’s pictures without permission or consent.

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