Here comes Datermeister's Elite Singles review for the US version of the site.
So, what's this dating site all about.?
It's difficult to find legit dating sites nowadays, EliteSingles is definitely not one of them. Their goal is to put you on a long-term membership (preferably without you noticing this) and they will automatically renew it in the mid-way of your membership. Beware of this dangerous site and app! Elite Singles has united relationship-minded professionals of all races, ages, and religions. Its members have high standards and expect a high-quality online dating experience. Over 80% of Elite Singles' members have earned at least a bachelor's degree, and over 90% say they're looking for a long-term connection. It is virtually impossible to contact It is virtually impossible to contact by email this German Elite Singles scam. Try as you may, the Help link supposed to give you a way to fill in a form, but there are no links, if there are - they are carefully hidden. EliteSingles.com (previously known as eDarling outside of the United States) has over 30 million users worldwide. It claims to be a serious dating site, one that looks to match professional men and women, many of whom are older, at 30+, and want to enter into long-term relationships that lead to marriage.
Is it only for the bold and the beautiful?
Do you have to own a Lamborghini or a yacht to get in?
How much does EliteSingles cost?
We'll get to those and many other answers in just a moment.
So let's go – here's 9 things you need to know about EliteSingles.com:
1. Is Elite Singles legit? Datermeister's reliability check:
Many people ask Mr Google things such as 'elite singles scam' or 'is elite singles legit?' and we get it:
There's plenty of dodgy dating sites in the world of online dating so you need to be a bit careful.
First, let's have a look at how much this website gets organic traffic:
According to unbiased internet tools, the EliteSingles.com website gets a steady 1+ million visitors per month:
Now that's a lot of professional singles in one place.
It's of course not as popular as the massive mainstream dating sites in the USA such as Match.com and POF.com (which get tens of millions of visitors each month). But Elite Singles is a niche site for 'high achievers' and should not be directly compared with the mainstream sites.
EliteSingles.com is run by a company called Spark Networks Services GmbH which runs dating sites in 20+ countries worldwide. Actually one other popular dating site from these guys is Silver Singles which is popular among 50+ singles. Or another one from the same company is JDate.com which is a popular dating site for Jewish singles.
Short answer: Yes, Elite Singles is legit and it's safe to make payments to (if you eventually buy a paid membership).
2. Elite Singles requirements? Are there any?
Many people are wondering what are the requirements to be 'elite' and to join this site.
Well, the only official requirement to join is a minimum age of 18 years.
There is NO requirement for your income, you don't need to own that yacht, you don't need to have a PhD and so on.
But:
It sure will increase your chances of meeting someone special on this site if you have a higher degree of education and/or you are a career oriented 'high achiever'. Over 80% of the members have a University degree.
3. Who is Elite Singles good for – and to whom not?
In general, Elite Singles is a dating site for: professionals and educated singles who are looking for a serious relationship. Gay, bi or straight – everything goes.
The main idea of the service is that the personality test (which you fill out upon joining) is used to match you with suitable partner candidates.
And how old are the members?
After our intense investigations for this Elite Singles review, we have come to a conclusion that it is especially good for two main age groups:
1. Over 30-year-old educated and/or career oriented men and women who still want to start a family:
Studies show that couples with the same level of education form longer and happier relationships. So it is definitely a good idea to look for singles who have a similar background as you have. EliteSingles has a lot of educated singles over 30:
You will find single parents as well as singles who are still hoping to start their own family.
As you might know, these days singles tend to delay starting a family well into their 30s. And this is especially the case among highly educated people.
So if you're 30+ and still want to get kids, you should definitely check out EliteSingles.com.
2. Over 50-year-old singles
Then there are the singles who are often on their second round of dating:
Many 50+ and 60+ singles have divorced after a long marriage and are now looking for a partner who has similar interests and values as they have. Elite Singles has tons of smart and active 50+ singles so don't hesitate to join if you're in this age group.
Read also: 5 Best Dating Sites for Over 50-year-olds!
And who is it not good for?
We would not recommend Elite Singles for people in their 20s (if you're looking for a partner of your own age). There simply isn't many users in that age group and the overall atmosphere is a bit more mature.
Also if you're only looking for hook ups, you will most likely not succeed on EliteSingles. People here are looking for more meaningful connections. If you're only looking for sex, you'll get frustrated with the long joining process anyway. More about that next:
4. When you join EliteSingles.com, there's a personality test:
When you join the site you fill out a personality test. (just click HERE to open the site in a new window, join and start filling out the test)
It is based on the Big Five Model of Personality traits (Wikipedia) and it will help in matching you with other singles who are (or at least might be) compatible with your personality.
It's an interesting test which might even help you get some new thoughts on what to focus on when looking for a long term relationship and even marriage.
There are also questions referring to the 'elite' status of the site such as your education (and what level of education you expect from a partner):
Is Elite Singles Legit Company
…and your yearly income (and how important your partner's income is to you – in other words, if you want your partner to be a big earner):
But most of the questions are regarding your personality and your values in life.
After you are done with the test, you can straight away fill out your dating profile. It's easy to fill out as you just answer quite specific questions. You won't have to stare at a blank text field and get stuck with not knowing what to write.
5. Main features of the Elite Singles site – this is how it works:
So once you're in, the fun can begin:
EliteSingles is a very straightforward dating site where you can start connecting with other members with the following 2 main features:
1. Matches:
Under the 'Matches' you will see the members who were matched to you. You can browse for these profiles and send them a 'smile' or directly a message. Sending smiles can be a good ice breaker for women but for men, it's better to take initiative and send her a message.
You can't really search for other members from a massive database as you can on mainstream sites. You can only search (filter) among YOUR matches:
Some find this a bad thing but Datermeister thinks it's actually a good thing.
Reason:
We have an abundance of choice in this modern (digital) world, right? We have so much of entertainment, information and dating profiles on Tinder to swipe through that it is never enough. There's a good book on this topic called The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. This abundance of everything is making humans miserable.
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Anyway, the point being:
EliteSingles gives you only a handful of new matches per day which forces you to actually concentrate on the few options you have. If you go to a bar, you don't jump around every 5 seconds to a new person but you take your time to chat at least a few minutes with each person you meet. Quality over quantity.
'Have you met?' feature:
This feature gives you profiles of members which you did not directly match with but might be interesting to you. The site will give you these profiles one by one and you can then either 'like' or 'dislike' the profile. The liked profiles will be added to your Matches. You can then approach them with a message if you wish to do so.
But if you want to see all profile photos and send messages on EliteSingles, you have to pay:
6. Elite Singles prices
How much does Elite Singles cost?
It is a bit more expensive than the average dating site.
But this is quite expectable as the site is targeted for educated professionals who don't hesitate to pay for a premium service.
During the making of our EliteSingles.com review, the prices for the membership were as following:
So from left to right:
- Premium Light (3 month membership): $37.95 per month (Total: $113.85)
- Premium Classic (6 month membership): $21.95 per month (Total: $131.70)
- Premium Comfort (12 month membership): $19.95 per month (Total: $239.40)
Disclaimer: This is not official and up-to-date information. These prices might be different at the time you join the site.
So the best deal is either the 6 or 12 month membership as you will get all features of the site.
Payment methods:
Is Elite Singles Review
- Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club)
- PayPal
Remember: your membership will be continued automatically if you do not cancel it separately. So remember to cancel it when you have found a partner or you don't use it anymore.
But, before you have to pay anything, try it for free:
7. Elite Singles App vs. website
EliteSingles.com was originally founded as a dating site. Therefore it works the best when you just join by browsing to their website (it works smoothly on your computer, tablet and smartphone).
But, of course they have a Elite Singles App these days. It is available for both Apple and Android devices.
However, when reading Elite Singles reviews on the Appstore and Google Play Store, it seems that you will still have a better user experience when using the site through the web browser. This is a common problem with datingsites who have afterwards built an app on top of their website.
You can start with the web version and later on download the app if you want to try it out. Military singles dating site reviews.
8. Elite Singles reviews from around the web (let's go through the negative ones):
We had a peek on some forums and review sites online about what people say about EliteSingles.
Many have found a partner, no question about that.
But let's have a look at the negative reviews because they are what usually interest people.
There's 2 main complaints that seem to be repeating on various review sites:
'There are not enough matches':
This can be a problem in smaller cities as EliteSingles works best in big metropolitan areas such as LA, New York City, Chicago and so on. Another thing to remember is that this is a niche site after all. They don't and they won't have massive amounts of singles as the mainstream sites and apps do. Remember that you only need to meet that 1 person who is Mr or Ms Right for you.
'Wtf! EliteSingles renewed my membership automatically!':
This one has annoyed some people and created some complaints about EliteSingles on the review sites.
As mentioned earlier on this review, EliteSingles renews the membership automatically as is mentioned on their payment page:
Just remember to cancel the membership if you do not wish to continue it.
9. Elite Singles vs. its competitors (eharmony, Match etc.)
Who are Elite Singles' closest rivals in the online dating world?
Many people type in Google 'elite singles vs eharmony' and 'elite singles vs match' so here's our quick overview how these two differ from EliteSingles.com:
- eharmony: this one is quite similar to EliteSingles as they also have a personality test when joining the site. They have more users but they are not as focused on the educated and 'high achieving' singles as Elitesingles is.
- Match.com: a massive mainstream site with millions of users. Match doesn't really focus on any niche but they have people from ALL backgrounds.
If we compare the website traffic of each of these 3 sites, the numbers look like this: (visitors per month):
- EliteSingles 1.2 million
- eHarmony 5 million
- Match.com 30 million
So it depends what you are looking for. For a mainstream site with the most users, you would start with Match. But if you want a premium dating service, EliteSingles.com is your choice.
Conclusion
So if Elite Singles is any good for YOU or not, here's our final recommendation how to proceed:
Option 1:
If you are around 30 or over, highly educated and/or career oriented, AND you're looking for something a bit more serious, it's definitely worth trying. So, join now for free: EliteSinges.com.
Option 2:
If you are younger – in your 20s – and/or looking for one night stands or other less serious adventures, you will have better success on other sites. Go and start on our Top 10 dating sites list to find a site for you.
And if you already have experiences with EliteSingles, please do leave a comment below!
EliteSingles.com claims to help successful professionals find love online. It provides its users with matches based on a sophisticated personality test, and makes sure to not waste any of their time. Because it's designed specifically for busy professionals, this website spares them the effort of browsing profiles for potential partners. It delivers appropriate matches on a daily basis, keeping the process as easy as possible. But as it turns out, this involves sacrificing functions that are common to most dating websites. And given that EliteSingles.com is only accessible as a subscription-based service, this is a problem.
Jump to:
- 1 What is EliteSingles.com?
- 1.1 How does EliteSingles.com work?
This dating website is owned by a company based in Delaware, which itself is a subsidiary of Affinitas GmbH, a German company. This is because EliteSingles.com is only one of 25 websites that provide the same service in various area of the world. All of them have the same format and are owned by the same mother company, and this one in particular caters to US singles. And users from different areas are kept separated for a good reason. Location is one of the most important criteria in the matchmaking process. EliteSingles wants to make sure that each match has the potential to become a successful relationship.
Is Elite Singles Legitimate
Most users are between 30 and 55 years old. It's difficult to say how many users EliteSingle.com has currently, but it's claimed that around 18,000 new members join each week. It's also claimed that close to 60% of the total number of members are female. Also, surprisingly, it seems that 67% of the members are university graduates. Of course, this percentage of graduates would be considered high on any other website.
But EliteSingles.com is supposed to be destined for this particular group of singles. We were expecting for higher education to a prerequisite, but that's not the case at all. In fact, we've come to find that education holds absolutely no importance when joining EliteSingles.com. Still, the website has a very simple solution for attracting mostly successful individuals: high subscription fees. Not everyone can afford to join EliteSingles, but it's claimed that the members get what they pay for.
Apparently EliteSingles verifies the identity of each member, making sure that all profiles are real. On top of that, the website removes the members that are no longer active. Which means that the number of successful contacts (messages, emails, likes) should be very high. Also, the matches are made based on a very comprehensive personality test that all members must complete. The method is claimed to be so successful that it leads to 2,500 new couples each month. Of course, this number is the sum of all EliteSingles successful pairings, on all 25 websites, but it's still impressive.
How does EliteSingles.com work?
EliteSingles delivers each of its users between 3 and 7 potential matches each day. When the user is interested in one of the profiles, they can contact the person by sending them a message or a 'smile'. And the website recommends members to compose each message carefully. Contacting as many members as possible won't lead to successful interactions.
Also, conversations must be kept as respectful as possible. In fact, many forms of interaction that are considered normal on other websites are prohibited on EliteSingles. The code of conduct available on the website gives many important details that all users should keep in mind. And we appreciate that the company is trying to keep all its clients safe and comfortable. Members are encouraged to report inappropriate or offensive behavior.
Those that are proven to have breached the code of conduct are suspended or banned from the website. And the same penalties apply for the members who report other users for no good reason.
The daily matches are based on the answers to the personality test and the personal preferences of the user. But unfortunately users can only set their preferences for age, distance and interest in having children. And when it comes to distance, users can't choose to only receive matches with people located in a less than 50 mile radius. This is the shortest distance available for setting, and many members are very unhappy about the feature. And rightfully so, because someone who lives in a smaller city won't find it easy to date outside the area.
To get started, the visitor must first create an account. This only implies entering their email address and their preference regarding the gender of the people they would like to meet. None of the features of the website are available without an account, so users have to make this effort for the smallest amount of information about the profiles. This is bothering because people have to join without having an idea about what's waiting for them.
The profiles are not available for viewing when browsing the website as a visitor. And this doesn't only mean that visitors can't open the profiles or view pictures, like it's the case for other websites. No, when it comes to EliteSingles.com, viewers can't even browse them based on area or age. No information about the profiles is available without a profile, but as we'll see later, this is the least of this website's problems.
After creating the account, the new member is redirected to the personality test. This test is developed based on the 5 Factor Model Theory. According to this theory, personality can be analyzed based on the levels of extroversion-introversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness of the subject. The test should reveal 29 distinct personality traits, which are used to find the best matches for the user.
But while the website states that the test can be completed in 20 minutes, members will have to reserve at least 1 hour for the task. It's composed of 200 multiple choice questions, many of them including a high number of questions themselves. Thankfully they're split into categories which users can complete and save, leaving the rest to be completed on other visits.
But members who want to start their activity on the website as soon as possible will have no other choice than complete the test in one sitting. Because without it, none of the features are available. The members can only receive matches and view profiles if the test is completed. After this step they'll also be able to set their preferences and upload pictures on their profiles, but unfortunately this won't help much. Because while they'll start receiving matches, they won't be able to contact the people that they're interested in. The free membership doesn't have this feature, and it also doesn't allow users to see all the pictures of the profiles that they're receiving. At this point they'll have to choose one of the paid subscriptions, and they might be very surprised by their options.
The subscription options
Free members can choose between the Premium and Premium Plus memberships. Premium comes with access to all the pictures in the matching profiles and unlimited messages (and smiles or likes). It also gives access to the website through the mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android. This seems rather unusual given that apparently anyone can download the app and create a profile for free. But what it probably means is that all the features that were denied for the free membership will become available through the app also.
The Premium Plus option on the other hand comes with a feature that allows subscribers to receive confirmation for read messages. Also, members who choose it will receive more matches and a more detailed personality profile. Both subscriptions are available in 4 options, covering 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.
The shortest Premium subscription (1 month) is available for around $100, while the one year option will reduce the monthly price to around $30. The Premium Plus subscription starts at around $120 for one month of service, with the longest option decreasing the monthly price to about $40. Obviously, these fees are extremely high for a dating service, but that wouldn't be a problem if the users were aware of them right from the start.
We don't know if this is the case for many of the websites in the EliteSingles network, but the US version doesn't give any information on the prices of subscriptions. At least not before the user has completed the personality test. A detailed description of the each of the subscriptions should be available right upon entering the website, but they're barely mentioned.
EliteSingles lets the visitors know that the full features of the website are only available through paid-for subscriptions, but that's pretty much it. And considering how long it takes to finish the test, the situation is very bothering. We're sure that many wouldn't even start it if they were aware of the fees.
And reading the terms section of the website won't help either, because the prices aren't even available there. It doesn't matter how carefully the visitor digs for information, they'll absolutely have to complete the test just to see their options. But the terms section does offer some useful information. For example, here is mentioned that the subscriptions renew automatically. This is another detail that is not mentioned anywhere and it manages to take members by surprise. Still, it's not as surprising as discovering that they have no way of unsubscribing directly from their profiles.
Again, this is not mentioned anywhere except for the terms section, which lets us know that cancellation is only possible by contacting the company directly. It has to be a written notice (email, fax, letter), and it has to be done with at least 24 hours before the subscription renews. Otherwise the member will still be charged for the next period, and refunds are at the discretion at the company. Which means that clients are not likely to get their money back.
Another interesting mention in the terms section is the Contact Guarantee. It's price is not mentioned, of course. But it guarantees that if the member doesn't have a number of successful contacts (which varies depending on the length of the subscription) they won't be charged when the membership renews automatically. The next subscription will be available for free, but certain conditions must be met for the policy to apply. For example, the member must have attempted contact for a number of times with no success.
What are the pros?
The best thing about EliteSingles.com is that it allows members to discover possible matches with no effort whatsoever. They don't have to browse dozens of profiles to find someone interesting, but only to open the messages from the website. Also, users doesn't complain about fake profiles or fraud attempts, so the website is most likely very safe. This is remarkable given how common are these issues on other dating websites.
And still, EliteSingles gives its members advice on how to protect themselves from dishonest users, so the company is going to great lengths to assure safety. Also, the website offers a lot of information on dating in general, so members can read interesting articles when they're not visiting their matches.
What are the cons?
First, the prices seem to be set too high for what the website has to offer. Sure, safety deserves a good price, but that doesn't change the fact that members can only see a few profiles a day. We mentioned that the free members can't browse profiles, but in fact this is not even possible with the paid memberships.
The users are limited to the matches they receive, which seems almost unbelievable. Even free websites allow users to browse profiles, so there's no acceptable explanation for this severe limitation. Also, many paying members complain about receiving matches with free members. Which is a problem because free members can't send or answer messages.
Sure, the free membership does include a number of messages, but they're just too few and cause the paying members to become frustrated. A simple solution would be to separate the free and paying members, but chances are this won't happen too soon.
But the complaints don't stop here. EliteSingles has mostly negative reviews, and for many different reasons. First, some claim that contacting other users is very difficult. It seems that many users don't answer messages, which has lead some members to believe that a number of the profiles are fake. Others complain about not receiving views even though their profiles are complete, and others claim that they don't receive enough matches.
Which leads us to the one of the most common reason of dissatisfaction, the matches themselves. Many members claim that the matches simply don't correspond to their preferences, especially when it comes to age and distance. Apparently users can be matched with people located hundreds of miles away even if they've only set a radius of 50 miles. Which of course, is in itself a common reason for complaint. 50 miles is too much anyway for most people, never mind 300. And it seems that the company doesn't help much when members complain about their preferences not being followed. Many clients are unhappy with customer service, and not for these issues alone.
Because by far the most common reason for complaint is the automatic renewal of the subscriptions. First, many members are not even aware that this is how their work, and are very surprised to discover that they're been charged again. And as expected, given that the company must be contacted directly, the subscriptions are extremely difficult to cancel. And this is not mentioned on the order page.
Many clients keep searching for the feature that allows them to unsubscribe from their profiles only to be charged again, and this causes serious problems. The fees are just too high for this kind of system to be acceptable. And of course, the company doesn't offer refunds too often, so many clients lose hundreds of dollars without a chance of getting them back. Also, it seems that some of the cancellation attempts just don't work. The company either doesn't receive the emails or just doesn't acknowledge them, so some users end up keep paying against their will.
Of course, it's hard to say exactly how common are all these problems since we don't know the total number of members. They could be millions, which would mean that a very small percentage have to deal with these issues. But since the reviews are overwhelmingly negative, we can't possibly recommend this website. It might have helped many couples to come together, but it seems like it can generate more problems than solutions.
Bottom line
EliteSingles.com seems to be a safe dating website, but it offers too little for what it charges. On top of that, according to the user reviews, the customer service is almost nonexistent. Until these problems are solved, we would recommend those interested in finding love online to research other options.
