DateTheUK review

www.datetheuk.com

DateTheUK is an online dating site that has been established in the UK for many years. It was recently acquired by Cupid PLC, the firm that owns sites such as SpeedDater Online and BeNaughty. This site claims to have 3 million members so whilst perhaps they don't have the brand recognition of Dating Direct and Match they are still certainly in the big league.

The Good: Feature rich site • Reported 3 million members • Android app

The Bad: Datecast messaging is annoying • Not possible to remove your profile online • No iPhone app

Profile Creation

Date the UK allows for fast registration. After verifying your email address by clicking a link you are very quickly into the dating application. As a free member just seeking to have a poke around there is no need to fill out any of the profile information which speeds up the process.

Members can also record video profiles.

Login via Facebook	Multiple photos	Video profiles
Compatibility testing	Photo via webcam	Sign up ~ 3 mins
Horoscopes	Photo editing

Search Style

Search on the basics of age and location or use an advanced search that takes in to account physical characteristics, smoking/drinking habits and more. It's also easy to search for those 'online now' and members new to the site.

Free to search	Advanced search	Save searches
Find new members	Postcode search	GPS-based search
Search last login	Gender search

Halo Score

We liked the trust features that this site offers including phone support (local rate) and that you can cancell repeat billing online. We did not like that you cannot delete your inactive profile via the site. Presumably this can be done by calling the company but this was not tested in this review. We also found the Datecast messaging an irritating source of spammy messages (see Communications below).

	Show last login		Online profile removal		Cancel subs online
	Show who's online		Block / blacklists		ID checks

Payment & Support

This site offers more payment options than most online dating sites. Credit/debit cards as you would expect plus PayPal and mobile payments (a extra cost). You can also send in a cheque if you don't like the idea of repeat billing or using your card online.

This site offers two types of membership; Standard and Platinum. The only discernable difference is the addition of the “Love Guarantee” for platinum members. Here’s what you get: “Buy our 6 month membership and we'll give you a free Love Guarantee; if you are not in a happy relationship within 6 months we will extend your full membership for another 180 days! If at the end of the year, you still haven't found what you are looking for, we'll simply extend it again, for another 6 months! As simple as that, no hidden deals. Just email us when your membership expires and we'll prolong your membership for another 6 months, free of charge.”

Credit / debit cards	Non-recurring fees	Phone support
Direct debit / SO's	Cancel subs online
PayPal	Mobile payments

Communications Summary

Get in touch by direct messaging or virtually winking at people. As a free member you can send an 'icebreaker' message which is free to do. Of course you need to pay up if you'd like to read the response. They also offer a feature called DateCasts. Datecasts are mass mailings to all the people that meet your search criteria. This reviewer was baffled as to the point of this function other than to generate mass messages.

You can also use the site's instant messaging client and use face to face video chat. There is also an option to send/receive SMS text messages via the site. This feature is a chargeable extra with each message costing about £1.00.

Show who's online	Flirts, kisses, winks	Direct messaging
Show who's looking	Instant messaging	SMS texting
Friends list	Video chat

Mobile Features

DateTheUK offers an Andriod application but currently not an app for the iPhone.

	iPhone app		Android app		GPS-based search
	Blackberry app		Nokia app

Many of the links on our website take you to your destination via a special re-direct. Rest assured this isn't anything weird or scary; it just means by using the link we may get a small commission for referring you. It helps us earn a little for putting this site together and is hugely appreciated. Thank you!

70%
overall review score

How we rated DateTheUK:

Profile creation:	Search style:
Halo score:	Payment/Support:

DateTheUK prices:

1 month subscription: £24.95
3 month subscription: £44.97
6 month subscription: £59.94

network reach...

With three million members across their network you should have plenty of people to choose from.