Pricing systems for overseas dating or marriage services

[ukthesis]

As someone fairly experienced in using overseas dating or marriage sites, I would like the opinions of others on the ones that offer better value for money in terms of the pricing systems they use.  So I have come across three types of pricing system. 

First are those that charge a flat fee based on length of membership for their services.  So you join for let's say a month, or 3 months or 6 months.  In this time, you are allowed to contact any of the ladies freely.  There are no restrictions.

By contrast are those like Anastasia.  They impose no charge based on the length of your membershiip.  They insterad charge per message you send.  Each message is vetted in some way so that either party cannot give out their contact details, at least up to a certain point. 

A third variant I've come across is where you are free to write to ladies a short message free of charge but they must not include contact details.  Tau2 is one case.  If you then, after writing a few of these, want to contact the lady directly, you pay a one-off fee of about £20 in UK currency for their email address.

My own experience of the last one is that it is definitely more expensive than the flat rate method based on your length of membership.

What's the thoughts of people as to the pros and cons of these three pricing systems?

[Patagonie]

Why do you do you want to send messages ?

[ML]

Don't deal with any other than the first type noted.

[ukthesis]

So you would recommend that in terms of value for money, generally the system where you pay per month, or 3/6 months is better?  Have you any reason for saying this please?  I am asking because a friend asked me about this, and I just need to have advice to give him.

[Chicagoguy]

Free ones are the cheapest.

[ukthesis]

True, but of those that charge I meant.

[ML]

So you would recommend that in terms of value for money, generally the system where you pay per month, or 3/6 months is better?  Have you any reason for saying this please?

This is no different decision than many other things in life.

Do you want a cable TV contract for month to month, or a 2 year contract.  Same for mobile phones, etc.

Longer contracts usually cheaper.

But, this could be offset by idea that several gals are found in first month, and then you have paid for X more months that you don't need.

The monthly cost plans are a minor part of the cost of doing this, so don't even fuss around with what they cost.  Just pay.

The pay for letter or pay for contact sites, on the other hand, can end up costing a small fortune for corresponding with someone having testicles.

[jone]

There is a bigger concern here:

The subscription type services are somewhat transparent.  There is no motivation to keep you 'online' or paying for letters, or contact info.

Instead, you may communicate immediately with the woman.  As a matter of course, probably one of the only ways that a woman can get money from you on a subscription site is to ask you directly for it or send you to another site that you pay for.

For my money, Elena's Models is clearly the class of online dating sites.  Although others have differing opinions.

The Anastasia Date site (A-Date) is not for the feint of heart.  You pay every time you talk to a woman on chat.  Unless you are sure that the woman is who you are speaking to, you could be talking to Hairy Boris without your knowledge, paying him to stroke your ego.

Guys on this forum have found love through A-Date, but the great majority walk away with empty pockets.

Good luck in your online endeavors.

[Faux Pas]

UK, advise your pal to stay away from the agencies that charge per letter or per contact. I.E ADate, Anastasia, HRB. The free sites require much effort to get through the chafe and he is one of millions. Correspondence with serious women is difficult. I wouldn't recommend those either. Seek out an agency or website with monthly, quarterly bi-annual or annual fees for membership and unfettered access directly with the women. Keep in mind his game still has to be sharp and there are those unscrupulous women/men on every site. If he hasn't the ability to discern good ladies from bad ones, there is no site safe for him

[ukthesis]

Thanks for the advice, guys.  Seems like if I want to keep my costs down, the monthly type payment services are best. I got caught up in the Tau2 type of payment method, where you get messages under 100 characters free but if you want the girl's contact details you have to pay around £20.  This would be okay if you found the girl of your dreams the first time around, but it usually doesn't work out that way.  I paid just over £100 in the end to Tau2.  Compared to the other method, an expensive business.

What are the advantages, if any, of subcribing to these services, those that charge, over the free to use overseas dating ones?