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The Bottom Line
eHarmony prides itself in having made more marriages
than any other dating site, and it's easy to see why. This is a service
that really stands out from the crowd, the quality is evident throughout.
In every respect, eHarmony goes further than every other site we've seen,
from it's exceptionally comprehensive profiles through to it's
(optionally) guided communication to help you break the ice and get the
ball rolling with potential matches. The site is a little more expensive
than some others, but in proportion to how much more of a service you get,
it's very much a bargain we think. If you are looking for a serious
relationship then this is the place where you are most likely to succeed,
and that's got to be worth a few extra dollars. Nearest rival -
Great Expectations.
Membership
Total numbers are undisclosed, but certainly member numbers
are in the hundreds of thousands.
Profile Detail
eHarmony was founded by a Doctor and well known
relationship expert. His extensive research into what makes marriages
succeed or fail, has produced the most comprehensive profile we have ever
seen - there are over five hundred questions to be answered! Hard work?
Yes. Likely to increase your chances of finding the right person? Most
definitely. In fact it doesn't take as long as you may think, and is quite
an enjoyable and even enlightening experience. The questions are very much
aimed at finding out about who you really are, and are not just the
standard "height, shape, hair colour" genre found elsewhere. As a bonus,
when you've completed the questionnaire, you are given a detailed
personality profile which shows how others see you, and highlights your
relationship strengths and weaknesses, just one example of how this site
goes the extra mile. If our experience was anything to go by, the profile
is uncannily accurate - so much so that we would suggest everyone fill out
the questionnaire, regardless of their ultimate intentions - it's a real
eye opener.
Searching
Like
everything else on this site, the searching is a bit different. With such
a detailed profile in place, the eHarmony system works through and finds
matches that are very compatible with you. This means eliminating more
than 99% of other members. Whilst that might mean it takes a little longer
to find the right person, the chances of them being the right person are
much higher. Once you've got a match, you can communicate anonymously, and
optionally use the eHarmony "guided communication" system which involves
the use of standard and multiple choice questions as ice-breakers. You can
also choose to make your personality profile (as generated by the
questionnaire) available to individual members, which means they get to
see an independent view of you - neat.Coverage : The whole world is
covered. With such detailed profiling, it's difficult to accurately gauge
the geographical spread of the membership. If you are outside the USA and
are concerned about the number of members in your country, you may want to
consider contacting eHarmony and asking them before subscribing. There is
no risk in setting up a profile though, that's always free (covered
shortly).
Safety
With such comprehensive screening through profiles, and experts
on hand the whole time, safety is not likely to be an issue. When you want
to communicate with another member, everything remains anonymous until you
decide to take things further.
How much can be done for free
Everything is free until you want to start
communicating with potential matches. Membership rates are available for
1, 3, 6, and 12 months at a time, with discounts for the longer periods.
There is also a 7 day risk free trial period available.
Site speed and ease of navigation
As we would expect from a quality
service of this nature, the site is clearly and logically laid out and
quick to navigate
Click here to visit eHarmony |
