Dear friends,
I often get emails from my readers who ask me what they should choose: an online dating site or matchmaking agency? Which service is more reliable and effective? Which service costs less? Which service protects the customer better from possible scam?
It is said that online dating services as well as matchmaking agencies both can be an effective way to find woman abroad. And Western men choose to go to either a dating service or a matchmaking service to fulfill their needs.
What this difference? Let me explain you.
The Ukrainian & Russian dating service world
This is when you get to decide. You got to an office. You turn in you photo. People basically get picked by the way they look. There are a lot of hot Russian and Ukrainian women in an International dating service.
Usually, these beautiful super models are the ones to get picked first. A dating service is usually not picking people based on commonalities, hobbies, common future goals and interests. Most people are chosen based on how they look. If you are a good-looking man (or you have upload good-looking pictures on your dating profile), you are guaranteed a chance to be picked by a woman from Ukraine or Russia.
But remember: Just focusing on the appearance is a recipe for failure
You can select between paid online dating and free online dating sites.
Here is a list of the most popular paid online dating sites:
- AnastasiaDate.com
- ElenasModels.com
- LoveMe.com
- RussianCupid.com
- NatashaClub.com
- CharmDate.com
Here we go with free online dating services which suppose to help you to find a Russian or Ukrainian woman for life:
- Free Russian Personals (freepersonals.ru)
- Fdating.com
- Mambra.ru
Looking for a legit dating site? Check my reviews here:
A Ukrainian & Russian matchmaking service
The matchmaking service us somewhat better for those who are looking for a more personal dating and marriage service. Talks to one of the professional staff members. The person speaks about what he/she likes and dislikes. Commonalities are looked over. More factors are considered with this.
Then the person is matched up with who the service feels is their right match. Everything is considered here, more than just the looks. You will only be linked with those whom the service feels is right for you (we are talking about a screening and qualifying matchmaking process for emotional availability and relationship/marriage goals).
Every Russian and Ukrainian woman who wants to join a matchmaking agency has to provide her personal identification to verify her identity, residence, family status and age.
What's the cost for trying any of these services?
The main matchmaking fee is about $5,000, though some have paid in excess of $10,000. Yes, the industry is expensive. But I am not talking just about Russian and Ukrainian matchmaking industry. If you do research on matchmaking services charges globally, you will find the following information (some interesting stats and facts):
- $500.00 from a personal Matchmaker in a small local US town matching friends and family
- $50.000 for companies such as Valenti, Model Quality or Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger
- Cox of the Better Business Bureau noted that the average cost per person to use a matchmaking service is $5,000
- A personal dating service in London can cost between £10000 and £50000
- Kelleher International (kelleher-international.com): the service starts at $15,000 per year of unlimited matches in one city. For upwards of $150,000 a year, you can join the CEO club and upgrade to an international search and personal matchmaking consultations with Jill and Amber Kelleher-Andrews, the founders of Kelleher International, themselves.
- Selective Search (selectivesearch.com): a membership starts at $25,000, and increases depending on the client’s custom preferences and criteria
- Linx Dating (linxdating.com): $2,500 for the basic “referral” membership, $50,000 for the VIP service.
Ukrainian matchmaking agencies are not as expensive as the US and UK premium matchmaking and introduction agencies for high-power executives. But still, you cannot hope to pay 500USD and expect in return premium matchmaking and dating services in Ukraine and Russia. According to my research, an average personal introduction service cost about 2000 USD.
So if you decide to go matchmaking service, you should be prepared for this price. Talking about a legal side. Matchmakers and dating services aren’t regulated, so they can offer their services and prices according to their business model. You should understand that these dating and matchmaking companies can charge in many different ways. You should always ask for references and also find out what the cancellation policy is, in case you end up not being satisfied with what you get in the end.
What about the cost of online dating sites?
Online dating services seem to be cheaper than matchmaking. You are technically supposed to be paying $20-50 a month for some of these dating services/sites. In this case we are talking about broad online dating services like Match.com and eHarmony.com (the screen shot below presents the UK prices in gbp):
The majority of Russian and Ukrainian online dating services build their price system based on credits. The male customers use credits for sending and reading letters from women. Here are some examples of prices and credits:
Anastasia Date credit & price system:
- 1000 credits = $399.00
- 500 credits = $249.00
- 320 credits = $185.00
- 160 credits = $96.00
- 80 credits = $56.00
- 40 credits = $30
- 20 credits = $15.99
UAdreams.com E-Mail credits:
CharmDate.com Membership Prices & Credits:
These prices are more on the lower end of the scale. Some services will renew your contract without even telling you about it.
but are they cheap in reality? Educate yourself!
These services can be effective if you know how to date online and avoid scam. But also consider that over time you could be paying hundreds, even thousands of dollars for an online dating service, and you might not even find the partner of your dreams in the end. So in this case, online dating services are not cheap anymore.
Conclusion
While no one can tell you which choice to make, it’s best to weight the pros and cons before making it. You have to decide which service would work for you.
A dating service or a matchmaking service is just like anything else. There are good things and bad things attached to it. It’s best to know what you want and need, then pick the choice that fits your needs.
One final thing to add. Nothing in this life is guaranteed. Yes, many have found their life partners through online dating and matchmaking services like these. However, this is not a guarantee for everyone. Not knowing this going in is one of the greatest costs to you and your bank account. Choice with an open heart and a clear mind.
Meet Krystyna, an esteemed international dating expert, blogger, and the founder of Ukrainian Dating Blog. With over 1000 articles published in English and German, she specializes in cross-cultural relationships, prevalent dating topics, and tackling romance scams.
