Too much personal information required by swinger sites?

[JustAskJulie]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I often will sign up for the free membership on new swinger sites just to see what they have to offer, what their membership base is like etc, and also for me I'm looking at each site as one I might potentially promote to you and everyone else who views this site... In the end, that last is the main thing, but overall, my criteria for a site I would promote is that it is a site I would use, a site that doesn't piss me off in the sign-up process, ask me too much personal info before I'm even in the door, and all that while at the same time actually WORKING (I know that's a lot to ask - look who's talking).

For me, I'm not likely to complete a free signup if they require my credit card to finish it, or hell any real personal information - last name, phone number, street address. What do they need all this for? They don't (IMO and it's not a humble one). They just want it for their database, one that in some cases they flat out say they are going to sell or give away to others (make sure you actually read the privacy policies).

So, for you what is too much information? When you are signing up for the free membership on a site, what is the line that you won't cross on info you are GIVING away? What is it about a free signup that will send you packing in a heart beat if you don't like it?

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

(make sure you actually read the privacy policies).

As an example, make sure to watch out for lines like this (taken from the privacy policy of an actual swingers personal site -not one promoted by the Swingers Board (partially due to this fact and partially due to the fact that they just want TOO MUCH INFO from their free members)

Your non-personally identifying demographic information is used .... to deliver targeted advertising and promotional offers to you from external companies that are of the highest relevance to your demographic profile..

[curiousduo30]

Personally, any site that wants credit card info for a free trial, is OUT in our book.
We have also had some that ask for your home telephone and street address!!! I cannot imagine why during a free trial they would EVER need this info, but needless to say, big for us...

[Chicup]

Wow I've never encountered this, and would run VERY quickly from any site like that.

[BradAndJanet]

I agree with everyone else, if they ask for a credit card number, address or other identifying information, I'm not going to sign up.

-B

[Zoe&Wash]

One of the things that endeared us to this board is that SB asks for so little. When it comes to personal data, I don't even give store clerks my home address or telephone number when I'm paying with a credit card at their store.

This conversation always leaves them cold - but the expression on the clerk's face is priceless:

"Sir, Can I have your home address?"

"No."

They *might* need a zip code to verify that my credit card isn't stolen, but they already have my home info. They're just seeking your 'permission' to send you junk mail.

Home Depot and Best Buy (two otherwise phenomenal retailers) are the worst offenders for this.

Not to drive this anymore OT then I already have, I've always been fascinated by the amount of personal information we are willing to give retailers but we'd be shocked if we learned that our respective governments were trying to gather the same data.

W

[good times]

I agree with everyone so far but I have another one that I ran into lately that kind of ticked me off. When we first started I tried out AFF and was really dissappointed at how bogged down we got with endless emails from flakes, married males acting single, and women with porn sights sending us adds to their sight. I also didn't like the methods they used constantly to get you to upgrade your membership.

So what ticked me off lately, and what has that to do with AFF? Well, about a month ago someone recomended I try a new sight called Xmatch, so I signed up and it wasn't long until it started acting familiar in a negative way. Turns out it is just a cover for AFF, your add shows up in AFF searches and it turns out that your AFF loggin works for Xmatch too. So why the deception, and what do they think they will gain by suckering you in if they couldn't get you to pay for AFF in the first place? Do I sound pissed, I am, I hate it when I get suckered in to wasting my time.

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by good times

So what ticked me off lately, and what has that to do with AFF? Well, about a month ago someone recomended I try a new sight called Xmatch, so I signed up and it wasn't long until it started acting familiar in a negative way. Turns out it is just a cover for AFF, your add shows up in AFF searches and it turns out that your AFF loggin works for Xmatch too. So why the deception, and what do they think they will gain by suckering you in if they couldn't get you to pay for AFF in the first place? Do I sound pissed, I am, I hate it when I get suckered in to wasting my time.

There's a good chance that it's not actually AFF doing it but that they are allowing their database to be used by their affiliates. I'm pretty sure they allow affiliates to create all myriads of front end sites - I can't tell you the number of "swinger" sites I've encountered that are nothing more than a front end for AFF. That may be the case there as well. So, while it's partially them for allowing ot happen, it's not really AFF that is decieving you (at least not directly).

[good times]

I am sure that happens Julie, but here is their respective addresses copied off of their contact page, they look the same to me. The only place I could ever find any mention of AFF on the Xmatch sight was on their terms of use or privacy policy (I can't remember which) Where it lists Friendfinder Inc. at the bottom of the page.

FriendFinder Inc.
445 Sherman Ave. Suite C
Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA

Xmatch
c/o TrafficCat, Inc.
445 Sherman Ave. Suite C
Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA

On the up side, I learned a lesson here, from now on I'll check the contact address before I sign up for a sight.

[EmpyreanPleasur]

I refuse to waste my time on a "free" site that wants me to give a credit card number "just in case" I decide to stick around and join. I'm not usually worried about my info getting out there, but I KNOW their tactic is hoping people will forget to UNregister and they get at least a month or two out of them that way.

I'm the type that always forgets!

[StacyCat]

I wont give out my credit card number online unless I am ordering something. If they need it for free? Fuck that, im leaving :-)

[lovedoctor]

I haven't signed up at any other site than here and Swing Lifestyle (you mean there are MORE out there?! LOL) I have looked at a couple but never felt any were as good as here, but in answer to your question, NO I would not sign up for a site that asks for real demographic data or financial information on initial sign in. That is way too invasive for me.

[BorisNatasha]

Any place that wants more 'valid info' than an email address is out, unless we decide to take the plunge and becoming a paying member of course. Our address and phone number don't go out to anyone unless we are ordering something to be shipped to the house.

Boris

[Carol_Danny]

There never is a reason for any website to ask you for an address, a phone number, or a credit card number before you actually join. If you put in your credit card information, you probably will be charged in a few days if you don't "cancel" before your free trial is up.

AFF has developed 100's of front ends to there main website. They also allow affiliates to develop front ends that really just lead to AFF. We have a friend who recently joined AFF for the 4th time! Without realizing it was AFF. You need to keep in mind that companies like AFF are not run by Swingers or by anyone who really knows what people want. They just want your money, and that is obvious by their tiered billing. Stay with the smaller, Swinger run websites, and you will be taken care of properly.

Carol xoxoxo

[EternallySingle]

I used to belong to a site called Club Duet and it asked for very little except an email address. I even managed to get two months free after I let my membership lapse after 18 months. I rarely used it, so I didn't miss it.

Then there was Eroticy, Adult Friendfinder, and Amateur Match. Useless, intrusive, and just to nosy. One woman I know in real life told me Eroticy asked if they could use her profile to solicit new paying members. The way it worked was that anytime a free member paid to answer her profile, she got paid. she didn't have to do anything except keep her profile active. Thing is, a few months after she thought she took her profile down, I received an email from her. I heard of dancers in nearby cities that do the same thing with AFF and Amateur Match.

By the way, I'm not allowed to join Eroticy anymore. I tried, just to see what scam they are running this year, and they won't accept my email address. I guess my last letter to the main office ticked them off and they managed to find all my email addresses, even the one for school. LOL