Beta BetaThese guidelines have been written to ensure a safe dating experience for you. It is recommended that you read through them once, then read them again whenever you need to check anything, such as arranging a first date.
Note that we do not distinguish between men and women with respect to these guidelines. Although it is generally recognised that women are more likely to get into trouble on dates than men, men and women should both look after their own safety and recognise that they are responsible for it.
We do not check profiles or the backgrounds of members. You may find that some of our users and members misrepresent themselves. Normally this will not be a serious matter, but occasionally you may find somebody using the service who is below the age at which use of this service is allowed. If a person appears young, you should make reasonable efforts to establish their age (photographic identification that includes a date of birth, such as a passport, is probably enough) prior to advancing any relationship to a point where you are having under-age sex, or performing any other activity that has a lower age limit.
Use discretion when deciding which personal details you wish to publish. Unlike most dating services that want initial contact to go through them to make sure that you pay for their service, we provide you with the ability to publish any personal details that you wish to publish so that you can reach as many people as you want. However, some people who contact you may have ulterior motives. With Skype and email, you can usually block any users that you do not wish to hear from, so these are usually safe to publish, but only do so if you are comfortable to do so. We recommend that you do not publish your telephone number, your real name, or your physical address.
Be honest with your profile. If somebody spends a lot of time and effort getting to know you online, then they meet you and find out that you lied to them, they would be upset with you. Your personal safety could potentially be compromised as a result. If you use an old photograph of yourself in your profile that was taken ten years ago, that in itself is misrepresentation in a form, unless you make it clear that the photograph is old.
Tell us about any problems you experience with any member or user of this service, and block them from contacting you. Depending on the nature of the problems you experience with a member or user, we may decide to restrict their membership of the service, and that may improve the safety of this site for other people.
Rely on your gut instinct. This is common sense really, but if you are receiving communications in any form with anybody, the nature of which you are suspicious, it's probably best to discontinue communications with them.
Meet in a public, popular place. It is far less likely that your safety will be compromised if you are somewhere where there are plenty of members of the public around.
Tell a relative or friend about your date. Where it is, when it is, and when you expect to be home. If they are willing, ask them to attend the same venue at the same time, and check that all goes according to plan. They don't have to stare at you all the time to do this! You can pre-arrange "rescue me" or "all ok" signals with them.
Be aware that your safety will be significantly reduced if you travel with your date in their car, or other private transport. It's best not to do this.
If you have a mobile phone, take it with you. You can then contact the the emergency services if necessary. Remember that although it gives you another option, you may find that your area is not covered by the mobile network.
Take a condom with you, whether you're a man or a woman, and even if you don't intend to have sex. It's possible that you will change your mind, and if you have sex, you want to be safe.
Don't leave any drinks unattended. It could be spiked with more alcohol or a drug, and not just by your date. If you inadvertently left your drink unattended, even for a short while, it is safest to stop drinking at that point.
Use common sense! If you're heady with lust or love, it can be difficult to think clearly, but try to think as clearly and objectively as possible. If you are uncomfortable about anything, talk to your date about it if it is something you can talk about, or leave.