Gaydar.net Review: Does it live up to its claims?

Pros and cons of Gaydar.net

A brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of Gaydar.net

Introduction

Aimed at the gay and bisexual community, Gaydar.net is a casual dating platform. It promises members a safe and discreet way to chat and meet someone. The landing page states that 25 years of trajectory guarantee its reliability. It offers me the opportunity to register for free, and to send free messages. This is an attractive feature for anyone who is looking for something fast and casual.

To enjoy most of the platform’s perks and to avoid annoying ads, I am encouraged to subscribe to a Premium Service. This will give me a VIP Membership status, which will renew automatically. Although the conditions of this subscription are clearly stated in the Terms and Conditions, the way to cancel this subscription is not so transparent. Therefore, it is advisable to read the Terms and Conditions carefully, before subscribing to this Premium Service, and always proceed with caution.

Usability and design

First impression

My first impression, is that I see an easy-to-navigate, intuitive and responsive website, with no time lag. At the top of the page, two yellow buttons, standing out from the navy-blue background, provide a clear call to action, to register for free. A little further down, I am offered an interesting incentive. I can send messages to other members, free of charge. This is especially noteworthy because, in my experience, there are not many websites that offer this for free.

Navigation

When I started using the platform after my registration, I could see that it offers a simple, intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface. A yellow button, at the top left of the page, stands out against the blue background, and encourages me to upgrade to VIP. Features for users, such as Chat or Favorites, appear at the top of the landing page. The main pages, such as the Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and all their social networks, are clearly indicated at the bottom of the landing page.

One con that should be mentioned, is that from time to time, pop up banners appear, inviting me to upgrade to a VIP membership, which makes the user navigation less comfortable and seamless when browsing the site.

Registration process

The process of registering was quick and straightforward. You are only required to enter a username, which can be your real name or a nickname, your email address, and date of birth. This ensures that all members are over 18 years of age. You are then asked to provide a picture of yourself. You can choose not to do so, although it is encouraged. Furthermore, you are warned that if you do not upload your picture, you may not be visible to other users.

Mobile app

Downloading this app is free, although in-app purchases are possible. The Android app has more than 1 million downloads, and its rating is 2.1 out of 5 stars. The iOS app is now available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac, and its rating is 3.2 out of 5 stars.

Android

There is an app available on the Google Play Store.

iOS

There is an app available on the Apple Store.

General Terms and Conditions

These statements, taken directly from the Terms and Conditions, inform us of the presence of an automatic renewal subscription system. However, the conditions for canceling this automatic subscription are not clearly stated, and are only found in the small print when the subscription is being made. In addition, the Terms and Conditions state that the operator may decline our cancellation request, at their discretion. This would leave users in a vulnerable position.

All of this makes me suspect that this is a system that does not make it easy for users to cancel their subscriptions. It also makes me doubt that it is a legit website, so caution is advised, if you decide to subscribe.

Excerpt from the GTC

Premium services can be purchased on a "Pay Once" basis or "Recurring" (Automatic Renew). Recurring Premium Services renew continuously. You acknowledge and agree that premium services that do automatically renew will continually renew unless you cancel it or We suspend or terminate it in accordance with this agreement. [...] You may cancel Your premium services at any time, subject to the terms of this agreement. In order to cancel, you must follow the instructions given on any of the Gaydar Services. [...] We may grant or deny cancellation requests for individual orders in Our sole and absolute discretion.

Functions and tools

Main functions

After registering, I am shown a page with the rest of the members who are online at this precise moment. The aim is to promote interactions between users. At the top of the screen, I see all the options I have, for interacting with other users. The “favorites” tab, allows me to show my interest in them. Another, more direct way to express my interest, is to send them a wink.

I can also check which members have visited our profile in the “views” tab. The “chat” tab allows me to hold conversations with other members, and we can participate in chat rooms, classified by categories, according to different topics or preferences. I did not see any fake profiles on the platform.

Communication tools

The main means of communication on this platform is through the exchange of messages. I can also use the “favorites” and “winks” features, to show my interest in another user and have them contact me. However, although the main claim of this website is sending messages for free, in my experience, when I tried to read messages sent by another user, I was redirected to another page containing ads. When I came back, the platform suggested that I subscribe to the premium membership service, to avoid this happening.

I did find it possible to participate in chat rooms and have other users contact me, although, again, the site suggested that I subscribe, to know if my message had been read.

Special features

In addition to all of the above, this platform offers a special feature worth mentioning, involving participation in live shows. However, this feature is only available to users with a VIP subscription. As a free user, when I clicked on the tab, I was redirected to pages with more ads.

Security and data protection

Privacy policy

Reviewing the Privacy Policy, it clearly states that it may collect and store information from its users, including their name, email address, mobile device ID number. It also collects preferences, and technical information about the computer or mobile device they are using to access it. Registration implies authorization for this use of personal data, which will be processed in accordance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It also discloses the use of cookies to personalize the members’ experience.

Security measures

The platform vaguely states that they take security measures to safeguard their users’ personal information, although they are not specific. Nevertheless, it is always advisable for users to be careful when providing personal information. The platform also indicates that third parties can access our activity with tracking technologies, to personalize the ads we see on the web. It is important to be aware of this prior to registering, as it may be a cause of concern for some users. There is no information about protection from fake profiles.

Target group analysis and matching quality

Demography

Gaydar.net is a matchmaking platform aimed, as they state on their landing page, at gay and bisexual users, to chat and establish casual connections. So, the target audience is male. However, no age distinctions are made, as it has users of all age ranges. The only requirement in this regard is to be over 18 years old. One of the cons of this system, is that in the member area, users of all ages appear by default. Therefore, if I have a preference, I should refine my search by adding filters.

Matchmaking algorithm

At first glance, I did not observe any matchmaking algorithm. When I registered, the platform did not ask me about my tastes and interests to suggest related profiles. The suggested profiles are those of online members, to encourage the exchange of messages. However, any user can use the search filters to have members suggested to them who match their tastes. If I decide to enable my location, the platform will show me users close to me.

Costs and price-performance ratio

Free vs. paid functions

By registering as a free user, you can view other members’ profiles, add them to favorites, and send them winks, to express your interest. You can also send them messages. However, if you want to know if they have read your messages, you must upgrade to a VIP membership. Furthermore, when accessing my chats to see the messages received, the site redirected me to some ads, and then suggested that I pay the Premium subscription. Getting in contact with other members evidently requires the VIP membership.

Price structure

To unlock all the platform’s features, such as advanced search filters, or seeing which users have favorited me, and to avoid the presence of annoying ads, it is necessary to become a VIP member. This is a recurring subscription, which is automatically renewed after the first payment. There are several membership plans, and some of them offer discounts to encourage their purchase. The following is a list of all of them:

Payment is charged monthly to the credit card provided by the member at the time of the first payment. The payment is made in dollars, and allows me to be VIP member for a certain number of months, depending on the plan I have chosen.

Contact details and customer service

Operator

GDOnline LTD, 21 Meard St., London W1F 0EY, United Kingdom

Mail address

support@gaydar.net

Support

There is a help desk available for customer requests.

Help desk: https://help.gaydar.net/

Conclusion and recommendations

My insider review, evaluating the pros and cons of Gaydar.net, addresses a few points. Its main claim, that distinguishes it from other similar sites, is the ability to send free messages to other users. However, to do this, I am redirected to ads pages. So, the platform suggests that I upgrade to the paid membership to avoid that. Although it allows sending free messages, it definitely does not facilitate doing anything else, for free.

On the other hand, it is worth highlighting the scant information regarding their cancellation policy, and the fact that they can revoke your cancellation request as they see fit. Both seem to me to be clear cons to be taken into account. They indicate that it is not a legit platform. In conclusion, the lack of clarity that the platform shows, when it comes to providing information on key aspects, makes me recommend that you proceed with caution before subscribing.

Social media

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/gaydar

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/gaydarofficial/

X:

www.x.com/gaydar

User experiences and ratings

User feedback

No user feedback appears within the platform.

Reviews on the Internet

Appendix

Sources:

Gaydar.net

Methodology:

This report is based on an analysis of publicly available information on the website of Gaydar.net.