Are Frumster's Membership Prices Reasonable Or A Rip-Off?

A commentor on the previous post about Frumsters new policy had a bone to pick with their requiring premium upgrades (paid membership) in order to read and reply to emails.

He wrote:

"I respectfully want to take issue with the comments thus far regarding FRUMSTER. When the site was first started, it had many good and decent goals. Since it was sold to a new group about two years ago, FRUMSTER has become more of a dating web site and less of a site with lofty intentions for Jewish singles.

My concern is the marketing ploys they use to make users upgrade to more expensive plans. During Hanukah they allowed Basic members to send mail. If a Premium member responded, the Basic member could not read the mail even if the Premium member had paid for the mail service. Basic members had to purchase a monthly upgrade to read a single response. This happened to me.

Repeated Emails to Frumster did not correct this inadequacy, or result in a change in policy.

A few of my friends have removed themselves from the site entirely for this very reason."

At first I also was pretty upset that a basic member could not read emails. But after a while I realized its ridiculous to be cheap about the ten bucks that membership costs. I buy an occasional meal at a restaurant and don't think twice about spending $20 bucks. I can't spend that much on REAL possibilities of finding a mate?



The fact is that in the last two years Frumster has grown and is producing RESULTS. Their 20,000 member and 550 matches (18 a month!) is very much worth supporting. I know that we are spoiled and got used to having their services for free. But if you want a website that has a staff and can continue to expand, grow, and market themselves, that costs money.



It would be in EVERYONE'S benefit if Frumster is financially successful. I don't think its too much to ask to spend $108 a year for the opportunity to search and correspond with the LARGEST possible Frum dating pool. Heck, give up 5 fast food meals a year and it covers your Frumster membership. Instead of going on a terrible blind date and spending $100 on one wasted night, you can save that cash by corresponding a bit and getting to know your potential date through their profile and email.

Heck, one singles event weekend costs three or four times as much. Compared to most other ways of meeting singles, Frumster is a bargain by comparison.

I will make an even stronger statement. If you don't have $108 dollars a year to spend on the largest dating potential then you are not ready to get married.



Even worse are the straight out thieves who disguise their email address in their profiles. Hello! Have you ever heard of stealing??? Open a Shulchen Auruch, or speak to ANY Rav, it is stealing! In my book that disqualifies someone as a potential match. If you don't like their terms of service and don't want to pay, you don’t have to, but don’t try and sneak in the back door. Nobody is forcing you to be a member.

If Frumster does something really egregious then members should stand up and have their voices heard in protest. If enough members complain they will accommodate the members. They are a business after all and the customer is always right, except when the customer DOES NOT WANT TO PAY. Then they are not really customers, are they? ;-)