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Dating Website eHarmony's Ad Banned For Claiming Service Is 'Scientifically Proven' (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the not-buying-it dept.

A dating website's claim that it used a "scientifically proven matching system" to pair up those looking for love, has been banned. From a report: An advert for eHarmony on the London Underground in July read: "It's time science had a go at love." The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) called the claim "misleading." The online matchmaker said while it "respectfully disagrees" with the ruling, it will make its advertising "as clear as possible." The website was unable to offer the ASA any evidence that customers had a greater chance of finding love, despite claiming that its "scientifically proven matching system decodes the mystery of compatibility and chemistry." "Imagine being able to stack the odds of finding lasting love entirely in your favour," the advert read.

4 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Dating websites can work. by Major_Disorder · · Score: 3, Informative

    I have never tried eHarmony. But I did meet my girlfriend of the past 6 years on OK cupid.
    I am planning to ask her to marry me in the spring.
    But I would hardly call online dating websites scientific. I would say it comes down more to luck, and both of us being honest with what we wanted.

    --
    First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    1. Re:Dating websites can work. by blind+biker · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well OK then.

      I just want people to realize that for-pay dating sites like eharmony and match.com do NOT work for the users because there is no incentive for these sites to actually find a working match. Their business incentive is all about dragging out the process as long as possible.

      Also, they have an interest in an unsuccessful outcome, even if the user leaves the site. Because successfully married/coupled people are automatically removed from their pool of customers.

      --
      "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  2. Banned from eHarmony by sremick · · Score: 4, Informative

    Eons ago, during a period where I was on the market, I tried making an eHarmony account. They rejected/banned me right off the bat without explaining why. Something about the answers I gave during the lengthy profile creation process caused them to give up on me with no explanation, and no recourse. Just basically, "we can't help you, go away".

    Match.com was useless since both parties had to be paying members in order to send/receive messages. A rather broken and pointless model as it leads to an EXTREMELY limited pool. So I didn't bother.

    OKCupid was and remains free. Met my current partner there and we've been together 5+ years now.

  3. "Proven" is tough to say, but it is scientific by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Apparently many /. readers are unaware of eHarmony's unique scientific background. It is based upon the work of Dr. Neil Clark Warren, who holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Warren studied marriages and realized that there were key elements that produced success (or failure).
      He then backed this knowledge into relationship teachings, and later created eHarmony. See Wikipedia for the details. So yes, his approach is based on actual psychology and research vs. the others, who simply connect people and let them do the work. [Full disclosure: I have no connection to eHarmony and have never used it, I'm just familiar with how it came to be.]