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An alluring blonde in her late twenties or early thirties, who might be airbrushed to look like she’s in her twenties, is on the chemistry.com opening screen, with a comic book style conversation bubble next to her head, saying, “The Personality Test Was So Accurate I Think They Cheated.” If we remember that little on major sites is accidental, then the site was successful at dropping the hint that: 1. You can find a certifiable great match for yourself with a ‘scientific’ Personality Test. 2. You can ‘cheat’ on their site if you want to.
Every site knows that both demographics of users exist and plenty in between. According to Chemistry.com, they want you to, “not only want to go on dates” but go on great dates. They then suggest their matching process will eliminate awkward silences and the regret of a bad match. The name speaks to chemistry, which is a universally sought after connection. The rest speaks to fun dating, which is also a generally wanted activity. From the start Chemistry.com seems geared toward women who want happy times with the possibility of a LTR and the men who might want to meet them, at least for awhile… Moreover, Chemistry.com seems aimed at a little more F-U-N than a dating site like eHarmony might.
Just like the birds and bees and the flowers and the trees, chemistry in actuality is that spark that gives you a tingle… maybe in your stomach, maybe somewhere else. Chemistry excites and draws people together. Chemistry the website is a little different. Here is how it works: You take a personality test, developed by Dr. Helen Fisher. You may not know who Dr. Fisher is and that’s okay, most people signing up don’t know either. All that matters is she has the name Dr. attached and that makes users think something is endorsed, going to work, and worth spending money on.
After that you’re matched with the users they hope you’ll be attracted to. From there they’ll send you matches. Nothing out of the ordinary occurs other than saying they’ll evaluate your interests and keep track of your activity plan, to make sure you stick around for awhile.
If you do happen to get interested in who Dr. Helen Fisher is, the site gives you a picture and not much else. It does try and give a crumb to the relationship minded, by saying the following, “In the beginning of a relationship, you know almost nothing about each other. Which means, you tend to overweigh the few morsels of information you receive. As a result, the getting to know you process is full of breaking points. These little moments take on heavy (and unrealistic) meanings that can send you flying out the door – sometimes too quickly.” The people who have had failed relationships then hope Chemistry.com will be different.
Not wanting to scare off those wanting the site for more casual activities, the blonde, elderly Dr. Fisher reassures that her motto is, “We’re here. We’re alive. Let’s play.”
To retain the ‘want to play’ users the personality test is peppered with somewhat silly or fun, non-linear questions. In an effort to tap into a mildly different market than eHarmony, the Chemistry website gives you a little more control over finding non-matches, in addition to matches. It helps to take time and ‘rate’ users you like the look of, which is easy as you can see their photos even without being a paid user. If you decide to be a member, take advantage of their free trial first and keep your eyes peeled for Catfish.
While the site aims to be F-U-N, I’m not sure they anticipated it would be good for Catfish or Catfish catchers! The Consumer Affairs link (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/dating_services/chemistry.html) is full of users who were Catfished and are pretty upset about it. Foreign scammers seem to be the most frequent. One user, for what its worth, even goes as far as to say that 12 of the 14 matches they received seem to be Spammers. It’s difficult to find any dating site that is Spammer and Scammer free, but Chemistry users seem especially bitter. Some report getting the same message from different users, thus exposing it as a fake. Scarier are the users who wired foreign scammers money. If anyone, ANYONE, even the attractive and kind guy (or girl) on the site tells you they are going on a long trip and need ANYTHING (even a ride to the airport) be immediately cautious. The more desperate or needy a Spammer sounds, the more they tend to tug at the goodness and heartstrings of their next victim.
Use sites like this with a pinch of salt. If someone proves real and the chemistry in person is there, go for it- either on a hot date or to the eventual alter. However, if there is any request for cash you are 99.9% likely to have been (or about to be) scammed. If the Catfish is more of a relationship oriented Scammer, that can hurt on an emotional level, but take solace in our website and Consumer Affairs. It can happen to anyone. Even smart, well intended, educated, street smart people have been victimized by Catfish online. Some steal personal information, others money, others hearts.
Search reverse images for similarities to see if the photos have been taken from a real person and used as a scam!
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