[Ed's note: This article is outdated. Be sure to read this post, too.]
Right now there is only one place on the Internet to get news on changes on the eHarmony communication process, policies and systems, the site you’re reading now. The company itself has no one place for announcing site changes.
Here is one such change, announced in passing in the eHarmony Advice discussion boards on 27 December 2008. I just found it today by reviewing Renee’s previous posts. Highlighting is mine. Renee’s original post is here.
maple2 wrote:
eH_Advice_Host_Kate wrote:
Hi Panda20,
Good question. As long as you keep your matching feature on and continue to log in to your eHarmony account, you may receive matches.
Kate
eHarmony Advice HostDear eH_Advice_Host_Kate,
There is something inherently wrong with this process. If the person has closed their account and stopped the billing process, they should do nothing more to stop matches. They are basically saying “I do not want to be matched at this time”. Their matches should automatically be stopped.
This is exactly why the rest of us, paying members, feel disappointed, when we receive a match , send a communication request and do not receive responses.
If EH thinks, by sending matches to expired members, or non paying members will spark the interest of one to reactivate their account, matching should only happen in one direction, until the non member actually becomes a member.
Dear maple2,
We appreciate your feedback and I have forwarded your comments to our Development team for review. Please know that we certainly want to minimize the negative feelings that members’ will experience in their search for that special someone on eHarmony. To address your concerns, I, first of all, want to clarify the difference between closing your eHarmony account and allowing your subscription to expire.
eHarmony provides our matching system free of charge, and all new members begin eHarmony with their account in a “free” status. If a member allows their subscription to expire, their account does not close, but reverts back to this “free” status. If a member no longer wishes to receive matches, as Kate mentioned above, they need only disable the matching feature or close their eHarmony account.
It is important to us at eHarmony that our members have the best experience possible. Therefore, to not only lessen the disappointment that subscribed members may experience because they believe a non-communicative match is a non-subscriber, but to also provide them the opportunity to communicate with as many highly-compatible matches as possible, if you are a subscribed member, your profile is delivered to highly-compatible non-subscribed matches first.
It is only after they view your profile, indicating that they are still or are again ready to become an active member, do we deliver their profile to you. Our research has found that subscribers and non-subscribers respond similarly to matches they wish to communicate with. Many times all it takes is for a subscribed member to request communication of a non-subscribed member to entice them to take that next step, purchase a subscription, and begin/resume communication with matches.
As we have mentioned many times before, just because a member doesn’t communicate with you doesn’t mean that they are a non-subscribed match. Unfortunately, some members aren’t as courteous as we all wish they would be and don’t close matches in whom they have no interest. Also, as Kate mentioned, if a member doesn’t respond to your request to communicate, send them a nudge, then close the match after another 7 days if you still have received no response.
We truly understand it is hard not to speculate as to why someone doesn’t respond to your request to communicate, but, ultimately, the real reason is that they weren’t “the One” for you. While accepting this may be easier said than done, doing so will allow you to free up your time and energies to develop relationships with matches who are interested in getting to know you.
We appreciate your presence on eHarmony Advice, and I wish you all the best.
-Renee
eHarmony Advice Host
blueeyedbrunette wrote:
So wait– you are using paying members as BAIT? by sending non paying members our profiles– waht happended to the promise of confidentiality ?? I feel really really used……
Dear blueeyedbrunette,
Please rest assured that we have not breached any issue of confidentiality. As America’s #1 trusted relationship site, our member’s privacy is very important to us. Your profile will ONLY be shared with matches whom our matching system has determined is highly-compatible with you based on both your answers to the Relationship Questionnaire.
We regret that some members may feel that they are being used as bait; however, the larger the matching pool, the better the chance of more eHarmony members successful finding that special someone. Understandably, the reality is that very few individuals are willing to purchase a subscription without first being able to experience the quality of matches they will receive from our site and that is why we provide our matching service free of charge.
Because we do take our members’ feedback into account as we strive to enhance their eHarmony experience, we have responded to feedback similar to maple2′S and are now only sending a non-subscribed member’s profile to a subscribed member after the non-subscribed member indicates that they are actively participating on our site.
If you would like to provide your feedback regarding this new policy to our Customer Care department, you may do so from the Help link located at the bottom of all our Singles site pages. Please make sure you receive an incident number to ensure that your feedback was successfully sent.
I wish you all the best.
-Renee
eHarmony Advice Host
Effects:
- Subscribers will receive new-match notifications only from (A) current subscribers and (B) non-subscribers who have already viewed them. This is good news for paying customers.
- (A) includes subscribers who are expiring soon or that day.
- This new change guarantees that, if you are a subscriber, the “Find New Matches” link will only find you fellow subscribers. “Find New Matches” will not match subscribers with dead profiles.
- Subscribers in situations where there are few subscribers, such being in far-flung areas or being in the 18-24 age group, will receive very few matches. For example, new registrants who are 19 will get lots of matches, but when they subscribe, their matches will significantly drop.
- This completely explains why subscribers get double-digit new match notifications during Free Communication Weekends.
- If you’re a non-subscriber and are thinking about buying a subscription, this change means that any match who views you first (their status changes from “Introduction” to “1 2 3 4 OPEN”) is a non-subscriber just like you.
- If you’re a subscriber, this change means that any match who hasn’t viewed you yet (their status is “Introduction” and not “1 2 3 4 OPEN”) is also subscriber, at least on the date you got matched with her. This is one of the few ways to tell if a match is a subscriber.
- The matches a subscriber receives may not match her current match settings and preferences if she changed them previously. A non-subscriber match based on her previous settings may have just looked at the profile now.
- Members no longer receive the match notification emails at the same time. Your nosy co-worker will find out you are in eHarmony without you ever knowing it. He will get an email with your name, age, job title and interests on it.
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