Craig N.
As others have said 0 is the correct…
As others have said 0 is the correct rating for this site. I started out with open eyes, but the costs quickly accumulated. It costs 30 credits, which I initially calculated as $62.80 AUD, just to send a letter, 30 credits to open a photo, 10 to open a letter. These costings are incorrect and the correct cost is around $15 per letter sent and photo opened and $5 for a letter read. I apologize to OrchidRomance for the incorrect calculation and take full responsibility for that error. Even so, although these costs are much more reasonable than my original, incorrect, calculations users must be aware that with just two or three letters sent and received and several photo attachments opened you are already in excess one hundred dollars out of pocket. What is concerning is that the photos are often the same as those in the profile or are photos previously sent, and so you can be charged for photos you already have. Some of the girls may be real, but if they seem too good to be true, then they are. There are several things you can do to verify the person in the profile. Always pass the photos through a reverse imaging tool. Even Google Images will retune some interesting results. Another way is to up ask them for a Selfie - but one with a specific requirement. For example, ask them to hold a shoe upside down in their left hand. Or put their right forefinger on the tip of their nose. Do it up front, in a friendly way, just saying you have to verify who you are talking to and invite them to get you to take a selfie, with their instructions, to verify who you are. This advice was questioned by OrchidRomance saying that they cannot make anyone provide a Selfie to prove their identity. And I agree, that is totally a decision for the person you are connecting with. However, this was not meant as a requirement or the responsibility of this dating site, it is meant as good advice for those using this site. If the person refuses, then that's their prerogative, but it very likely means they are not who they purport to be. It's an unusual request but it flushes out those who are not genuine. The people on these sites are quite skilled. They know what to say and how to keep you connected and therefore spending money. They deflect when asked direct questions. They also know that people are uncomfortable questioning someone they find attractive. Although you may be suspicious, it's never easy to know how to question them without offending them. And you don't want to offend them because you run the risk of losing them. That is human nature and they use it, so again just be aware and don't be afraid to ask direct questions. I went into this to find out how these sites work. I had to be very much on guard and on occasions was dragged into the vortex. But I was ok with that as long as I was still in control because the deeper I got the more I learnt. However, even with that in mind the deeper I went I realized how much harder it was to get out. And that is the lesson. Whatever happens, don't be embarrassed. They work on that. The deeper you get, the worse you feel, the harder it is to stop, and so it just seems the only way out is to keep going even though you know that is not the case. They work on that as well. As for OrchidRomance, those running it should be, but of course aren't, ashamed. It is a sham website and whoever owns/manages/works for this site are simply doing it to extract money from lonely people. And that is about as despicable an act as any human being can undertake. Regardless of how deep you might sink into this mire, just remember when you go to bed at night you are a good person, like me, who has never scammed anyone. That doesn't worry those working at this site, but the day will come when something happens to them, and it will, and they will regret what they have done, and what I'm saying here will be ringing in their ears. It's impossible to shut these sites down so all any of us can do is heed the warnings from others and pass on our own experiences. OrchidRomance have responded and say they are simply providing a service and they cannot be responsible for all the actions of the women on this site. That is correct and the women will have signed an anti scamming agreement etc, but as many have discovered the women expertly drag conversations out, enticing you to spend more, with the chances of you ever meeting anyone being very remote indeed. We can never prove it, but this strongly suggests some/many/all of these women work in conjunction with or are employed directly by or receive recompense from the dating sites, not just this one but all. All the best Guys, Craig
Response from OrchidRomanceAug 23, 2022
Dear Craig, Please be kindly informed that our website is an online-international communication platform where our member’s satisfaction is our primary focus. We review every complaint individually and always strive to resolve any problem in a satisfactory way. From our end, we do not tolerate such violations as the scam or deception. We always do our best to make sure that every user follows the terms of our platform and take measures if we find any signs of violations. When you make an acquaintance with new people through the Internet, there is always a risk that the person himself pretends to be the one, who you see in the pictures. Thereby, we take a number of preventive steps on our website to settle this question. We are proud of this, because not all communication platforms take such precautions. In case a user gives rise to our suspicion, we may take additional steps to verify the profile, such as asking him/her to record an identification video for us. This, of course, makes it much harder for unscrupulous people to create fake accounts. We carefully consider all complaints received from members of our website. If such complaints allege the dishonesty of a member and breach of our terms, we investigate them. If we notice impersonation and deception, we block and blacklist the member. If representatives of the member appear to be guilty of some things or seem to be suspicious to us, so we apply sanctions to the representatives, which may bring about complete termination and blacklisting. It is real life. Every member communicates the way he/she is used to in real life. We cannot and shall not control it or force members to send you selfies etc. They are here to communicate with other members, to find a pen-friend or even a partner, or for any other purpose they deem fit with our terms and conditions, and they are free to do so. From our side, we try to provide every member with a positive communication experience at the platform. However, each separate member chooses their own manner of communication. I understand how you feel about prices, however, you should realize that our company cannot afford to provide services on any other basis than the prepaid one, as we do our best to give the high-quality service to all our customers and a high-level support in any cases you have. We have a lot of people taking care of the customers' issues, whatever they are. So we count on your understanding. We will be glad to assist you in case you need it. Please contact us via [email protected] Kind Regards, OrchidRomance Customer Support