.gif)
True (dating service)
Encyclopedia
True is an online dating service
that was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur Herb Vest. Its original name was TrueBeginnings.com, but the company felt that this name was too limiting, as company leadership wanted to expand the company into other markets one day. In 2004 the domain name True.com was purchased and the company changed its name. True is known for its strict policies regarding background checks, which are used to ensure that members are not felons or married. Vest reports 16 million total members, as of May 2007http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=7155F7796F354F21B1183937D847D6DF&AudId=91D6A3BAF82C4E7A83278901E7E75565&tier=4&id=7F23BCFED8E74F9B841D87A0AF7FBB49 but it is unclear how many of them are actual paying or active members. Of that, an independent analysis shows an estimated 3.8 million unique visits to the site per month http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/technology/19true.html?ex=1331956800&en=2bf2b5ff6107fd0e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss.
True advertises aggressively online and spent $52.2 million in online advertising
from January to November 2006, more than any other online dating service. True's ads vary in theme and often feature provocatively dressed women with sex-themed taglines such as "It's nice to be naughty." These ads are particularly prevalent on MySpace
. Partly because of its ad campaign, True has become, in only four years since its founding, one of the most visited sites in the online dating industry, according to The New York Times.
On September 14, 2007, the New York Times "Bits" blog
reported that an executive
at a major Internet company said that True is delinquent
on its advertising payments on his and other websites and has had to cut back on advertising as a result. On April 1, 2007, LiveJournal
parodied the True ad campaign on their website. This year they boosted marketing spending 70 percent to $75 million.
under consideration in Texas
, Michigan
, and Florida
. CEO Herb Vest has expressed a preference for pursuing such bills at the state level, saying "state legislatures are particularly vulnerable to influence from special interest groups because they are less in the media spotlight than the national Congress."
(IC3). Convicted felons will not only have their accounts canceled, but are reported to the IC3 and to local authorities.
The company has even filed lawsuits against individuals for misrepresenting themselves on its site, under the premise that doing so is wire fraud
. Most notably, it sued Robert Wells, a 66-year-old convicted felon and child molester from Walnut Creek, California
. He'd been able to avoid detection because California doesn't provide criminal data to businesses. Another True member discovered Wells' criminal history and alerted the company. Wells and True reached a settlement in which Wells agreed to pay monetary damages to True, perform community service and never use an online dating service again. The most recent lawsuit was filed in March 2007 against a convicted felon and registered sex offender from Florida
who attempted to communicate with its members.
The New York Times and Online Dating Magazine have noted examples of customers having frustrating experiences trying to cancel their service, including the service failing to honor their cancellation request and charging them for several more months.
True employs an optional, automatic "wink" to its members which seem to come from other members, without the latter's knowledge. The feature can be disabled at any time, and True maintains that this feature encourages communication between members. Still, it is the subject of much controversy, as members have no way of knowing whether the wink was automatic or manual, and thus creates confusion. Some people have asked in their profiles not to be winked at for this exact reason.
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
that was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur Herb Vest. Its original name was TrueBeginnings.com, but the company felt that this name was too limiting, as company leadership wanted to expand the company into other markets one day. In 2004 the domain name True.com was purchased and the company changed its name. True is known for its strict policies regarding background checks, which are used to ensure that members are not felons or married. Vest reports 16 million total members, as of May 2007http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=7155F7796F354F21B1183937D847D6DF&AudId=91D6A3BAF82C4E7A83278901E7E75565&tier=4&id=7F23BCFED8E74F9B841D87A0AF7FBB49 but it is unclear how many of them are actual paying or active members. Of that, an independent analysis shows an estimated 3.8 million unique visits to the site per month http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/technology/19true.html?ex=1331956800&en=2bf2b5ff6107fd0e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss.
Advertising
Online advertising
Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web to deliver marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, blogs, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, interstitial...
from January to November 2006, more than any other online dating service. True's ads vary in theme and often feature provocatively dressed women with sex-themed taglines such as "It's nice to be naughty." These ads are particularly prevalent on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. Partly because of its ad campaign, True has become, in only four years since its founding, one of the most visited sites in the online dating industry, according to The New York Times.
On September 14, 2007, the New York Times "Bits" blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
reported that an executive
Senior management
Senior management, executive management, or management team is generally a team of individuals at the highest level of organizational management who have the day-to-day responsibilities of managing a company or corporation, they hold specific executive powers conferred onto them with and by...
at a major Internet company said that True is delinquent
Delinquent
Delinquent or delinquents may refer to:* Law** A person who commits a misdemeanor** A person who commits a felony** A juvenile delinquent, often shortened as delinquent is a young person who fails to do that which is required by law; see juvenile delinquency* A person who fails to pay a debt or...
on its advertising payments on his and other websites and has had to cut back on advertising as a result. On April 1, 2007, LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
parodied the True ad campaign on their website. This year they boosted marketing spending 70 percent to $75 million.
Lobbying efforts
True has lobbied state lawmakers in favor of legislation requiring online dating services to disclose whether or not they conduct background checks. True is currently supporting billsBills
The Bills were a youth subculture that thrived in Léopoldville in the late 1950s, basing much of their image and outlook on the cowboys of American Western movies...
under consideration in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. CEO Herb Vest has expressed a preference for pursuing such bills at the state level, saying "state legislatures are particularly vulnerable to influence from special interest groups because they are less in the media spotlight than the national Congress."
Points of Difference
True is well known for requiring criminal background and marital screenings for all of its communicating members. True will cancel the account of anyone found to be married, separated or having a pending divorce without warning, and also reports them to the Internet Crime Complaint CenterInternet Crime Complaint Center
The Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3, is a multi-agency task force made up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the National White Collar Crime Center , and the Bureau of Justice Assistance .-Purpose:...
(IC3). Convicted felons will not only have their accounts canceled, but are reported to the IC3 and to local authorities.
The company has even filed lawsuits against individuals for misrepresenting themselves on its site, under the premise that doing so is wire fraud
Wire fraud
Mail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
. Most notably, it sued Robert Wells, a 66-year-old convicted felon and child molester from Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
. He'd been able to avoid detection because California doesn't provide criminal data to businesses. Another True member discovered Wells' criminal history and alerted the company. Wells and True reached a settlement in which Wells agreed to pay monetary damages to True, perform community service and never use an online dating service again. The most recent lawsuit was filed in March 2007 against a convicted felon and registered sex offender from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
who attempted to communicate with its members.
Criticism
Blogger David Evans is quoted in the New York Times as saying True's competitors were upset with True's sex-themed ad campaign, saying that "they worked hard to overcome the stigma of providing these services, [a]nd True comes in, grabs the lead in page views and drives up the cost of dating keywords on the search engines for everyone else."The New York Times and Online Dating Magazine have noted examples of customers having frustrating experiences trying to cancel their service, including the service failing to honor their cancellation request and charging them for several more months.
True employs an optional, automatic "wink" to its members which seem to come from other members, without the latter's knowledge. The feature can be disabled at any time, and True maintains that this feature encourages communication between members. Still, it is the subject of much controversy, as members have no way of knowing whether the wink was automatic or manual, and thus creates confusion. Some people have asked in their profiles not to be winked at for this exact reason.