Now, let’s consider the final verdict – should you sign up with CougarDate.co.uk? Well, it is a bit difficult to give this website a green light. This is because it needs to improve in several different areas before it becomes one of the better cougar dating sites out there.
Profile & Sign Up Process
Interface & Communication Features
Price & Payments
Privacy & Security
Account Deletion
Users
Price & Payments
Customer Service
Overview of Cougar Date
Age gaps in a relationship aren’t uncommon anymore. These days, a significant number of young men are looking to date older women, and the feeling is certainly mutual. An increasing number of mature women are actively searching for men who are years younger than them.
Of course, they might not always be successful in real life due to various reasons. This could either be because they don’t meet too many people in the right age group or because the individuals they do meet are not interested in carrying on such an affair. This is why so many people head online to make it easier to find someone who is more open-minded. For the best results, you will have to find the right website to cater to your needs as well.
It would appear that the people managing CougarDate.co.uk will let virtually anyone sign up for this site. For instance, you will find many young women here – especially those in their early twenties. As you can imagine, these women don’t count as cougars.
So, it may seem like there are many members to choose from. Many of them don’t match the age criteria. Due to this, you could end up having to go through numerous profiles before you come across what you are looking for.
Also, it can be a little frustrating to come across such profiles. After all, the main reason you are there is so that you can meet either a cougar or a cub. The other profiles make the site seem no different from a regular dating site. As you can imagine, this will make you think twice about signing up for this website. Furthermore, it doesn’t appear that CougarDate.co.uk is increasing in popularity. Its membership has been rather stagnant. Due to this, you will discover that the same profiles are recycled over and over again.
How Does Cougar Date Work?
One of the plus points of this website is that it caters to both men and women. This means that you can use the services if you are an older woman who would like to meet younger men or if you are a younger man who wants to meet older women.
The reason this is a positive thing is that it encourages a greater number of members. So, there will be decent membership on this site. Naturally, this means that you have a good chance of meeting up with a suitable individual and have a higher chance of success.
Can you expect to find the date of your dreams here? Well, this does remain to be seen. This is largely because it can take you a while to find a profile that you like. As mentioned, you do have to wade through incomplete, anonymous, or too-young individuals.
Even then, there is no guarantee of you getting a reply. It is unclear just how many female and male members there are on this site. Therefore, there might be more men than women, just as with many other sites. Due to this, you could end up facing quite a bit of competition. Needless to say, this may set you back even further when it comes to meeting someone suitable.
Profiles & Sign Up Process
The signup process on this site is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is quick and simple. Thus, you should be all set up within a few moments. The site does encourage you to verify your accounts. These accounts are seen as being more trustworthy.
The issue, though, is that you don’t have to fully complete your profile when signing up. This means that you can keep entire portions blank. So, why is this an issue? Well, it becomes a problem when you start looking through the profiles of other members.
Many users don’t add too much detail to their profiles. Due to this, it can be difficult to know whether or not you want to pursue a particular individual. After all, it is tough to know what they are like.
What’s unfortunate is that profile pictures are optional as well. Therefore, some people haven’t bothered with these either. Naturally, you aren’t going to want to contact someone when you don’t even know what they look like.
Interface & Communication Features
For the most part, the layout of the website works rather well. The site is well-structured and it is easy enough for most people to use. You should also be able to navigate the website and various pages without any issue at all.
The annoying element of this site, though, is that there is plenty of pop up ads. Needless to say, this can be fairly annoying when you are trying to interact with other members. To make matters worse, some of these ads are equipped with audio. Thus, it can be difficult to remain discreet when you are in public.
If you haven’t paid for your account, you won’t be able to send others messages. The most you will be able to do is browse through accounts and send “icebreakers”. They are emotes, like winks, that get the ball rolling. If you pay for an account, you will be able to send as many messages as you like. What’s better is that you can send users virtual gifts. You also get access to a diary feature, which tells others how you’re doing. This can lead to many conversations, as you can imagine.
Price & Payments
Only a few of the features on this site are free. You can sign up without payment and search for profiles – as just discussed, you will have to pay to communicate with others.
When it comes to prices, CougarDate.co.uk falls into the more expensive part of the mid-range spectrum. The issue, though, isn’t the cost. Rather, it is about the value for money. In this instance, it is difficult to say with certainty that the subscription fee lives up to what you are getting from the site.
Not to mention, if you don’t see too many profiles that match your criteria, you may not spend all that much time on the site. So, paying in advance for a month or so will not make much sense for you.
You may be wondering how you can make payments. Well, this can be done through credit cards and mobile phones – through your data package. We’re disappointed that you can’t make payments through debit cards. Most of CougarDate.co.uk’s competitors let you do so.
If you’re wondering whether payments are secure, you don’t have to worry. You are sent to a portal that is SSL protected – it’s military locked.
If you’re on the fence about getting a membership, remember that you won’t be able to read or receive messages without signing up for one. With a paid account, you’re increasing your chances of finding a cougar. You will be able to boost your account, and it will show up higher on search results.
Privacy and Security
There are some limits to privacy on this site. On the upside, the website does boast SSL encryption. Thus, you can have peace of mind knowing that your conversations will remain private and discreet.
Nevertheless, your profiles aren’t protected all that well. As long as someone has signed up for a subscription, they can see every part of your profile. You aren’t able to privatize certain elements of it. Due to this, you have to be careful about the information or pictures that you put on your profile.
There is also the fact that CougarDate.co.uk is run by the Venntro Media Group. This company also runs other dating sites. Thus, the company has the right to let your profile on this site run on other sites as well.
If you are trying to keep a low profile or be discreet about your presence on a dating site, you may need to look elsewhere. This is especially since any content that you do post on the website is considered searchable.
The parent company is also quite open about the fact that they gather and use information related to you. This is true even once you have deleted your account with the site. Thus, you are taking a bit of a risk by agreeing to register these sensitive details with the website.
So, what is the security like? Well, the site is protected by the Online Dating Protector. There is a catch, however, since the Venntro Media Group owns this security feature. This means that it can be difficult to determine whether this is an effective safety measure at all.
Customer Service
If there is a problem you want to solve, you can visit the Contact Us page. You will find answers to common questions users have. However, there isn’t a lot of variety and the answers are not in-depth either.
The site says that you can email them if you still need help, but you probably won’t be able to. We searched through CougarDate.co.uk’s site and did not find any contact information. They claim to have a call center too. However, a number to reach out is not available.
Account Deletion
Deleting an account on the website is easy. All you have to do is visit their Contact Us page. It’ll give you instructions on how to get it done. Account deletion does not take long and you won’t be charged for it. That being said, you’ll have to get rid of your subscription first.
Pros vs. Cons
Now that you know how the site operates, let’s run through its pros and cons. This will help you know if it’s worth the time or not.
Pros
Profile & Sign Up Process
Creating an account on the site is easy. If you’re all for privacy, you’ll be glad to know that you don’t need to include a profile picture. When signing up, you can leave some areas blank as well.
Interface & Communication Features
We have to say, Cougardate.co.uk has a good-looking site. It’s also a breeze to navigate. In terms of communication features, you, unfortunately, don’t get many if you’re using a free account.
Price & Payments
They use a verified, secure portal for payments. You’ll appreciate that it’s SSL protected.
Privacy & Security
The platform uses military encryption, so you don’t have to worry about the site getting hacked. They have a thorough privacy policy too. You get a good idea of what they do with your data.
Account Deletion
The account deletion process is a breeze. You won’t be charged for it either.
Cons
Users
The majority of users on the site are young women. This doesn’t help when you’re looking for cougars.
Price & Payments
If you’re not a paid member, you won’t be able to chat with other users. Unfortunately, memberships can be pricey. You also only have limited ways to make payments – through mobile packages and credit cards.
Customer Service
Although the site offers lines of support, they are hard to find. Their Contact Us page features answers to FAQs, but they aren’t in-depth. They also don’t cover many issues.
The Final Verdict
Now, let’s consider the final verdict – should you sign up with CougarDate.co.uk? Well, it is a bit difficult to give this website a green light. This is because it needs to improve in several different areas before it becomes one of the better cougar dating sites out there.
In reality, you will be better served if you opt for a site such as Meet-a-MILF.com. You will find it easier to find the age criteria that you are looking for. Also, the site is well-known for its security and privacy measures.
As for CougarDate.co.uk, it isn’t the worst option out there, but it may not be the most fun to use. For instance, you will often have to go through many different profiles before you find exactly what you are looking for. Not to mention, it isn’t encouraging that many of the profiles are incomplete or don’t contain pictures.
There is also no denying that security and privacy do leave something to be desired. If you prefer discreet interactions, this dating website can be a tad bit uncomfortable to use. Furthermore, there is a limit to how much you are in control of who can view your profile.
So, the final verdict is that you should keep looking for a better site for cougar dating. It is unlikely that you will find exactly what you are looking for with CougarDate.co.uk.