Mate1 | Visit the site

At first sight Mate1.com seems to be a good and not very commercialized online dating service. Its homepage is pleasant to look at and the registration process is quite simple and fast. Unlike a great number of the modern dating services which tend to do everything for you (find matches, create your profiles etc.), Mate1.com uses the same old scheme – the user is the one to decide with whom to communicate, how to do it and when to do it. To my mind it is the best and the most reliable way of online dating.

Registration

As was already mentioned before, the registration process is as simple as it can be. There are 4 basic steps which you have to follow in order to register. No tons of personal questions etc. Just state your marital status, height, body type, hair color and that’s it, you’re done! This simple registration doesn’t mean that the users won’t be able to learn much from your profile, it simple means that you can fill in all the details (lifestyle, likes/dislikes etc.) when you want.

Functionality:
E-mail:
IM:
Help/support:
Extras: Voice Profile, Online Ambassadors, 1-on-1 Chat:
Cost: Free/Fee Membership

Profile

The profile offers a great option (it might not be that revolutionary, but to my mind it falls into place here) – Voice Profile

What is Voice Profile?

You can make a record featuring your voice. What for? Do you have anything to say to the world or you simply want to be original? Voice profile could be of a great aid!

How it works

Creating a voice profile is free for all members. All you need is a touch tone phone. To record your voice, click on Add/Edit Voice in the My Profile menu:
Think about what you are going to say. If you want, type some notes in the box that is given at the same page to help you while you record.
Do NOT use offensive language
Do NOT reveal your real name or contact information (phone number, e-mail address, etc)

Call 1-888-757-2738. When prompted enter PIN #: 321-813-781

Features

The features of the service are the regular features of an online dating service: 1-on-1 chat, e-mail messaging, IM, search etc.

But I would like to mention one more feature that I’ve found and consider it to be of a great use and it was really wise of the guys to create it. I’m speaking about Online Ambassador

What is Online Ambassador (OA)?

From time to time, Mate1 hires Online Ambassadors (OAs). OAs are individuals with high quality profiles who are selected to correspond with a large number of singles on the site. The role of the Online Ambassador is to familiarize other members with the workings of Mate1 and to help integrate them into the Mate1 community.

Upon being chosen, profiles are labelled "OA" or "Online Ambassador" and an introductory greeting is sent out by the system to various other members on their behalf. The OAs will exchange emails with anyone who is interested in corresponding with them. There is no additional charge for communicating with an Online Ambassador. However, you must be a full member in order to contact or reply to an OA, just as is the case when corresponding with any other member.

Please note that Online Ambassadors are not agents of Mate1 and they cannot help you with customer support or billing issues.

Search

The search engine of the service is not the most complicated one. In fact, it is quite simple, nevertheless functional. You can search for people even from the homepage (when you do that you don’t even have to register). Then when you are logged-in, you are shown random results of search. You can also organize search manually. The search box is placed in the left navigation menu right under the profile management bar. The search options are the following:
Search by location (country, city, …)
Advanced search
Keyword search
Nickname search
Saved searches

After filling out any search form, check the box labeled "Save this search." To access a saved search, click on the Saved Searches button at the bottom of the left hand margin.

Those who are not yet full members of the service can surf through the site and even make some contacts. Once they become full members they get an opportunity to contact as many people as they want, plus they can see all the photos and get other advantages of full membership.