Have you guys seen this crap? Re: Tinder

[calle28]

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-03/how-tinder-gets-away-with-charging-people-over-30-twice-as-much

Tinder is asking its users for a more committed relationship, but age is a factor. The dating app began charging for premium features on Monday, and as thirtysomethings learned, they'll have to pony up twice as much as their younger counterparts.

Americans under 30 will be charged $9.99 a month to subscribe to Tinder Plus, the new, paid version of the app that offers unlimited "likes"—which once were free—as well as features that let users undo swipes and connect with people in different locations. Members aged 30 and older must pay $19.99 for the same features. In the U.K., the age-based price disparity is even wider. Those under 28 will pay £3.99 ($6) for the service, while anyone older will be charged £14.99 ($23), almost four times the price .

Tinder says it spent several months researching different price points around the world before it introduced the service. "Lots of products offer differentiated price tiers by age, like Spotify does for students, for example," Rosette Pambakian, a spokeswoman for Tinder, wrote in an e-mail. "Tinder is no different; during our testing we’ve learned, not surprisingly, that younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget constrained, and need a lower price to pull the trigger."

Here's one of the main pitfalls of a tiered pricing model, if the reaction to Monday's news is any indication: Older users are not happy. As if dating in your thirties isn't punishing enough, singling out customers of Internet services based on their birth date is unusual.

Tinder can get away with it because its parent company, IAC/InterActiveCorp, basically owns the online-dating market. IAC controls 27 percent of revenue in the $2.2 billion dating-services industry, according to research firm IBISWorld. A distant second is EHarmony with 14 percent, and Zoosk comes in third, with 5.1 percent. IAC's portfolio includes Match.com and OkCupid, both of which rank among the 10 top-grossing apps in the iOS and Google Play stores, excluding games, according to data from researcher App Annie.

Because of Tinder's ties to IAC, the casual-dating app targeted at millennials serves as an entry point to IAC's more serious and mature dating sites, says Jeremy Edwards, author of a recent IBISWorld report on the dating-services industry. "Tinder has definitely been one of the forerunners in marketing itself to a casual dater." Tinder can hook teens on online dating. As they get older, they should expect to pay more money for love, whether they stick with the same app or migrate to one of IAC's other websites.

Tinder's fast growth has come mostly from college students and twentysomethings. Pambakian, the Tinder spokeswoman, recently told Bloomberg News that 52 percent of Tinder's users are from 18 to 24 years old, and 33 percent are aged from 25 to 34. Many are new to IAC's Web of love but could end up being lifelong customers. "I think the strategy Tinder is pursuing will work," says Victor Anthony, an analyst at Axiom Capital Management. "The combination of advertising and subscription will drive up their value—and ultimately, the stock price for IAC."

[calle28]

TLDR - Tinder is charging twice the amount for their paid version if you're over 30.

They claim it's because users under 30 need a lower price point to pay. Sureeee. I think it's such BS and will make even more people lie about their age. I hope this causes a decrease in paid subscribers and they change their minds about this.

I don't even use Tinder and it pisses me off.

[Deleted]

Wow that's crazy. Is this an onion article? Lol

I only used it for a month and actually made a good friend from it, but no way would I pay for it.

But how will they confirm anyone's age?

[Deleted]

Also serious question. How is this legal? Isn't age a protected class?

[calle28]

@wandering - Not an onion article, it's on Bloomberg.

@pdx18 - Age is a protected class when it comes to employment and you are only protected if you're over 40.

[Deleted]

calle28 that makes sense!

[Deleted]

Mar 4, 2015 11:12:05 GMT -5 calle28 said:

@wandering - Not an onion article, it's on Bloomberg.

@pdx18 - Age is a protected class when it comes to employment and you are only protected if you're over 40.

I know, I was joking

[jojoandleo]

Fuck them. That's my opinion.

[calle28]

Oh. lol. I wish it was a joke.

[WinterIsComing]

Mar 4, 2015 10:33:27 GMT -5 calle28 said:

offers unlimited "likes"—which once were free—as well as features that let users undo swipes and connect with people in different locations. 

Are you now restricted in the number likes you can have? Like a set amount per time?

I wonder what percentage of users will pay for the premium features. I'm not the biggest fan of Tinder since the info you have on people is so limited. Definitely not something I would pay for.

[cuddlyevil]

That's some grade A bullshit right there.

[calle28]

Mar 4, 2015 11:21:00 GMT -5 WinterIsComing said:

Mar 4, 2015 10:33:27 GMT -5 calle28 said:

offers unlimited "likes"—which once were free—as well as features that let users undo swipes and connect with people in different locations. 

Are you now restricted in the number likes you can have? Like a set amount per time?

I wonder what percentage of users will pay for the premium features. I'm not the biggest fan of Tinder since the info you have on people is so limited. Definitely not something I would pay for.

I am not sure. I've never used Tinder before.

[Wanderista]

I think Tinder sounds like fun but the changes sound annoying. Also, I doubt that most college-aged kids would pay for Tinder. They might get some 20-somethings to pay. Restricting the amount of "likes" though seems like it kind of defeats the purpose. I guess it's good news for the predominantly free websites.

I was surprised to learn that so many of these sites are at least partially owned by the same parent company.

[pinkdutchtulips]

So glad I deleted my tinder app ... 40somethings need not apply I guess :/

[jigsy]

The benefits just don't sound good either. Do over swipes and "passport" psht

[jojoandleo]

Mar 4, 2015 12:27:35 GMT -5 mp said:

2- the over 30 crowd - $20/MO? DOUBLE the price? Dudes. We're the ones with expendable money, I get that, but there's no way in hell I'd pay $20/mo. ESPECIALLY because the reputation is that this is a hookup app, not a relationship site. Now you have people paying for access to sex - lol. Which leads me to believe all the hookup people and all the rebound dudes I met will just be back to POF. Really, I think this is crazy.

Which makes it seem more like prostitution. LOL

[jojoandleo]

Speaking of this-we are going to Vegas for my friend's dirty thirty (ugh, I hate that phrase, but, not my party). She was making reservations to go to Tao and you have to check your age group, like 21-25; 25-30, 30-35 and then 35+. LOL. Apparently, after 35, it doesn't matter. I felt violated having to be put in the second highest bracket. Fuckers.

[jigsy]

Mar 4, 2015 13:38:46 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Speaking of this-we are going to Vegas for my friend's dirty thirty (ugh, I hate that phrase, but, not my party). She was making reservations to go to Tao and you have to check your age group, like 21-25; 25-30, 30-35 and then 35+. LOL. Apparently, after 35, it doesn't matter. I felt violated having to be put in the second highest bracket. Fuckers.

I feel like a busted up old lady at the night clubs in Vegas...and I am 29. But I also feel like I can judge all the youngins walking around with their heels in their hands, puke in their hair, skirts hiked dangerously high.

Ahh...superiority.

Actually...here is story time from my last trip to Vegas...
So I met up with Vegas (the person) at Tao, his party had reserved tables and all that, and I am never one to turn down a place to sit and drink at these clubs, so we are chilling, talking, having a good time. Some of the other guys from his party had found these two girls, one was celebrating her 21st, the other, I presume, wasn't much older. They come over to the table, already clearly wasted, but continue to drink. The guys get bored with them and leave, so now there is me and Vegas, my sister and friend, and these two 21 year old girls sitting at the table.  When all the sudden, the non-birthday girl just pukes, then passes out cold. Birthday girl is fuming, yelling at the passed out girl to wake up because she is ruining her night. this goes on a for a few minutes, we step in to make sure girl is going to be ok, she comes around, eventually the girls head out to go home. I hope they made it back there.

But yeah, the whole time I just kept thanking sweet baby jesus that I no longer drink to excess, and I never have to worry about my friends puking on me on my birthday.

[jojoandleo]

jigsy- let me tell you about my first Vegas trip. I was 22. I broke up with my HSBF like, 6 months ago? And homeboy was coming on the trip. Ugh.

At studio 54, my roommate got TANKED, like, couldn't hold her head up. XHSBF ended up carrying her out. He got stopped by security and roommate decides to be consious enough to say "this is my roommates ex boyfriend". The guards were like- "put the girl down." I came running up and told them I was the roommate and they had this look like, "WTF is going on with these people!?!" But let us go. Then my ex and I got in a huge fight in the hotel casino. The end.

[btay]

If they think 30 somethings have money, I'd like to show them my bank statment and prove them horribly wrong.