Press Release - 1 March 2003 SPRING INTO ACTION FOR A SUMMER OF LOVE! For many women, and for all sorts of reasons, Valentine's was another evening spent hugging a bottle of Baileys - but when the going gets tough, the tough do get going! At Dateclub.com, probably the UK's fastest growing internet-based dating agency, registration typically swells by 25% at the start of Spring - many of whom are members of the Valentine's lonely hearts clubs - as women especially resolve to lose weight, give up alcohol (again, after New Year) and find someone special to go on holiday with that isn't family or a close friend. Customer Services Director, Tania Baker, says: "We've got a well earned reputation for being women friendly and 40% of our membership is female, which is unusually high for any dating agency. That's important to a lot of ladies trying online dating for the first time, but still leaves them with a healthy crop of eligible bachelors to choose from." The relatively low cost of joining (and Dateclub.com is cheaper than most at just £19 a month and £60 a year) combined with the ease of use attracts many who have some money to spend but no time to do it in. Besides, it's easy to spend those sums of money in just a few nights out, or a couple of trips to the cinema, but online the sky's the limit because there are no limits - to how long you spend chatting or how many messages you send. It has the bonus of allowing anonymity too and providing you follow the rules is as safe, if not safer, than meeting strangers in a bar or club. Tania adds: "You don't feel you're putting yourself in a vulnerable position because you can e-mail people from the safety of your own home. For people who find the pub or club scene intimidating, or even too young, it's also a great way to get started and remember how to flirt again. "And you can search for people of a similar standing and status to yourself, people you know you have something in common with. You can filter out people you definitely don't want to meet." Internet dating increasingly makes sense for busy executives, divorcees back on the scene, single mums with children and even Bridget Jones types who've tried everything else - because where else do you get to meet thousands of single men? Dateclub.com doesn't target specific age or social groupings but has noticed that a lot of its members are around those reflective 'life passing me by' ages of 25, 30, 35 and 40. And for many it proves to be quite addictive, especially the chat room facility. Dateclub.com search facilities reflect this and store your searches for your next visit and give you the ability to only search for people who have joined since you were last on. Users can also see who is online at the same time and check out who's looking at their profile too. From a security point of view, signing up means your profile is only shown to other paying members and Dateclub.com is registered with Data Protection to respect member's anonymity and protect against viruses. No details are passed on to any third parties either. And Dateclub.com is one of only two dating agencies to be vetted and endorsed by the Consumer Association's 'Which WebTrader' scheme. This was primarily concerned with protecting the consumer in online transactions and involved a lengthy and detailed signing up process that put many other companies off. Firmly on the side of the consumer, it took away much of the power and control traditionally enjoyed by the company, but Dateclub.com are proud of the fact they'd passed with flying colours. Ends Press Office For more information please contact the Press Office: Greg Rees Press Officer Dateclub.com 2nd Floor LPL 145-157 St John Street London EC1V 4PY England Tel: 0870 760 6204 or 07866 613907 press@dateclub.com