So, my quest for a decent dating app continues with the use of Bumble. And it’s one that I feel that I may have wasted a bit of time using. Luckily, I didn’t spend any money this time around, so I’m really not out anything but three months of swiping.
At least with my experience using Zoosk, it felt like there was interest. Even if it was mostly bot accounts, it was still enough to make me keep using it for six months.
With Bumble, it was more of a time sink.
Why My Experience with Bumble is Questionable
It wasn’t really any one particular thing. And it definitely wasn’t an interaction I had that soured me on the use of the dating app. Quite the contrary, actually.
I had no engagement at all. Not even from bot accounts. Which kind of hits the ego a bit.
What, I’m not worth a bot’s time?
Way More Expensive than Many Others
First of all, using Bumble is WAY more expensive than many other apps out there. And judging from the lack of interaction I had, the return on investment is quite low.
I mean, seriously, $10 per week or $25 per month? At least Zoosk is $75 for six months right now.
I probably would have had a better experience had I paid the money. But, like I’ve said before, dating apps are like gambling. You’re never guaranteed to hit a payoff.
Lots of Swipes, One Match
Here’s the kicker of the entire experience. Out of 300 swipes to the right (yes, I counted each one so I could write this article), only one woman was a match. And she let the 24-hour timer expire on the connection.
What happens then? Absolutely nothing. If someone doesn’t respond within that window, it’s back to square one.
I spent time reading through each and every profile to make sure she was someone I wanted to know. Apparently, I’m not anyone they want to know.
So, statistically, I had a .003% chance of matching and a 0% chance of at least having a conversation.
I would have settled for a simple, “Hello.”
A Guy Appearing in My Feed?
Towards the end of my swiping, a guy appeared in my feed in Bumble. Not really sure how that happened considering I am interested in women only. And according to his profile, so was he.
This demonstrates that the app has a long way to go with a quirky database. That right there is a red flag for me. I wouldn’t pay a doctor for a half-assed surgical room.
Or perhaps Bumble was starting to figure I was getting desperate and would chat with anyone who appeared in my list.
Coming Across Verbatim Accounts from Other Apps
While swiping the hundreds of profiles I came across over the last few months, I found a few that I’ve seen on other apps. These were written verbatim, and one even had too long of a description which cut off half-way through a word.
This shows me someone was simply copy-and-pasting profiles. Of course, this could also be the result of a woman trying different apps and doesn’t want to write the same thing over and over again.
However, there are companies that sell databases of fake profiles to dating apps to make it seem like there are more selections on the system.
If you’re copy-and-pasting a profile, at least make sure to finish the last sentence.
Location Wasn’t Always Actual
I set my location in Denver, looking only in the immediate metro area. But, I still came across profiles from nearly every state. A lot of women were apparently using the travel mode and were picked up at Denver International Airport.
But when the profile says they live in New York, Florida, California, or Texas, that’s not where I was searching.
Again, this leads me to believe there is a faulty database going on. And you want me to give you my credit card information?
Starting to Think Something’s Wrong with Me
Out of the many dating apps I’ve used since 1999, this was perhaps one of the most pointless exercises I’ve ever been involved with. And I’ve heard of people meeting up on Bumble, which is why I decided to try it.
Perhaps there is something wrong with me? Is my profile just not very spiffy, or am I some hideous troll no one wants to get to know?
I guess since I don’t look like an underwear model, I’m not worth anyone’s time. At least on Bumble, anyway.
That’s fine, though. A very large portion of the profiles I came across were of women who were clearly high-maintenance.
Or perhaps the dating pool on the site is far lower than the company wants you to believe and I swiped right on about 200+ fake profiles.
In any case, I’m moving on from this one. I’m just glad I didn’t spend any money on the app.
Have You Had Luck with Bumble?
I bet there are people out there who have had decent experiences with Bumble. Like I said, I saw how one couple made it work. And no, it wasn’t from an advertisement for the app.
Still, I feel like my time would have been better spent hitting on women on Twitter. At least most of them respond if I send a message.
Oh well…the search continues. At least I’m getting a series of blog posts from the experience.