Overview and Pricing
A quick look at Pink Wink’s homepage and you’ll see assurances of 100% free membership. While that’s technically true, the reality is that Pink Wink isn’t any different from many online dating sites. You can sign up as a free member, but you won’t be able to send anything more than generic messages chosen from the short list of “I’m Interested” cues.
To send and read full freeform messages, you’ll have to sign up for a Gold membership. Pink Wink offers a range of billing cycles and corresponding fees to choose from, and upgrading is easy thanks to the readily accessible page. However, this still means Pink Wink’s claims of free membership aren’t all that transparent, and unfortunately, that should tell you a lot about how the site as a whole operates.
11th Place3 out of 10Features
Pink Wink carries all the usual features you’d expect from an online dating site. There’s a sizable membership here, though it’s unclear how many are truly active. As with any dating site, you’ll have more luck if you’re searching from a large metropolitan area, where you’re likely to find more fellow members.
The registration process is fairly quick, since Pink Wink doesn’t have the extensive personality questionnaires that other dating sites sometimes require you to fill out. You’ll simply have to provide your email address, fill out a few basic personal details, and you’ll have a profile ready to go. Pink Wink does screen all new profiles to check for compliance with its content policies, so bear in mind that you’ll probably have to wait a few hours before your profile goes live.
The same goes for any other content, including photos, that you upload to the website. On the one hand, this cuts the chances of finding inappropriate or lewd content on your feed; on the other hand, it does slow down the whole user experience a bit more than you might be willing to deal with.
In lieu of the usual questionnaires, Pink Wink also gives you an essay section on your profile. You can use the space to elaborate on your interests, personal attributes and traits, or whatever else you feel like putting out there. You’ll only have a maximum of 2000 characters to work with, though, so it’s best to make those count.
Matching and Search Options
Pink Wink doesn’t have automated matching that simply has you waiting for compatible profile links to get delivered to your inbox. That’s bad news for people who don’t want to bother with the work of running manual searches, but it does mean you’ll have much more control over how many matches you get, what criteria the system uses to find them, and when you get your match results.
Even free regular members can run searches, though as with most dating sites with tiered membership structures, Pink Wink reserves more advanced functions for its paying members. You can run searches by location, giving you a list of eligible people who are in your vicinity, or you can use more advanced filters to get matches based on physical attributes, shared interests, and more.
Communication Tools
Unfortunately, once you’ve found someone you want to connect with, you’ll need a paid subscription to actually get in touch. Pink Wink gives free members the option to use canned phrases from its “I’m Interested” dropdown menu, but that’s pretty much it.
That’s a shame, because Pink Wink ticks all three boxes for typical online dating communication tools: You’ll get email, instant messaging, and chat rooms, giving you the freedom to switch from one-on-one conversations to more general mingling whenever you’d like. Unfortunately, you might not be able to do that wherever you’d like, since Pink Wink doesn’t provide companion apps for mobile devices. You can struggle through the site’s mobile version with your phone browser, though.
Customer Support
You can reach Pink Wink’s customer support team through their online contact form or by sending them a letter through regular mail. Noting of note here, to be honest.
Complaints of Fraud
Watch out: tons of users have reported that Pink Wink sends expressions of interest using fake profiles in an apparent attempt to bait members into staying with the service. That new user sending you tons of “I’m Interested” messages? That might just be a Pink Wink staffer tasked to retain your subscription at all costs. It’s an inexcusably exploitative tactic to be using, especially since real members like you run the risk of being led on and emotionally manipulated just for the sake of sustaining the business. It goes without saying that you should steer clear of sites that resort to such measures.
What's the Verdict on Pink Wink?
Pink Wink Review 2020 – Conclusion
Even on features alone, Pink Wink doesn’t have a lot going for it. This online dating site gives you all the usual features like search and messaging, and all the usual caveats like limited free membership. Normally that would mean Pink Wink disappears in the crowd of online dating websites. Instead, this company distinguishes itself by engaging in misleading, if not downright shady, marketing practices. From the offers of 100% free membership despite the need for a paid subscription for messaging, to the numerous complaints of the company using fake profiles to lure members back in, Pink Wink delivers tons of false promises.
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