The limits of being a free member?

Forum Virgin

0 likes 21 Mar 2012

I am wondering what are the limits of being an unpaid member v a paid member?
For example I seem to be able to send messages to anyone and as many as I care to send. Not had any replies yet but I don't care about that and will just have to improve my style and profile.
Can I send as many messages as I want? There appears to be no limit. If "yes"... Why under "extras" does it list "unlimited messages" as a feature you get when you pay?
If I got a message or a reply am I allowed to reply to the reply?
People who receive my messages who are themselves free members are they allowed to reply to me?
Can paid members do a search by distance? I can order my search results into distance.... nearest first, but it would be nice to be able to not have 1000's of results from across the whole of UK, the world even (Australia/USA)
That's all I was wondering thanks

neilinleeds

Sex God

0 likes 21 Mar 2012

You're not a free member with a limited account, you're a free member with a full account because although your forum join date says March 2008, looking at your profile your join date there is May 2004, which is pre-takeover. So, you have the same access rights as a paid full member. You wouldn't have forum posting rights for instance as a free member with a limited account who signed up post-takeover, nor would you be able to send PMs. Free members can't reply to any messages you send them unless you include an off-site method of contacting you in the PM. You will be able to reply to the one I just sent you to confirm the kind of account you have. ;)
The differences between free, paid, and paid with extras accounts are available here: http://www.swingingheaven.co.uk/help-centre/article.html?id=40 Not sure on the unlimited messages thing in extras as it's not explained there. Does that relate to the size of your inbox / sent items, as I think my non-extras account has an upper limit to the total number of messages stored there?
As for searching, when you click into search towards the top right of the page there should be a drop down giving you the option to 'Only show members within:' so many miles of your postcode, just to the right of the big bold 1,368,917 results or whatever the current count is. Default distance is national, so you'll get everybody, but you can select searches down to within 3 miles of your postcode.

Pontyp

Forum Virgin

0 likes 22 Mar 2012

Thanks Neil
So I am one of the lucky ones and will have to include my email in my messages...ok
"unlimted messages" can be seen when you click on "extras" in the left hand menu (from an unpaid account) and you are taken to the payment screen for extras. Dunno what it means.
So new unpaid members cannot initiate contact because they cannot give out their email address, all they can do is wink, and presumably they are not allowed to have an "about me" section on their profile where they could put their email? Thus making the site almost the same as all the other "free" contact sites like adultfriendfinder etc
Search by distance :doh: Oh yeah I see it.
"Pre-takeover" Did the site go commercial at some point then? When I started it was run by a couple in their spare time.
What date would a user have to be registered from in order to know they can reply to messages?

neilinleeds

Sex God

0 likes 22 Mar 2012

Quote by Pontyp
So new unpaid members cannot initiate contact because they cannot give out their email address, all they can do is wink, and presumably they are not allowed to have an "about me" section on their profile where they could put their email?

Correct. Up to the person receiving a wink to include some means of contacting them back if they choose to reply, yes. Openly displayed email addresses aren't allowed anywhere on the site. That rule's always been there, even pre-takeover IIRC.

"Pre-takeover" Did the site go commercial at some point then? When I started it was run by a couple in their spare time.
What date would a user have to be registered from in order to know they can reply to messages?

WhereTF have you been, living in a cave? lol

;) Yes, the site was taken over in November 2005. Accounts registered before then are free memberships with full access rights, everything after is either a free limited membership, or a paid one. For accounts registered post-takeover, don't think there's any way to tell what kind of membership someone has from their profile. Someone will no doubt correct me there if I've missed something.

pebble

Casanova

0 likes 22 Mar 2012

Quote by neilinleeds
Up to the person receiving a wink to include some means of contacting them back if they choose to reply, yes.

From the little I have seen, I believe alternative contact methods included in private messages to free account holders also get removed, unfortunately. I believe it is automatic (ie. script detecting and removing phone numbers/email addresses), so there could be a way to circumvent it (not suggesting anything though innocent

:twisted

.
Free accounts are very limited! Might as well not have one. I believe this is the reason so many sign up and then go inactive within the first week. They come on hopeful, send a few winks, fail to perve a few profiles, get fed up and go lol

I was not here for the take-over, either!

neilinleeds

Sex God

0 likes 22 Mar 2012

Pebble, I wasn't sure if they still did that, but yeah, certain URLs ( mainly to other swinging sites ) at least did used to get auto-filtered out for a time. Didn't think they still did that as including phone numbers or email addresses in PMs is not a breach of the AUP:

Non Acceptable Behaviour.
Posting a telephone number, email address or other contact information anywhere in any public area (use private messages).

Tells you quite categorically to swap contact details in PM. No other way to read it. ;)

Unknown User

0 likes 28 Jan 2024

How many messages a day can I send as a free member

Cathylovitt

Forum Virgin

0 likes 11 Feb 2024

I am a free member because i have little income and cannot afford to join fully, I contribute many articles to the stories section which are well received, This must help the membership although i receive no benefit for this

Woohoo

Mod

0 likes 12 Feb 2024

Quote by Cathylovitt
"I am a free member because i have little income and cannot afford to join fully, I contribute many articles to the stories section which are well received, This must help the membership although i receive no benefit for this"

Id say the benefit you receive is the members that read your stories, if they are paid members , can if they wish, message you.