The most important things in brief:
- Cheap trial subscriptions can quickly become expensive: When looking for a partner online, you should always pay attention to the small print.
- You always have a 14-day right of withdrawal for such online subscriptions. And the European Court of Justice ruled in the Parship case that large payments for a timely cancellation are unlawful. Use our calculator to find out the maximum amount you can be charged for a cancellation.
- Caution is also required when sharing personal data.
ECJ puts an end to expensive revocation
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has put a stop to a dating agency scam with a ruling dated October 8, 2020 ( Case C-641/19 ): Those who cancel their contract within the deadline no longer have to pay compensation, sometimes hundreds of euros. This often saves those affected significant sums if their providers charged them significantly more for cancellations.
The background: Anyone who cancels an annual subscription costing hundreds of euros after just a few days doesn’t necessarily get out of it for free. Such a cancellation is still possible 14 days after the contract is signed . However, the dating sites can be used immediately, so some providers insist on a so-called compensation. The Hamburg Consumer Advice Center points to cases in which the provider Parship charged up to around 300 euros for just a few days of use.
In October 2020, after numerous rulings before various courts, the European Court of Justice finally put a stop to this practice and ruled that Parship may only demand compensation pro rata temporis, i.e., based on the number of days until the cancellation. This can only make a difference if the contract expressly stipulates that one or more of the services are to be provided completely and separately at the very beginning of the contract execution, at a price to be paid separately.
Calculate your claims in the event of a revocation now
Anyone who has taken out a subscription without such a service will only have to pay the corresponding portion if they cancel after, for example, 10 days.
If you wish to declare a cancellation, you can calculate here how much the company is likely to retain or demand from you due to the short period of use between the conclusion of the contract and your cancellation.
Please note: The calculator does not provide results for contracts that expressly stipulate that one or more of the services are to be provided completely and separately at the beginning of the contract execution at a price to be paid separately.
If you want to find out the amount to be paid when canceling a contract, you can proceed as follows:
Calculate
- a daily price. For example, if the 90-day subscription costs 200 euros, divide the amount by 90 days = 2.22 euros.
- Then multiply this daily price by the number of days that have passed until your cancellation. For example, if the cancellation period is 10 days, this would result in 10 * 2.22 = €22.20.
According to the ECJ ruling, the provider may only demand this maximum amount from you as compensation.
If Parship demanded a higher amount from you, you can now demand repayment of the unjustified portion after the judgment. Our tool above can create a free sample letter for such a case.
Read the small print carefully beforehand
Online dating sites and matchmaking agencies provide services, meaning they simply offer their customers the technical means of contacting other people registered on the portal. Anyone who wants to use this service and use one of the numerous online portals should always read the fine print beforehand .
This is because the terms and conditions often contain hidden costs. For example, some providers advertise so-called trial subscriptions that appear to be offered at a low price. Consumers are then shocked to discover that the trial subscription has automatically been renewed for six or even twelve months at a much higher price after the expiration date.
Lawsuit against Parship
The German Federation of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) filed a model declaratory action against the dating site Parship in November 2021. The Hamburg Higher Regional Court ruled in October 2023 that the clauses according to which 6- and 12-month contracts were extended by one year if users had not terminated at least 12 weeks in advance were invalid.
Cancellation and termination options
Many customers want to leave the dating agency shortly after signing the contract because they are dissatisfied.
Consumers generally have a two-week right of withdrawal for online contracts , which must be communicated before the contract is concluded. Some portals claim that the right of withdrawal expires prematurely for services once they have been fully provided. However, this is not the case, especially with subscription contracts, even if consumers have already sent messages. See also the ECJ ruling from October 2020 above.
The cancellation options are listed in the fine print and vary from dating agency to dating agency . The Federal Court of Justice has ruled that online dating agencies must also allow their customers to cancel their contracts online (judgment of July 14, 2016, case no. III ZR 387/15 ). This means that anyone who concludes such a contract online must also be able to terminate it online.
In a recent ruling (judgment of May 6, 2021, case no. III ZR 169/20 ), the Federal Court of Justice ruled that the customer’s right of withdrawal does not expire simply because the dating agency compiles the number of partner suggestions agreed upon in the contract. In the underlying case, the general terms and conditions of the contract stated that the main service provided by the dating agency was the creation of a partner portfolio containing 21 partner suggestions. However, according to the Federal Court of Justice, fulfilling the main service obligation requires more. For example, sending detailed partner suggestions with names and contact details.
Be careful when sharing personal information
Online, consumers should carefully consider what information they want to share about themselves. Particular caution is advised when sharing personal data. When first contacting other users, it’s advisable to discuss trivial topics such as hobbies, as it’s unclear who is hiding behind the online profile that may seem interesting at first glance.
is an American author, blogger, and cybersecurity specialist based in Florida. He developed an interest in writing during his school years, which later led him to create content aimed at raising awareness about various forms of online scams, particularly in the world of online dating.
On his platform, Scam Service Report, Hall shares analytical articles and practical advice to help users recognize and avoid traps set by scammers on dating websites. He describes common scam scenarios in detail—such as quick declarations of love, urgent requests for money transfers, refusal to engage in video chats, and attempts to move conversations off the dating platform.
