Hong Kong Watchdog Takes Swipe at Tinder's Age Based Fees

THE STANDARD - The Consumer Council claims Tinder has an "unfair" pricing mechanism that charges users an annual subscription according to age. The council registered accounts for users aged 18 to 68 with intervals of 10 years.  The highest fees are for 38-year-olds, followed by for 18-year-olds and 58-year-olds. The cheapest are for those whose ages are 28, 48 and 68. The app charges 38-year-old platinum account holders HK$1,318 annually, which is 42% higher than users from the lowest-priced group. The watchdog urged Tinder to make rectifications. The council also found dating apps reveal users' personal information for marketing and advertising after a trial of nine popular ones in Hong Kong between October and December. The nine tested were Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, Goodnight, Heymandi, OkCupid, Omi, Paktor, SweetRing and Tinder. All were found to have preset permission to use account owners' data, including name, gender, sexual orientation, date of birth, location, e-mail address and phone number for marketing or advertising. Only three apps allowed users to opt-out.  Age is not covered under Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws, an Equal Opportunities Commission spokesman said.

by Eunice Lam
See full article at Teh Standard

Mark Brooks: Do you think Tinder, and nay, the industry at large, make rectifications? Is age-based pricing logical and justifiable, or just wholly unfair? Your comments, please.

Comments

[Mark Brooks]

I would argue that the dating industry is an industry where some pricing differentiation by age is justifiable and fair. But then could the argue then continue to certain religions, races, sexual lifestyle groups? That's where any argument breaks down quickly.

From our standpoint as dating site operators, a 65 year old women in Nebraska is a very different case vs a 21 year old woman in New York. One will be very easy to keep happy and satiate with matches. The other, requires a concerted marketing effort and expense to find matches for.

Matchmakers know this full well. Try and get a matchmaker to take on a 65 year old woman in Nebrasks. Meanwhile, the 21 year woman in New York will most likely be on the matchmaker's free matching database, for the matchmaker to match with their paying clients.