The numbers have startled many of the experts. According to Forrester Research Inc in 2008 online dating generated over nine hundred million dollars in revenue. That is light years pass what was previously projected.

They are well on their way to more mind boggling numbers in the near future. Not so much because of the new innovations on the horizon (better video and more interaction to name two) but due to the fact that business is booming in the midst of a worldwide economic meltdown. It is not hard to imagine that once the economy picks up then online dating will really take off.

A good deal of the success has to be credited to the free online dating services particularly places like Plenty of Fish which is the crown jewel of the no cost dating websites.

But even a powerhouse free dating service has its problems. Plenty of Fish founder Markus Frind stated on his blog in January,"I'm letting hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues slip through my fingers every year by sending people to competitors' sites. Given what everyone else in the market is doing now the only real choice we have is to acquire a mass market paid dating site or build one myself."

Letting revenue slip through their fingers may not be unique to free online dating services (indeed it can happen to any business online or off) but it does highlight some of the problems these companies face and how it could adversely affect the consumer who is looking to explore online dating.

Some of the obstacles concerning free dating sites include:

1. Really Free?

There are a number of free online dating services that practice what they preach. Free is free. For others there are limits. You can set up a profile and even get in touch with a few prospects. However if you want to access the chat rooms or do some instant messaging you are going to have to fork over some cash. If that's the case then it maybe cheaper to go with a paid service that provides full membership up front.

2. Unsecure Email

Businesses are in business to make money. That goes for the online as well as offline world. Even if an online dating service is giving away the bulk of their product and services they still want to get some kind of profit out of it. Selling advertising space won't always cut it; selling your email just might. That's not to say that all free online dating services do this but there are a few that have to make up the cost somehow. Check in the terms and conditions or other fine print to see if selling your email is part of the signup process.

3. From Gray To Dark

Very few free online dating services have a sorting out process. Which means you get what you pay for. There are going to be a lot of online dating profiles that are only set up to advertise. You will also see quite a few built to scam you. And then there are those whose sole desire is to make you a lead character in their dark fantasies. While even paid online dating services have no way of filtering out all the weirdness and deception they do at least have a screening apparatus in place. Since the same cannot be said for free services it goes without saying that they get more than their fair share of undesirables.

There was talk sometime back that paid online dating services were on the decline. That got dispelled when many of these paid site reported record shattering increases in memberships and profits. While there will always be a market for free dating services be careful that they do not come with a price too rich for your taste.