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Guardian Soulmates is closing down – and former daters who met their match on the platform are pretty forlorn about it.
After 15 years, the premium dating site announced it will close at the end of June as it’s unable to keep up with fierce competition from free dating apps and sites.
“We’ve come a long way and are very proud of all the thousands of people we’ve helped introduce, the good dates people have been on (ok, we know not all were good, but we tried), the weddings that took place and the families that have been created,” a statement from the team read.
“To every single person who has used our service, thank you. You have been part of a wonderful community of like-minded people, open to finding love and meeting people. But like all good things, we must now come to an end and we’ll be shutting up shop.”
The platform has now been opened up for everyone to use for free. So, in the words of the Soulmates crew: “If you were waiting for the right moment to make your move – it’s now!”
Those who already pay for the dating site will be able to get refunds on existing subscriptions, Guardian Soulmates has said. They’ll be refunded for days paid beyond and including 14 May, and “this will be done proactively, without subscribers needing to take any action”.
On Twitter, people are already paying tribute to the dating site that introduced them to the people they fell in love with.
Prepare for a reminisce fest.
Among people paying tribute to the platform have been those who didn’t exactly find love – but did find some great anecdotes to tell mates as a result.
It’s safe to say this guy is devastated by the loss.
Thanks for the memories, GS.