– First Impression –
We must confess, when we first visited the homepage for FabSwingers, we were severely under-impressed. For a moment, we thought that we had been taken back in time. Aesthetically, the FabSwingers site resembles something which predates smart phones or high-speed internet. It recalls a website common during the old dial-up days. Of course, as we have learned through experience, when it comes to online dating sites appearances can be deceiving.
When you come across a dating site that looks as antiquated as FabSwingers, it is normal to question not only its potential but also its level of safety and security.
For that reason, we started our evaluation of the site along the privacy and data protection front. We were pleased to discover that the site uses HTTPS protocols on all of its pages – including on the all-important login and registration page. Also, FabSwingers uses a unique peer-based verification system. Verification is used to prove to other members of the community that you are in fact a real couple or a real woman. Single men cannot get verified, although they can still join and use the site. Members can verify other members only after they have personally seen them via webcam. While simple, this system appears to work well. During our test, we found most of the profiles on FabSwingers to be real. This was a refreshing surprise considering that free sites tend to be flooded with fake profiles and assorted trolls.
– The FabSwingers Dynamic –
FabSwingers established a winning formula ten years ago of keeping things simple and letting the community participate in its own growth and policing. This has created a community of users that are active and a platform that actually yields results.
On average, 130,000 people visit the site daily. While that may seem small when compared to other hookup sites, keep in mind that the majority of these people are engaging with the community. Other sites may tout larger numbers, but usually, only a small percentage of their figures are composed of active users. FabSwingers like to keep its community fresh. As a result, if your profile does not log in for more than 72 hours, you are temporarily denied access to sections such as the “hot list.” This is where you would normally find the newest members on the site. Full access is restored 24 hours after having logged back into your account.
The community is comprised of couples, single japan cupid females, and single men. Couples and single females can choose to block messages from single men. This prevents trolling and other awkward encounters. Both couples and females may contact single men even if they have blocked receiving unsolicited messages from them. This sort of community-based quality control is really effective. We were left wondering why larger pay sites don’t apply similar practices.
Contact between members is made through the site’s chatroom. There, you can engage in text-based or webcam conversations. FabSwingers also has forums and boards where members can post invites to real-world meet-ups and other events.
– Is It Really Free? –
We are pleased to report that the word “free” really means free on FabSwingers. The site monetizes itself by displaying advertising on its pages. There is a paid option that gives you “site supporter” status and removes the ads. It has a cost of $8 for 50 days of premium service.
From our perspective, becoming a “site supporter” on FabSwingers is more akin to contributing to someone’s Patreon page. Being a site supporter allows you to save messages from other users indefinitely in your own account folder and it removes the 12 picture limit on your profile. Aside from that, the most noticeable feature is that the banner advertising is removed. FabSwingers doesn’t promote the upgrade too heavily. It seems that if you become a site supporter it is because you genuinely enjoy the community and really want to contribute financially to it. Again, the community mentality is at work here -and again it’s effective.
