Frequently Asked Questions
Need help? The following should cover most of your questions.
General Help
- How does the IOL Dating site work?
- What is the difference between a member and a subscriber?
- Is it free, or is there a catch?
- Why can't I send messages?
- Is my privacy respected?
- Is the content censored?
Login Help
Profile Help
- Why must I set up a profile to use the site?
- Do I have to pay to set up a profile?
- How do I set up my Profile?
- Can I change my Username?
- How do I change my Profile?
- Can I hide my profile from public view?
- Can my profile be seen by users of your other dating sites?
- How do I delete my profile?
Photo Help
- How do I add a photo to my profile?
- Does my photo automatically show on my profile?
- Are there any specific requirements for adding photos?
- Why did my photo disappear from my profile?
Search Help
- How do I search?
- How do I search for a specific member name?
- Why do I not get any results when I search?
- What is a match?
- How do I refine my matches?
- How do I add notes and ratings?
- How can I view notes/ratings that I have recorded?
- How do I edit a note or a rating?
Contacting Other Members
- How do I contact another member?
- Can I send a message without always going to the other member's profile?
- Will any of my details be exposed?
- I received a message from another member. How do I reply?
- Must I be a Subscriber to receive messages?
- I'd prefer not to receive messages in my regular email inbox. Can you help?
- How do I stop receiving messages from a specific member?
Money Help
- What does it cost to subscribe to IOL Dating?
- Is it safe to enter my credit card details on the site?
- What will appear on my credit card account?
- Will my subscription automatically be renewed?
- I have not used all of my subscription and want to delete my profile. Will I be refunded the balance?
- Will my profile remain on the site after my subscription ends?
Mobile Help
- What is the IOL Dating mobile address?
- Can I access the Internet from my mobile device?
- I already have a IOL Dating profile, can I access it on the mobile version of IOL Dating?
- Are there any additional charges when viewing the mobile version of IOL Dating?
- Will I still be able to get the regular Web site on my mobile?
- How do I bookmark the mobile version of IOL Dating?
- Is the mobile version the same as the regular Web site?
- Is the mobile version of IOL Dating available on all networks?
- How can I receive further support regarding the mobile version of IOL Dating?
- Why am I unable to view Popular Profiles and My Matches?
Chat Help
- How do I chat to another member?
- How do I add another member as a chat contact?
- How do I remove another member from my chat contact list?
- How do I enable or disable the chat feature?
- Why am I prompted to install a new version or update my browser?
- Can I still browse around the site while I have the chat window open?
Answers
General Help
How does the IOL Dating site work?
IOL Dating provides a safe, secure and anonymous way to find and communicate with people of your choice. In a nutshell, you choose a username (a screen name or alias) and set up a profile describing yourself and the type of person and relationship you are looking for. You can view other people's profiles by searching the site and, in turn, they can view your profile. When you find someone that interests you, you can send a message via the site to their username. The message is sent to their email address from your username - your real name and email address are never shown. In turn, you may receive messages from other members in your email inbox. These messages will be from their username and not their real email address, protecting both your and their privacy. When you are ready you may choose to tell the other member your real contact details. We recommend that you read our guidelines for safe online dating.
What is the difference between a member and a subscriber?
Everyone who sets up a profile is a member. To send messages you need to be a paying subscriber.
Is it free, or is there a catch?
To become a member is free. Members can use every feature of the site and can receive anonymous email through the site. To read more than 5 received messages per month or to send messages to others requires a subscription. Our subscription rates are very reasonable, please visit our subscription page to view our rates.
Why can't I send messages?
To send messages you must be a subscriber. Please visit our subscription page to view our rates or to sign up.
Is my privacy respected?
Yes. We will never give your details to other members or use your details for any purpose without your permission. For full details please review our privacy policy.
Is the content censored?
As a rule no. We're not here to police our members. However, we reserve the right to hide, delete or modify unacceptable profiles. Amongst other reasons we reserve the right to delete or modify profiles that:
- Contain contact information such as email addresses, ICQ numbers, Telephone numbers, addresses, etc.
- Are illegal, e.g. under 18 years of age or solicit contact from people under 18 years.
- Are racist, or attack other groups or religions.
Please refer to our terms of use for full details.
Login Help
I've forgotten my login details. How do I find them?
Easy! Just click on the Forgotten Password link, complete the simple form and we'll email you a reminder of your username and a link that allows you to reset your password.
If you joined with your social network account, click on the related button and sign in with your social network details. If you still have a problem, please contact us.
Can I change my password?
Yes. Go to the My Account page of your profile and follow the edit instructions.
Profile Help
Why must I set up a profile to use the site?
You can search the site without setting up a profile. However, to view full member profiles you need to become a member and set up a profile. Remember, it's free to become a member.
Do I have to pay to set up a profile?
No. To set up a profile you simply need to become a free member; it is only necessary to become a (paying) subscriber when you want to send messages to other members.
How do I set up my Profile?
If you are not yet a member, start by joining IOL Dating for free. If you're already a member, just click on Profile.
Can I change my Username?
Yes. Go to the My Account page of your profile and follow the edit instructions.
How do I change my Profile?
Go to Profile and follow the edit instructions
Can I hide my profile from public view?
Yes. Go to the My Preferences page of your profile and change 'visible' to 'hidden'. Note that you can switch this back to 'visible' at any time if you so wish.
Can my profile be seen by users of your other dating sites?
From the moment you complete your profile on one of our sites, our aim is to help you find as many other people as possible that match the type of person you are looking for. As part of this process, we typically allow your profile to appear on other carefully chosen dating sites operated by The Dating Lab. Remember, our matching process helps all of our members select suitable profiles, so even though yours may be seen by users of other sites, generally other members will only see your profile if you both match what you are jointly looking for.
Bear in mind that any mail or correspondence you receive through our system will appear in your profile inbox in the normal way.
For further information on how we protect your Personal Information such as your full name or contact details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
How do I delete my profile?
Go to the My Account page of your profile, click the 'Delete My Profile' button at the bottom of the page. NB: This process cannot be reversed and will completely delete all your details on the site. If you are a subscriber and have time left on your subscription, it will be deleted with your records and cannot be refunded or applied to other (future) profiles. If you are not sure about this, we recommend that you simply hide your profile.
Photo Help
How do I add a photo to my profile?
Go to My Photos and follow the guidelines for uploading photos.
Does my photo automatically show on my profile?
No. All newly uploaded photos must be checked and approved by our support staff before they become publicly visible. The same is true of existing photos if you change your primary picture. Photos are usually checked within 24 hours of upload, but this may be longer at times of high demand, and on weekends when we have fewer staff on duty.
Are there any specific requirements for adding photos?
Yes. Your photo must either be in JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF or PCX format. Your photo must be less than 4096kB, but there is no restriction on the dimensions of the image you upload. We will automatically resize it if it is too large. Please refer to the detailed instructions in My Photos.
Why did my photo disappear from my profile?
Your photo may be deleted if it does not comply with our technical requirements, is obscene or is a picture of a celebrity or other copyrighted material such as cartoon pictures.
Search Help
How do I search?
For a quick and simple search, specify your requirements in the Quick Search form and click 'Go'. For more advanced search options see the descriptions on the Find page.
How do I search for a specific member name?
Easy. Using the Find By Name page in the Find section, enter the other person's username or part of their name and click 'Go'.
Why do I not get any results when I search?
You are most probably making your search criteria too narrow. Try relaxing your requirements a bit, e.g. a wider age range, etc. If you are looking for a blonde, blue eyed 21 year old, non-smoking female living in Outer Mongolia who wants children, chances are you will not get many results!
What is a match?
Matches are other members whose profiles meet the criteria you specified in your My Ideal Match page when you set up your profile. Our matching engine performs two-way matches, so members will only appear in your match list if your profile also meets the criteria they specified for their matches.
How do I refine my matches?
Make sure your profile is as complete as possible and that your desired partner details are not too open. For example, if your desired partner is a female aged between 18 and 80 living anywhere in the world matching will not work well for you. The trick is to find the right balance between too open a match and too narrow a match. As well as the profile details you specify for a match you have the option to rate how important each detail is.
How do I add notes and ratings?
To add notes and/or ratings simply go to the users profile and scroll down to just below their photos block and you will find the Notes and Ratings feature.
How can I view notes/ratings that I have recorded?
To view notes and/or ratings you have documented, log in go to "Find" - "More" - "Notes" or "Ratings"
How do I edit a note or a rating?
To edit a note or change the rating you have given a user simply go to the users profile and scroll down to just below their photos block - click on the "edit note" link to modify/remove the note. To change the rating simply click on the amount of stars you would like to give that user. If you wish to remove your rating click on the space just before the first star.
Contacting Other Members
How do I contact another member?
When you view another member's profile you will see a 'Contact Him (or Her)' link. Click this link, enter your message in the text box provided and then click send.
Can I send a message without always going to the other member's profile?
Yes, add the other member to My Favourites by clicking the Add to My Favourites link on their profile. In the future simply go directly to My Favourites and click the 'Contact Him (or Her)' link next to their username.
Will any of my details be exposed?
No. The message sent to the other member will only contain your username, your message and brief instructions telling them how to reply. See our privacy policy for further details.
I received a message from another member. How do I reply?
The easiest way is to follow the link provided in the email you received. That will take you to their profile, where you can use the 'Contact Him (or Her)' link to send a reply message. Remember, you need to be a subscriber to send messages.
Must I be a Subscriber to receive messages?
No, you will receive messages sent to your username even if you are not a Subscriber. You will, however, need to be a subscriber to reply.
I'd prefer not to receive messages in my regular email inbox. Can you help?
We suggest you set up a free Web-based mail account with a service such as Hotmail and use this email address in your profile. Note that there is a potential down side to using free email services. Some of them disable your account if you do not check it regularly. In that case the emails other members send to you will be lost and, if we receive several consecutive bounces from your address, we may hide or remove your profile.
How do I stop receiving messages from a specific member?
Follow the link to their profile in the email you received from them, or use the Find By Name function to locate the other member's profile and click the 'Block Him or Her' link under their photo. If they try and contact you in future, they will see a note saying that you have blocked messages from them and that they cannot contact you. Remember only you can remove the message block.
Money Help
What does it cost to subscribe to IOL Dating?
We offer a range of competitive subscription packages, please visit our subscribe section for details.
Is it safe to enter my credit card details on the site?
Yes. Credit card payments are processed using our WorldPay card-processing gateway. WorldPay is one of the largest and most respected global card processing companies. All your card details are encrypted for maximum security whilst travelling over the Internet. Further, no credit card details are stored anywhere on our site.
What will appear on my credit card account?
Payments will be shown as a purchase from DatingBuzz, which is the name of the engine which drives this site.
Will my subscription automatically be renewed?
Yes, if you subscribe using a credit or a debit card, then you will be re-billed at the end of your first subscription period. However, if you purchase a subscription as a gift for someone, pay using an alternative method, or cancel your agreement before your renewal date, then you will not be re-billed. Should you wish at any time to cancel the automatic renewal of your subscription, simply go to the Status page and click on the cancellation link. You can find out more about the automatic renewal by clicking here.
I have not used all of my subscription and want to delete my profile. Will I be refunded the balance?
No, unused portions of a subscription are not refundable. Deleting your profile will result in your unused subscription being lost.
Will my profile remain on the site after my subscription ends?
Yes. You will however need to subscribe again if you want to contact other members again in future.
Mobile Help
What is the IOL Dating mobile address?
http://m.ioldating.co.za (without www.) is the address of the mobile version of IOL Dating.
Can I access the Internet from my mobile device?
Most new mobile phones are capable of accessing the Internet but it varies from handset to handset. If you are unsure, please contact your mobile network service provider for advice.
I already have a IOL Dating profile, can I access it on the mobile version of IOL Dating?
If you already have a IOL Dating profile, you can access it on your mobile device. You will be able to view your messages, Favourites and Fans in the same way you would if you were logging in on your desktop computer.
Are there any additional charges when viewing the mobile version of IOL Dating?
Depending on the mobile contract you have, there may be certain costs for accessing the Internet on your mobile device. Please note these are usually referred to as 'data' charges by your mobile network service provider and you would need to confirm these potential charges with them before trying to access the mobile version of IOL Dating.
IOL Dating will not charge you to access its mobile site.
Will I still be able to get the regular Web site on my mobile?
Yes, you can still access http://www.ioldating.co.za if you are browsing the mobile service. A link to the regular Web site can be found at the bottom of the page. However the mobile version of IOL Dating is optimised for mobile devices so we recommend you use this version.
How do I bookmark the mobile version of IOL Dating?
After typing in the address http://m.ioldating.co.za (without www.), simply highlight the link and then choose the 'bookmark', 'add bookmark' or 'favourites' option on your mobile device. This will save a link to the mobile version of IOL Dating, to your bookmarks/favourites and make it easy to find the next time.
Is the mobile version the same as the regular Web site?
The mobile version contains most of the features and functionality of the regular IOL Dating Web site. Some of the more advanced functionality (e.g. Advanced Search, Saved Search) is only available via the regular Web site.
Is the mobile version of IOL Dating available on all networks?
Yes, however some operators may require you to register that you are over 18 before they allow you access to dating sites. If in doubt, please check with your mobile network service provider.
How can I receive further support regarding the mobile version of IOL Dating?
If you are unable to find the answer to your query within the FAQ section, answer 'yes' when asked if you have read the FAQ. You will be presented with the contact us form where you can detail your query.
Why am I unable to view Popular Profiles and My Matches?
Some handsets have 'automatic reload' of Web pages option turned off. Your mobile device should allow you to turn this option 'on' via its page settings menu.
Chat Help
How do I chat to another member?
To use our chat facility you and the other person must have current subscriptions. You and the other person will need to add each other as favourites (mutual favourites) in order to be able to chat to each other. You will then automatically appear in each other's chat contact lists.
How do I add another member as a chat contact?
You both need to add each other as Favourites. Once you are mutual favourites, you'd see each other in your chat contact lists.
How do I remove another member from my chat contact list?
If you remove the member from your list of favourites, you will automatically be removed from each other's chat contact lists since you will no longer be mutual favourites.
How do I enable or disable the chat feature?
You can enable or disable the chat feature on the My Preferences page.
Why am I prompted to install a new version or update my browser?
Old browser versions may cause issues with the chat bar, so we advise you to update to the latest version of your current browser to avoid any problems. Otherwise we recommend using Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Safari instead.
Can I still browse around the site while I have the chat window open?
Absolutely. Just minimize the chat window/s in the top right corner while you're waiting for a reply and navigate around the site as usual.