Do you ever read the fine print when you sign up for a dating site? You know, the "read this before you have access to the site" -kind of snooze-worthy literature? Of course not. Most people, unless they're lawyers perhaps, or nerdy like me, will completely overlook these carefully constructed paragraphs, chock-full of essential yet boring information. If you read my dating site reviews, you'll already know what to look for, however if you want to take a boo at one of the many sites I've yet to cover, here's what to scan and ensure you understand fully before signing up.

Trial Periods
A number of large dating sites, such as True.com, offer trial periods to check things out. A few days to a week long usually, these trials offer up (usually) full access to the site in question, so you can determine if it suits your needs. Unfortunately, there's almost always a catch. Many readers have commented that they only get messages (or replies) after their trial period expires, or can only do so much, like with eHarmony, until they pay for full access. The bigger complaint I hear however is one that could easily be avoided should folks read the fine print: however you sign up for the dating site, your credit card (or bank account) will be debited for a full membership as soon as the trial expires. Oftentimes, these payments are not refundable either. So how do you get around it? Set a calendar reminder for 24-48 hours prior, and make sure to cancel your trial on the website then.

Cancellation and/or Refunds
Although I just mentioned it, it bears repeating: a significant number of dating sites refuse to refund or cancel membership fees, for any reason.

Check this out before signing up, or at the very least, opt for the shortest possible term.

Reoccurring or Automatic Billing
More dating sites practice this than I can keep up with, so do take note. If you sign up and pay for a dating site, you're more than likely going to get billed again at the end of the term automatically, with zero warning. Big dating sites like Match.com do this, as does smaller, less known sites like xDating. The way around this is the same as the first point in this article: 

How Your Personal Information is Stored and/or Used
Privacy policies are fascinating things, especially if you read them as much as I do. Their intent? To detail what sites can, and either can't or won't keep on record about you. Some of the information you may have shared willingly (name, demographics, payment details) and others may get collected anonymously (IP address, location, frequency of visits). Regardless, this one is especially important on dating sites, because of places like Untrue.com, whose terms state they can use your likeness, photos and information in marketing materials and so forth in perpetuity. Yep, that's right. Forever.

Guarantees
A select few sites offer guarantees similar to Ashley Madison's Affair Guarantee, where if you follow a certain set of rules and requirements, you'll get a full refund if things fail to pan out. While in theory these are fantastic, they're also incredibly difficult to actually perform all the necessary items successfully. Take note of everything you have to do to ensure you'll get the cash back. Are you sure you want to jump through that many hoops, for that long of a period? Again, your calendar is your best friend if you do decide to try this option, and make sure to follow it religiously.

Staff Profiles
A few sites openly share that they (may) have staff profiles on the site, meaning staff members pretend to be paying members for a variety of reasons. Some sites place a staff profile badge on these accounts, such as over at BeNaughty, while others only share these details in the fine print, such as Match.com. When it comes down to it, any dating site can use a profile for whatever they want, it just helps to know if there's a high percentage that are actually people you might be able to meet in person.