Does Doublelist actually work in 2023? If that’s your question, you’ll get all your answers in the next few minutes.
By my understanding, you’re looking for a casual date/hookup site. Basically a bedpage alternative for sex, isn’t that right?
Well, if you’d like to save some time you can directly move to my article about the best fuck sites.
But, if you must know the status of Doublelist, keep reading.
Does Doubelist work? A short answer
No. Doublelist doesn’t work. I do not wish to waste your time and that is why I’m being upfront here.
Obviously, I can not make a claim like this without substance. So, in this piece, I’ve discussed the following aspects of Doublelist-
- The registration process
- How Doublelist actually works.
- Its 7-country restriction
- Its message delay problem.
- The problem where everyone’s getting flagged and banned.
- Scammers (obviously).
- Men:women ratio
Does Doublelist actually work?- The registration process
Yes. Although, it would largely depend on your definition of “work”. Let’s get started for now?
It does “work”, at least technically. And one of the largest reasons for that is its extremely strict registration policy.
So, if you’re looking for an “anonymous dating/hookup site”, Doublelist isn’t for you.
It has a mandatory e-mail AND phone verification policy. While you can fake the e-mail, I’m sure you don’t have anonymous phone number lying around, do you?
Also, if users are forced to entire their phone numbers, and they still do, it tells you they’re serious about it, right?
However, this also means you can’t see or use anything without registration! That’s a massive plus Craigslist had over Doublelist
How does Doublelist work?
So, what exactly is the working principal behind Doublelist?
For starters, there’s no “profile”. All you need is an e-mail ID and a phone number.
You can then post ads, or respond to ads. You can filter ads based on your state/city and region, pretty specific.
When you respond to ads, your e-mail IDs are shared with the person. Yes, that may be a bummer for some of us. Wouldn’t it be better if the e-mails were kept private and some kind of inbox existed?
What do I mean when I say Doublelist “works”?
So, “work” here may mean a dozen things.
Do you mean if the site is live and lets you sign up? Then yes. Doublelist works 100%.
Do you mean if it has sexual ads and lets you find a potential partner? Certainly! That’s exactly what it’s built for.
But, do you mean it’ll 100% get you a partner and you won’t encounter scammers/catfishes? Then, it doesn’t work.
Doublelist works, but only for 7 countries.
Does Doublelist actually works? This question had a very different answer a few months back.
Doublelist recently underwent massive changes. This rendered it almost useless for majority (yes, majority) of the users.
For starters, it’s not free anymore! Yes, Doublelist now requires a fee.
On top of that, the mobile verification only works in 7 countries so far.
This means, if you’re not a resident of these countries, Doublelist wouldn’t work for you.
No, you can not skip the verification. I get it, you’ve seen the “I don’t want to phone verify” link in the above snapshot, haven’t you?
Well, if you click on it, you simply get this message.
Hence, phone verification is mandatory and is only accepted from the 7 countries listed above.
Moreover, VoIP numbers do not work! That’s another deal-breaker, isn’t it? If you have a VoIP number you can’t use that to register on Doublelist!
Doublelist works, but late!
Another major concern with Doublelist is its massively delayed delivery times.
Well, I haven’t had this experience personally but I found people who had.
As the user explains, any response, even those sent minutes ago, arrives hours late. This renders the experience useless. At times, you’d also continue paying for an ad thinking you haven’t got any responses yet but in reality you did!
Too many flags
This is something I experienced first-hand but at the time shrugged it off as a “only-me” incident.
Later, while researching for this piece more information came to light.
So yes, for some reason, Doublelist has starting flagging posts for no reasons.
Posts get flagged and taken down even if there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Here’s another user reporting the same:
Still not convinced? Here’s a third guy!
I actually found over 80% of responses everywhere saying they’ve been flagged and/or banned.
All in all, currently it’s very probable that your post may get flagged and taken down for absolutely no reason.
Do you get real, authentic responses on Doublelist?
Of course.
I get it, this piece may lean more towards the negative side of things. But hey, I actually used to love Doublelist before it all went haywire.
Everything I’ve stated so far has happened either to me, or someone else. Nothing here is just an “assumption”. I guess the darker side of things is somewhat justified then?
Anyway, this doesn’t mean Doublelist doesn’t work at all.
There are very high chances of you actually finding your partner there. After all, just like you, there are others trying very hard to find a real connection.
You need to be patient for the first few hours as the replies may arrive late, but they do arrive.
Men:Women ratio
Do I even need to spell this out?
The men:women ratio is like 50:1 or less. Of course, this is just a random number and the original number may not be as bad. But, you get an idea of what I’m trying to convey, aren’t you?
It’s not really Doublelists fault, but it’s a problem nonetheless.
It gets worse when gay dudes start responding to your ads, when you’re straight and have clearly mentioned the same.
The same goes for lesbians. They thin out an already thin pool of available options for straight men.
But again, Doublelist isn’t at fault. However, if you’re straight and Doublelist may not work for you as good as it should.
I’d say it’s still a viable option if you’re Bisexual though.
How to be safe on Doublelist?
Like any other social network, especially for dating & hookup, Doublelist is a blackmailer, scammer and catfisher’s paradise.
Given our social construct, it’s easy for you to be blackmailed or just harassed simply by being on one such platform.
Hence, I’d recommend a few tips which should keep you safe on the platform.
For starters, sign up using a fake e-mail. An e-mail that doesn’t have your real name, address or anything that’s connected to you.
Do note that people often confuse fake emails with temporary ones. Those won’t work on Doublelist. All responses will be sent to your e-mail directly.
You can use a service like Protonmail, Tutanota or even Gmail to create yourself a new e-mail. Just make sure you keep the name/address and everything else random.
Secondly, do not send nudes. I beg of you. It may be tempting, but do not send nudes ANYWHERE, on any site. If you’re too hot, make sure at least your face isn’t visible and/or blurred out at the least.
It’s best to always confirm the other party’s true identity first. Hence, ask for social media channels before exchanging private information.
It’s best if you can get a voice/video confirmation. Again, make sure your voice/video isn’t sent out first before confirmation.
If possible, also use a temporary/non-primary number for all contacts. A lot of social media networks allow “search by phone number”. Hence, anyone who has your number can actually get your name, address, photos, profession and a lot more of your persona life.
Oh and money? Never send money to anyone. No matter what proof/assurances you get. If you’re “donating”, that’s fine. But if you’re being promised a return, you’ll never see your money again.
When setting up dates, choose public places. Even after voice and video confirmations, you need to be cautious. Hence, do not jump direct to the bed. Always have a layover at a cafe/restaurant and feel out the scene first.
Final words- Does Doublelist actually work?
Doublelist works, but only as far as the site opening up. As you probably know by now, it has more than just a few problems. And that’s without counting its move to a “paid” service.
Let’s recap? Signing up is extremely restricted. No privacy exists because you must share your number. Responses are delivered late, very late. Posts get flagged and taken down!
Overall? I’ll say it’s a pretty mixed up scene, even from reviewers. I’ve seen some sites full with 5* ratings for Doublelist. Of course, these can be paid reviews which seems more and more probable now.
However, considering my personal experience, I did see it “work” previously. Although, I’m not so sure anymore.
Bottomline? In my opinion, Doublelist is not working. At least, not the way it should. If you need a hoookup/dating site, an alternative to Doublelist, you might be interested in checking new Backpage alternatives.