Original Dating  Avis 294

Really exciting experience!

Great fun - lots of smart nice people to meet

Was very unsure to start with but dragged myself there and really glad I did as it was well worth it and much better than I thought it was going to be!!

Great way to meet new people and it’s a lot of fun too.

Kind hosts, relatively quiet pub, easy to use website for matching with and messaging people.

I attended the coffee lovers speed dating event in London yesterday. The host was great and the idea of a coffee lovers speed dating really suited me. I don't drink and I don't tend to go to bars at night. The quality of the men wasn't great but that wasn't Original Dating's fault. I would do this type of speed dating again.

I've been to a few of these types of events, run by other companies. For me, this was the best so far. Keith was an excellent host, and took the time to explain how everything worked in detail. The online platform is also the most accessible and responsive I've used for these kinds of events. Well done team!

I attended an event in St Albans this week. The first time I have attended speed dating. The people I met were friendly and the host was very accommodating. The only criticism I had would be the venue. There was little parking and it was cold. However the pub staff were very friendly. I would recommend and attend again

I have never experienced a speed dating event before and I was quite nervous, I didn’t know what to expect. It was difficult to know who the host was, I managed to work it out. The event went very quickly and the time with the dates seemed inconsistent. Some felt exactly 4 mins, some felt shorter and others longer. The event finished 55 mins after it started and that was it. I find it difficult to talk to strangers at the best of times but then to just mingle felt a bit strange, it felt really rushed, needless to say I left.

I attended a Lock & Key event in May, my 3rd and best yet. The venue, near Bank was easily located and nicely chosen, big enough, and drinks reasonably priced for the area. I do think it would be good if the event started maybe half an hour earlier, to better allow people to leave in good time for trains home. I also think the age guides could be reviewed (I found the separate “over 40” event wasn't well attended, perhaps as the Lock & Key is branded for those up to age 45).

Original Dating is always well organised and executed. Lisa had been always kind and friendly and supportive of new nervous singles. I always had so much fun going to those events even though I never been matched with anyone.
Many thanks,
Adam Gotfree

Very professional dating company. Events are always well attended and organised well for a fun evening.

A very good experience. The venue I visited was fantastic. The host was a very welcoming and very very good and the organisation was also of the highest standard.

Worst Speed dating i've been on.
Hardly anyone turned up for the 2 events that I attended.
All round, I travelled 60 miles for the events plus a couple of drinks.
One of the bars I attended told me they had stopped dealing with them because they were a waste of time.
Given the usual next event free ticket.
Worse than the actual event is the shocking customer service.
I think a company that describes itself as Britains no1 dating site should be able to issue a refund after going through all the above.
That was refused and then they stopped replying to my emails.
Avoid like the plague!

Shocking. I've been asking for a refund for months, after they cancelled my Oct 2023 Leeds event and then a further event and haven't rearranged one for my age group since. They first replied to my request for a refund with the offer of a midweek event in Manchester. When I pointed out that would be a 4 hour round trip after work, they did not respond. They have not responded to any emails since. The 'hotline' phone number is an answer message directing you back to the website. Daylight robbery.

Very well organised
Great host

Speed dating is not perfect but no form of dating is ever going to be perfect. These guys are doing their best to make it work.

As someone who has been to a number of events with different companies these are the reasons I think Original Dating are the best:

- Their website actually works. People actually have profile pictures which makes it easier to remember and match with people.
- No need to contact customer service if you want to reschedule or claim the event guarantee. This can all be done through the website.
- Their events are well organised. The hosts are approachable and appear to have been trained well.

Obviously meeting people at the events is what speed dating is about but the way the events are organised and the post-event experience in terms of using the website are important too. This is why Original Dating are my favourite speed dating company.

Arrived and only 7 other people were there, despite their advertising stating that it was popular and "expect to meet 15-20 [people] during the speed dating rounds." It also stated "FREE WELCOME COCKTAIL UPON ARRIVAL," which did not happen. Despite emailing and asking for a refund after the event, all I got as a response was "thank you for your feedback" and they refused to refund me. Eventually I managed to get a refund through PayPal for the event which took a few weeks. Avoid this company.

I really enjoyed the lock and key party. And the padlock and key was a really nice icebreaker! The hosts were welcoming. It was my first time attending such an event and it surely made a good impression on me. I met some lovely people whom I had good connections/conversations with…you never know what may happen from here☺️Keep up the good work Original dating. Its worth a try!