Personal Ads: Five Things You Should NEVER Forget

1. Personal ads should not divulge personal information
Everyone’s said it, everyone’s heard it, but we’ll say it again: online personal ads are not the place to give out your personal information. Get to know the people you meet from personal ads before you let them in on the secrets of your existence. You might end up meeting the man of your dreams. You might end up on the 6:00 news as the latest victim of a deranged personal ad stalker.

2. Online personal ad subscriptions
need to be constantly monitored Online personal ad services renew automatically. Just because you email and unsubscribe to the email updates doesn’t mean that you have cancelled your account. Your personal ad photo could be floating in cyberspace indefinitely, and the monthly charge could be showing up every month on your credit card like clockwork. CANCEL THE PERSONAL AD and GET A CONFIRMATION when you are no longer interested. $19.95 doesn’t sound like much, but it’s an unpleasant surprise to realize you spent $239.40 plus interest for a personal ad service you didn’t know you still had at the end of a year’s time.

3. Personals should always seek to be truthful
If you lie in your personal ad, it will catch up with you. Hey, if you’re just there to play head games, you may not care, but if you really are hoping your personal ad will aid you in finding a serious relationship, you’re doomed from the start if you describe yourself as 5’4″ and 125 pounds and you’re really 5’3′ and 170 pounds. Honey, dream all you want, but you won’t lose the weight during the weeks you’re exchanging emails with your dream date. Guys, the same goes for you – women can spend one evening with you and sense you’re lying about that six-figure income your personal ad talked about, so spare us the wasted evening and tell the truth up front. Believe it or not, most of us are more interested in reliability than your stock options.

4. Make sure your personal ad makes the right first impression.
Never forget that the person whose personal ad caught your eye is a potential friend, companion or date – not your counselor, shrink or bartender. Don’t use your personal to talk about your ex, complain about how men are only looking for one thing, women are all black widows or every relationship you’ve ever been in has been twisted. It will start a stampede – away from your personal ad.

5. Those responding to your personal ad have feelings, too!
Your personal ad is bound to generate responses that don’t interest you. Never forget that the person on the other end is someone’s daughter, son, brother or sister. Most people who peruse online personal ads are seriously looking for that special someone – don’t scare them off with bad behavior just because you’re not interested. Treat that person like you would want your own family member to be treated!