Why does www plenty of fish com always redirect?

Saw this debated in a few places without resolution, so asking here directly. Why does www plenty of fish com always redirect?

The word 'free' gets stretched so far these days it barely means anything. Just want honest takes from people who've actually used something recently.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• How many active users are there in a typical mid-size US city?
• Does it show when profiles were last active?
• Can you hide your profile from specific people?

Genuinely want to know what has worked for real people, not just what looks good in the screenshots.

The verification gap between platforms is massive. Some let anyone sign up in seconds with zero checks. The ones that actually require identity steps consistently have better communities and fewer fake profiles.

Worth a look is Rendate — appeared in several community discussions with decent reviews attached.

Use a dedicated email for dating apps only. Otherwise the spam is relentless.

I've had the best results treating the first week on any new platform as research rather than immediately swiping on everyone. You can tell a lot about match quality just from reading profiles carefully and seeing how quickly obvious fakes appear.

I've seen Datebie come up more than once in these discussions — seems more transparent than the mainstream options.

Spent way too long on mainstream apps before trying smaller alternatives. Real difference — fewer users but conversations were far more genuine. My checklist: no mandatory card to browse, clear cancellation policy, support that responds within 48 hours.

Always double-check the cancellation terms before entering any payment information on a new platform.

Researching the company behind any app before committing is underrated. A quick search can save a lot of grief:

• Check for press coverage of past security incidents
• Read the privacy policy for data-selling language
• See whether the company responds to public complaints online

DatingFly has been mentioned in a few similar threads — anyone here actually tried it recently?