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Ashley Madison Review - Is Ashley Madison Legit?

Ashley Madison doesn’t work on quite the same membership plan basis other sites do. It works on credits instead - and you get to decide when you want to move from being a free guest member to paying for their services.

Ashley Madison Review
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If you’ve heard of the Ashley Madison brand name, you might know it targets a unique area of the online dating scene. The first bit of good news comes when you realize you can sign up as a free guest member to check it out more closely. Before you think about doing that, you might want to see what we found out when we dove into their website to see what it was all about. For married people searching for affairs, this is the site to explore.

What is the user base at Ashley Madison?

You may not need our Ashley Madison review to reveal the answer to this. They target married people who are looking to have an affair or to discreetly date other people while married. The clarity offered on this means everyone visiting the site knows the situation. So, if you’re in the market for a casual hookup within your marriage (whether your partner knows about it or not), Ashley Madison is a legit service for doing just that.

According to their website, they welcome over 20,000 new members every day, adding to the 80+ million members who have joined since the site opened in 2002. This certainly confirms the scope for anyone looking to sign up to the site. It means that even when you’ve filled in your profile and made it clear who you’re looking to connect with, there are still going to be plenty of options available.

Checking out the Ashley Madison price options for membership plans

Ashley Madison doesn’t work on quite the same membership plan basis other sites do. It works on credits instead - and you get to decide when you want to move from being a free guest member to paying for their services. It works well because you can also decide which services to use and when, to take full control of your credit balance. You’ll see there are several Ashley Madison price points to consider. The credit price varies depending on how many you decide to buy, too. Most notably, you don’t need to pay a dime until and unless you’re ready to indulge in some of their paid services. It’s also worth mentioning that you do not need to add any credit card info (or another payment method) when you sign up.

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Ashley Madison price options for membership plans

Our Ashley Madison review of the signup process

Don’t look for a signup or join button - look for the pink button inviting you to see your matches instead. You’ll need to enter a few bits of info to get yourself set up, including:

  • Your relationship status
  • Username and password
  • Location details
  • Email address

You won’t need to include your name, but your date of birth is required. It doesn’t take long to go through and add all the relevant info. Just remember to check the box that asks you to agree to their privacy policy, T&Cs, and personal information data. Make sure you read all those first, and then you’re good to get started.

Is the Ashley Madison cost worth it? Unique features for members to access

When you sign up, your relationship status becomes one of the most important parts of your signup form. That’s because the site aims to match you with people looking for others in your situation. For instance, if you’re single and looking to meet someone, that’s important to know. Our Ashley Madison review highlights how your status aids them in their algorithmic methods for matching members with other members. It’s impossible to know just how this algorithm works, but if you’re a married male seeking a female, the system will use this detail to provide the most relevant matches.

Your profile is active and ready to customize once you sign up. You’ll need approval to add any private photos or other custom content, but this is usually done within 24 hours, even during the busiest periods. Editing your profile is a breeze - you can simply access it and choose which of the sections you would like to edit. Just remember to save your changes. The Greeting and About Me sections do require manual approval from the team, but these are usually done within about four hours.

First-contact messages and priority messages require credits to pay for them. However, once you’re chatting with someone, all messages to the same individual are free beyond the first one. It’s worth reading more about the credit system via their help center before you sign up, as there are lots of actions and credit prices to consider.

Is Ashley Madison legit: Can you trust its interface and design?

Everything about the Ashley Madison site design oozes professionalism. That’s great to see and it permeates through every part of their website. The landing page provides nuggets of information in panels, giving you more details about their services and who they’re aimed at. Whether you’re polyamorous, seeking a casual connection, wanting an affair, or anything else, their website makes it clear that the right and like-minded people are out there to connect with.

You can’t see what a profile looks like unless you sign up, but our research revealed the professional and slick look extends to profiles as well:

  • Basic details appear when you’re searching for profiles
  • User photos also appear
  • You can also opt to search within a certain distance of your location
  • It’s possible to select an age range to look for

Navigating your way around the site is easy enough, with search options, credit details, and other important elements spread across the top of the site once you’ve logged in. You’ll get a messages area too, with a credit option to push your message to the top of someone else’s inbox. Alternatively, you can send a regular message if you wish, although if that individual receives plenty, yours might get lost in the virtual shuffle. It’s one way to see how those credits can be used though, with different options coming into play.

Is Ashley Madison legit? What’s the safety and security like?

Privacy is the watchword at this dating site - and for obvious reasons. They provide ample information about payment methods, confirming that they use different wording for your payment. The safest method to deposit with is a prepaid credit card, as other services do have the power to change the wording to show Ashley Madison on a statement, so that’s worth considering.

They’re also keen to tell members that the only way they ever contact them is via the email address used during the signup process. This means any contact received in another way is not genuine, helping you protect your info and identity.

Top-notch customer support confirms Ashley Madison isn’t a scam

The bulk of their support comes via the help center - and that’s huge. Enter one or two words in the search box and you should find some answers that will help you figure out what to do next. If you do need to get in touch, the available methods are below (the virtual assistant looks like the best bet for starters in terms of speed).

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Customer Support confirms Ashley Madison isn’t a scam

Pros and Cons: The crux of our Ashley Madison review

There are good and bad bits for every site, so let’s see how Ashley Madison fares in this area. Fortunately, we’ve dispeled the idea of an Ashley Madison scam, so how does the site balance those pros and cons?

Pros:

  • Secure and safe
  • Clear about its target market
  • Credit system gives the member control
  • Polished website that looks slick
  • Multiple payment methods (including prepaid cards)

Cons

  • It took a lot of research to figure out the credit package prices
  • No clear idea of how many credits you need per action until you join

Our final thoughts: Is Ashley Madison legit and good to use?

We like the fact that they’re clear on their stance - they cater for married people looking for affair partners or discreet (and indeed discrete) connections of some kind. We admire them for that, as it’s clear who the target audience is from the second you land on their homepage. If you're in that target audience, the services become clearer the more you explore the site. They reveal plenty before you create an account, and make every step of the process as private and professional as possible. Everything you’d want in such a service, we’re guessing. Sign up for a free account for starters and explore the Ashley Madison cost options from there.

Ashley Madison review FAQ

Is Ashley Madison a legitimate site?

Yes, there’s no need to worry about its legitimacy. It has been around for over 20 years, its service developing and becoming more in-depth since those early days.

How much does Ashley Madison cost?

The site works on credits, with various actions each costing a certain number of credits. You can purchase credit packages each month, ranging from $59 to $289 at current prices.

How many active users does Ashley Madison have?

The latest figures from 2020 reveal that the site passed 70 million users that year.does

Does Ashley Madison work without paying?

Yes, you can join as a free guest and enjoy limited parts of the site. There are monthly credit packages available if you wish to begin using some of the features on the site.

Provided in cooperation with WLX

Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.