Did you meet your partner through an online dating agency?

[Aniles]

Hi

After being a single parent for years I now feel ready to take on the challenge of a relationship. The problem is that while I chose to be single I always seemed to be turning down offers but now I want to date I don't seem to meet anyone suitable. There's little chance of me meeting someone in my line of work, and most of my friends are all coupled off.

I've looked at some online dating sites but feel a bit strange about the whole thing. What if someone from work sees it and then broadcasts it on the notice board!!? I'd die of embarrassment! What heppens if I meet up with someone and we obviously don't like each other and it's really awkward, or worse still what if one of us is really keen and the other can't wait to get away? I think I'd be pretty rubbish at getting to know someone on-line. I hate chat rooms, feel too shy and can never keep up.

So, has anyone met Mr/Miss right this way? Or should I just accept that I'm going to be an old spinster? Please share your stories, good or bad :-)

my sister met a wonderful man at the end of her 6 months registration. he was at the beginning of his, cancelled his membership and they have been together for just over a year. the entire family love him (absolutely gorgeous in and out) and she is the happiest she's been in years. she always met her dates in a public place though and we would call her on her phone. if she said that her son was sick then she didn't like the date and wanted out. if she told us to go away she was on a date then we knew it was ok. good luck honey. there are good ones out there who don't have the time to go looking.

Well I met both my dp and exp on the Internet. Both in chat rooms, not through dating agencies, although my exp is with quite a lot of them (so Id watch out for him!) Exp lied to me about himself, so the person I "fell" for didn't exist.

My dp and I met on a chat room, and emailed each other, which then went onto texts, then phone calls, and then meeting up. We are both very much in love with one another, and he plans to live with me in the future (we live 2hrs train ride away from one another).

Just be yourself, and if you do meet up, it may be an idea to have a friend to go along, but out of the way, so if you want to get the hell out of there, someone is there for you! And dont be embarrassed about being on one. And just be honest with anyone you do meet. xxx

Trust me to post on the wrong one, sorry aniles!

If someone from work sees it, then they must have been looking too, so I doubt they would broadcast it to anyone
My husband works with a woman who has met her boyfriend on a dating site; he said she was so upfront about planning to do that, that it wasn't any big deal - maybe that might help?
Oh, and I don't think you should meet someone through a chat room, it might not be safe. At least with an online dating agency, they have some details about each person
Good luck - come back and tell us what happens