Fresh I disbelieve the stats trotted out that most people now meet their partner through OLD than any other method of meeting people. I can only go by my experience and that of others.
I know dozens of friends - probably 30 or so - who have used OLD over the last 10 years or so. Of them, there has been one marriage (on the rocks within three years and we're all sure she only stays because he's loaded) and one long-term relationship. Everyone else has either been played, or only had some first dates or a couple of very short-lived (2-3 months maximum) of dating someone.
To my mind, that is NOT a terribly good recommendation and is totally against the stats. Having said that, I do think much of it also postcode lottery - Guardian Soulmates is OK if you are in London or Manchester but pretty useless anywhere else.
In terms of my own experience, my photographic memory is useful. I was on POF for ages, couple of first dates but no more. After six months I left. I rejoined this year to give it a final go having used OkCupid, Match, Tinder etc. I would say somewhere between one third and one half of all the female profiles I saw were ones I'd seen when last on TWO YEARS ago. That means one of three things:
a) everyone is far too fussy
b) the success rate is way, way, way lower that the so-called stats
c) there's an awful lot of fake profiles designed to hook you in.
I don't buy c) with regard to POF but that is certainly the case with Match and one or two other sites.
Of course some people do hit the jackpot. Of course they do. Maybe they are more open than others, have less of a type they are looking for etc. But I won't ever go back to it and will stay single than go through all that again and pretty much everyone else I know says the same.