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Red flags and dealbreakers

8 replies

RitterSportNugat · 09/10/2026 12:15

Recently single and realising how many red flags, albeit small, that I overlooked because I really fancied the last guy. And he ended up being a bit of a weirdo and totally not right for me.

Some initial indicators.. some didn't transpire until a few months in though....

Secretive with phone (messaging ex and violent porn addiction)
Mentioned his ex all the time
Ogling other women on first date and mentioning their appearance (I should have gone straight home, but excused it!)
Telling me he wasn't that interested in sex (he was, just not with me)
Poor personal hygiene
Started out holding my hand to cross busy roads. Towards the end, walked ahead and didn't bother to see if I was OK.

Bring em on!

OP posts:
Nosdacariad · 09/10/2026 12:21

So many

No boundaries with exes
No boundaries with landlady
"Starting a business" = claiming UC hassle free
No assets despite having had an "international" role
Fallen out with family
Asking weird Qs ("have you been sexually abused?")
Claiming the ex refused to sleep with them or is crazy or useless
Being mean with money
Any and all lies of omission

Lilaclane · 09/10/2026 14:03

This is timely!

  • obsessed with his ex and especially her family. They broke up four years ago yet they were the topic of nearly every convo at some stage or another
  • refused to do anything about her/others who bothered him - way too passive
  • terrible grammar
  • Selfish in bed
  • wouldnt remember a toothbrush when staying over
  • didn’t make any gestures to help me out - big or small. Despite being a tradesman he let me sort out lots of diy tasks that would have taken him no time at all I.e. hanging up a shelf that had fallen
  • associated with sport teammates who would share video content of them having sex in a group WhatsApp. Needless to say he wouldn’t have raised this as being an issue with them

there are more, but this was cathartic

Getalittle · 09/10/2026 14:11

Red flags ignored that turned out to be warning signs:

-described every break up as the woman’s fault. Said things like she was 20% nice and 80% drama. She was ‘unstable/mentally unwell’ etc. never took responsibility for it himself.

-describing the break up with a previous fiancé, he said they had had counselling and the counsellor had sided with his ex.

-hot and cold behaviour is the biggest red flag out there.

I’ve experienced this both with an ex and an ex friend. Both would be overly intense etc and then would disappear for long periods. Both would message when they needed some sort of feedback from me and then when got it would disappear again. Very emotionally unreliable and self absorbed. Both eventually discarded the relationship.

-Being evasive with detail.

NowStartingOver · 09/10/2026 14:58

Wears Sketchers.

Retro12 · 09/10/2026 16:30
  • Too keen, too quickly
  • Has no friends
  • Bad mouths ex's, it was all their faults
  • Jealous of others lives
  • Obsessed with your ex's life
  • Lives with parents
  • Lies about everything
Ariela · 09/10/2026 16:53

Red flag for me is when you meet the parents..... if his mother isn't really nice then he won't be in the long term.

EmmaB1309 · 09/10/2026 17:14

Secretive about money/finances or unemployed.
Weird relationship with their mother or mother doesn’t like you.
Limited contact with any children they have.
Doesn’t have his own house/flat
Exes that he says are a nightmare- you only have his side. Especially if there are kids involved.

Justthethingsthatyoudointhisgarden · 09/10/2026 20:02

Omg, I could have written a couple of these!

Every ex was crazy and everything was their fault. I was the only woman he was able to talk to.

Weaponising affection.

Belittling my achievements because my academic achievements were higher than his.

Bitchy comments about my home. His place was of course perfect!

Every happy moment had to be paid for - he could turn on a pin and start ranting.

Finding out after a year that he wasn't actually divorced because his wife had blocked him on everything.

Misusing prescription drugs.

Trying to force me to go swinging.

Finding out after two years he was using viagra.

Selling his car after dating for a couple of months then endlessly asking to borrow mine.

Not being allowed to wear comfy clothes around the house because that wasn't making an effort.

Forcing me to go away for the weekend when I had put my back out and could barely walk, and telling me I'd ruined everything.

Adjusting the height of the saddle on my bike so I fell off into the road.

Ranting so much about how awful meat is I went veggie for an easy life.

I lasted nearly 3 years of this. Started to see through him and calling him out. He dumped me! I got the last laugh. He has aged horribly.

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