Grindr, the dominant dating app for the LGBTQ+ community, is facing serious allegations of deceptive practices that are costing users thousands of dollars and raising questions about the company’s financial motivations.
While Grindr remains a popular platform, a growing number of users are reporting being swindled by the app’s “Boost” feature, leading some to label it a scam.
Financial Pressures and Allegations of Inflated User Numbers
Since going public in 2022, Grindr’s financial performance has been rocky, with its stock price plummeting. This has reportedly led to increased pressure to monetize the app, prompting concerns about how the company calculates its paying user base. A whistleblower complaint filed with the SEC in November alleges that Grindr has been inflating these numbers, a claim the company vehemently denies. These financial pressures coincide with reports of serious app instability, including repeated notifications, message glitches, and disappearing messages.
The “Boost” Feature: A Boon or a Bust?
Grindr’s “Boost” feature, designed to increase user visibility for a fee, is at the center of the controversy. While marketed as a way to connect with more potential matches, users are reporting significant problems. The feature, which costs $9.99 for a one-hour boost or $14.99 for a two-hour “Super Boost,” often fails to work as advertised. Users report being charged for multiple failed attempts to activate the Boost, even when the feature malfunctions.
Numerous users have taken to online forums like Reddit to share their experiences. They describe being charged multiple times for the Boost without receiving the promised benefits, encountering error messages, and being given the runaround by Grindr’s customer support. One user reported being charged three times within a minute for the Boost feature, despite it only being possible to activate it once per hour. Others describe the Boost feature as placing their profiles in front of users across vast distances, making potential meetups impractical.
Customer Service Complaints and Lack of Recourse
When users attempt to get refunds for these failed Boost purchases, they often face a frustrating cycle. Grindr’s customer support reportedly provides slow and unhelpful responses, often blaming Apple for the issues. Apple, in turn, directs users back to Grindr, leaving many feeling trapped and unable to recoup their losses. Some users claim to have lost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars due to these repeated charges for a malfunctioning feature.
A Call for Action
The growing number of complaints against Grindr’s Boost feature has prompted some users to seek help from regulatory bodies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the California Attorney General, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, and consumer advocacy groups. They allege that Grindr’s practices are not only frustrating but potentially fraudulent. The situation has raised serious questions about Grindr’s commitment to its users and its responsibility to provide a fair and functional platform.
