In a move that may appeal to penny-pinching online daters, a new Web site from Match.com is letting users search for that special someone for free.
Match.com, which is owned by Internet company IAC/InterActiveCorp and also runs dating site Chemistry.com, was set to announce Thursday the launch of DownToEarth.com. Though Match.com has not been vocal about it, the site has been publicly available for about six weeks.
DownToEarth.com joins other free dating sites like Plentyoffish.com and OkCupid.com, and expects to bring in revenue from ads. It is geared toward Web dating newcomers and lets users put up post-rendezvous ratings regarding the truthfulness of others' pictures and profiles.
Match.com Chief Executive Thomas Enraght-Moony said that DownToEarth.com "brings a level of transparency and consumer control" to the free dating site market. He expects it to attract users who are under 28, which is slightly younger than the Match.com audience.
Jacob Solotaroff, formerly in charge of "member integrity" for Match.com, is heading the new Web site.
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