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Roommates.com Reviews Summary
The overall reputation of Roommates.com is mixed, with a significant divide in customer experiences. Positive feedback highlights the platform's effectiveness in matching users with quality roommates, particularly for those who have utilized the service over the years. However, numerous complaints emphasize persistent issues with spam and scams, leading to frustration over unread messages and poor customer support. Many users express disappointment with the site's matching algorithm and the perceived lack of genuine interactions, suggesting a need for improved moderation and communication features to enhance user experience and trust.
This summary is generated by AI, based on text from customer reviews
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Haha, the reviews are in! Do not use this site. Scam, the old bair and switch. Free to make, pay to use. Trust me, if you pay, you still will find nothing.
You can't do anything in the free version of the site that would lead towards finding a new roommate. You can't see what a person writes about themselves, you can't read their messages, you can't see their photos or exchange contact info. The only thing you can do is write a profile for free. I suppose that's convenient for the service to claim they have lots of people using the site. A bunch of free profiles seeing their matches, sending messages in the dark, hoping the other person has a paid account. But for $20/month, it seems like quite the premium for a bare bones profile matching and message services. It doesn't really have any vetting behind it, to give it an appeal over just using something that is free, like Craigslist, or posting on community Reddit/facebook groups etc.
Hello,
I am sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with Roommates.com. When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. You are welcome to list your contact information in the comments section of your profile and include it in any messages that you send out. All outgoing messages are free and you can see the nickname of the member on incoming messages.
As with most websites, there are added benefits to purchasing an upgrade. Those benefits include having full access to your roommates.com emails as well as being able to view larger photos, maps, and the comment sections of other member's profiles. Purchasing an upgraded membership can be done at any time. Many individuals who utilize Roommates.com wait to purchase an upgrade until they have several emails waiting for them. This way, they fully maximize their upgrade.
If you have any questions on how to utilize the website and/or make the most out of your membership, please let me know. We will be happy to provide you with additional tips on using Roommates.com.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Simple and easy form registration. Given many referrals to start with that I could choose my own roomate. I have 6 month leases and I will absolutely sign up again next time.
Thank You Roomates.com
Ron
Thank you for finding the perfect roommate for me. That's the only medicine I need for my medical problem, a 4 year old and her mommy.
Hello,
Congratulations on finding a roommate! We are so glad the site worked well for you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
The residence I was living in was listed and placed under contract in 10 days. I had 1 month to find a place to live and a full time job. I found the job and thanks to roommates.com I found an incredible home 5.3 miles from my new job. The place is perfect!
Hello,
That is wonderful! It is so nice to work close to home.
Glad we were able to help!
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I paid for premium subscription, $20, and after it ended I was wondering why I hadn't got a single message. I sent out at least a dozen messages to people.
I clicked my sent box, and it was empty. Apparently none of the messages that were CONFIRMED to have been sent were in my sent box, telling me none of them actually went through. I sent a message to customer service about this, explaining I felt cheated since I paid $20 and none of my messages went through (Even though it said they did.)
Their response was to say "You probably didn't send your messages right."
I sent another reply, explaining in detail how I sent the messages, keeping the support ticket open, and they never responded back.
I'm sorry that you did not have a good experience on our site. We will definitely test the message center on the site to make sure it is working properly.
It's unfortunate that you did not have success in finding a roommate with us, but I did refund your payment.
If you are still looking and would be willing to give us another try, we do have some tips to help you make the most out of Roommates.com and would like the opportunity to assist you in finding a roommate.
Please let us know how we can improve our service. If you are interested in learning more about utilizing Roommates.com please contact us at support@roommates.com.
Thank you for giving us a try and we hope to hear from you soon!
Roommates.com Customer Support
This is an amazing site. I found a roommate the following day after posting my ad. I would definitely recommend and use again if the occasion arises.
Hello,
That's great! We are glad you were able to find a roommate so fast.
Thank you for using the site.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I started off my search with a free account at roomster.com and almost did not sign up for this site. Roomster was not user friendly nor did it turn up half as good results as roommates. I got a half off deal and it was well worth the full price. I found my roommate and will be moving in about a month. Thank you to all the designers, it was a wonderful experience.
Hello,
Congratulations on finding a roommate! We are so glad the site worked well for you.
Thank you for giving us a try!
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Posted room for rent and took $2,500 FOR PLACE SHE DID NOT OWN.
Criminal the roommates.com allows this to happen.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I’m sorry you came in contact with a scammer. I do hope that you are able to retrieve your money. Please be assured that we take improper use of our site very seriously.
Roommates.com is a bulletin board service and so we cannot guarantee that all members on the site are legitimate. You may want to contact your local authorities as well as report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can do this by visiting their website at www.ic3.gov. We will be happy to assist the authorities in any way we can.
Unfortunately, many times scammers don't make themselves known until they get you to email them through their private email address, which Roommates is not privy to. We do have a Scam Alert posted on the website that explains the type of common scams that are currently being perpetrated on the website as well as many others. We hope that this information will assist people in educating themselves so as not to fall victim to fraud.
Every profile also has a Report Member button in the upper right hand corner that can be used to send the account information of a suspected scammer to our Fraud Department for review. You can also send the Nicknames and/or Email Address of any profile you believe to be fraudulent to scamalert@roommates.com. If the account is found to be fraudulent it will be deleted.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I WAS SENT PICURE OF A PLACE THAT WAS NOT OWNED BY THE PERSON
Lois johnson AT THIS EMAIL ADDRESS <*******@outlook.com>
SHE WANTED 2100. 00 DEPOSIT ON A BEVERLY HILLS APT & ONE MONTHS RENT FOR A BEDROOM ROOMMATE.
SHE LIVES IN MINNESOTA?
HER LAST NAME IS FAKE.
She said "SEND MONEY THEN I WILL SEND YOU THE KEYS."
I said " I WANT TO SEE THE PLACE FIRST. She refused
I said, I WOULD LIKE REFERNCES & SPEAK TO THE CARETAKER OF THE BUILDING."
SHE REFUSED.
DO NOT USE THIS SITE
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry to hear that you were contacted by a scammer and I understand that finding a roommate can be a difficult and frustrating process. If you paid for a membership and the message received was a scam message, you are entitled to a refund.
I wasn’t able to find an account on the site under the name or email address that you provided. Roommates.com is a bulletin board service and many times scammers don't make themselves known until they get you to email them through their private email address, which Roommates is not privy to. We are doing all we can to protect our members and keep scammers from posting on our site. When a fraudulent account is detected by our Fraud Department, the account and any messages sent from that account are automatically removed in order to protect the legitimate members of Roommates.com.
We have assisted countless members in finding the perfect roommate and we would love to see everyone who uses Roommates.com be successful in their search for a roommate. However, we do realize that is not always the case as the process of finding a roommate can be difficult.
Even though you were not successful in using our website, if you should require a roommate in the future, we ask that you give us a second chance. We would be more than happy to explain how to get the most out of your account with Roommates.com, even with the free service.
Please contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you with a refund if you paid for a membership. If you have further questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I am glad I read the reviews first. I will pass, it sounds like Roommates.com is using deceptive advertising to lure in customers. Not good because customers are unhappy and feel mislead. Free is Free, period. Put your charges up front vs hiding them behind a dark face. Be Honest. I almost signed up, something told me read the reviews first. I too thought it was totally free as there was nothing in the wording that indicated their would be a charge later. Deceptive Advertising. Roommates pre-worded explanation is just a well written script but that's all, it does not truly feel sorry for misleading the customers or does it address each of your reviews.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
Roommates.com does its best to give members the information they need regarding the site and how it works.
If you go to the site and click on the More Info tab you will find the Frequently Asked Questions page and the first question answered on that page is What does it cost? All membership options and fees are posted plainly on that easy to find page. The cost options are also located in the Terms of Service located at the bottom of the page.
One perk about using Roommates.com is that we do not have a rebill system so you would never be signed up on a subscription billing. Once the time frame of the membership you choose ends, it cancels itself so you don't have to worry about canceling it.
We hope you change your mind and choose to give us a try.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I posted an add on Roommates.com using their free account thinking i'd be able to send and receive emails for free, as that would make sense for the site to work. However, to read your emails or send your emails you HAVE to upgrade your account. The problem with this is that even if you do upgrade your account, which I did, others cant view the mail you've sent them unless they too have an upgraded account. Ive sent out over 20 emails with no responses only to realize that the recipients don't have access to the messages ive sent. A MASSIVE waste of money and time.
Very frustrated.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with Roommates.com as well as the fact that you feel misled by the website with regard to the upgraded memberships. Please understand that is not our intention.
When you go to the Roommates.com website under the More Info tab, you will find the Frequently Asked Questions page. On this page you will find information on how the site works with the free membership and the upgraded membership, along with the membership cost options. As a basic member you can add a profile, browse your matches and send RoomMail messages, all free of charge.
When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. The most common ways are to send contact information within emails to other users and post contact information within profile descriptions for other users to see. So while it is true that without having a paid membership you do not have the benefit of being able to read Roommates.com emails that you receive, you do still have the opportunity to achieve your goals while utilizing the free portions of the site.
The site doesn't have a notification showing who is upgraded at this time, but we appreciate the suggestion and will keep it in mind for future site improvements.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Using it for free is a waste of time and paying for an upgrade is a huge waste of time and money. I never received a single request for an appointment or any replies to the many emails I sent to possible renters on roomates.com. NOT ONE. It was a beautiful suite of rooms in a highly desirable neighborhood in the San Francisco Bay Area at a reasonable monthly rent. Craigs List and Roomster generated interest, responses and several good prospects within a couple of days. I believe roomates.com is fictional, and I'm concerned I've given personal information to scam artists.
Advertising with the word 'free' then waiting until someone receives a message to tell them they have to PAY to be able to read them is dishonest. It is sprung on you as a complete surprise. If you're going to charge to use your site, be up front and honest about it.
You can't throw the word 'free' at people, then put a paywall on a function of that site that renders it completely useless without paying for it.
All this does is make me suspect the overwhelming majority of your users are abandoned profiles that never paid the fee. You don't even have an indicator on profiles of whether or not someone is subscribed!
They have responded, and I'd like to add a rebuttal to two more things they added:
"The most common ways are to send contact information within emails to other users and post contact information within profile descriptions for other users to see."
* Only paying users can view comments on profiles
* I will reiterate that you cannot view a message unless you pay for a subscription.
* They also do not allow you to choose the subject line of the message you send, so you can't put your e-mail in the subject line either.
You're trying to tell me that I can circumvent the requirement to pay for your site, yet none of the things you cited as a method of circumventing payment would actually do that.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with Roommates.com as well as the fact that you feel misled by the website with regard to the upgraded memberships. Please understand that is not our intention.
When you go to the Roommates.com website under the More Info tab, you will find the Frequently Asked Questions page. On this page you will find information on how the site works with the free membership and the upgraded membership, along with the membership cost options.
When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. The most common ways are to send contact information within emails to other users and post contact information within profile descriptions for other users to see. So while it is true that without having a paid membership you do not have the benefit of being able to read Roommates.com emails that you receive, you do still have the opportunity to achieve your goals while utilizing the free portions of the site.
The site doesn't have a notification showing who is upgraded at this time, but we appreciate the suggestion and will keep it in mind for future site improvements.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Was on this with a paid membership for 2 months and did not receive one valid response. Went to easyroommates.com and had 6 valid replies within 4 days. Found a perfect roommate on the 5th day! If you pay for a membership, you should be able to contact potential roommates without them having to pay to read your emails! Don't waste your time and money!
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry to hear you did not receive more valid responses. I understand that finding a roommate can be a difficult and frustrating process, especially if you are not receiving as many responses as you'd like. Roommates.com is a bulletin board service. As always, some areas may have more roommate potentials than others.
The Basic membership for Roommates.com is free, and as a basic member you can add a profile, browse your matches and send RoomMail messages, all for free. It is true that in order to read messages received from other members, you must become a Choice Member. Roommates.com membership options are $5.99 3 Days, $19.99 30 Days, $29.99 60 Days, and we do not automatically rebill our members.
When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. The most common ways are to send contact information within emails to other users and post contact information within profile descriptions for other users to see. So while it is true that without having a paid membership you do not have the benefit of being able to read messages received, you do still have the opportunity to achieve your goals while utilizing the free portions of the site.
Hopefully this information helps and you will give us another try.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Makes you go through a ton of signing up and you put up your listing and you cant even see any messages from anyone without paying 20$ a month. No thanks I hate this site.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry that you felt misled regarding the memberships and how the site works.
It does take a few minutes to fill out your Roommates.com profile, but it is worth the time spent so that we can match you up with people that are looking for the same things you are.
The Basic membership for Roommates.com is free, and as a basic member you can add a profile, browse your matches and send RoomMail messages, all for free. It is true that in order to read messages received from other members, you must become a Choice Member. Roommates.com membership options are $5.99 3 Days, $19.99 30 Days, $29.99 60 Days, and we do not automatically rebill our members.
When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. The most common ways are to send contact information within emails to other users and post contact information within profile descriptions for other users to see. So while it is true that without having a paid membership you do not have the benefit of being able to read messages received, you do still have the opportunity to achieve your goals while utilizing the free portions of the site.
Hopefully this information helps and you will give us another try.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
Hi guys, I know there has been a bad rep for the site, but I tried the 3 day and adamantly will be checking on it to make sure I only get charged the one time fee. (email *******@roommates.com) But unless you pay it wont benefit you, I have only been on for 2 days and everything I have checked into was legit and real in Jax, FL. The people were real, we texted, sent pics, I think I have found the best place. Will find out more tomorrow, but I prefer this even over craigslist. But in order for it work the person you email also has to be paying to use the service, otherwise I dont think they see your description either posted at the end of the bio. And of course cant email messages. I got phone numbers with local numbers. I did get a few from craigs list asking me to go to roommatenext.com (not roommates.com) to get on with the inquiry of the room, but from other reviews I ignored them and went on with my day(they were not local phone numbers that texted me). The key to all of this is people have to pay to see the facts, but you get what you pay for. Customer service treated me really good. If you really need to verify email/contact me I am impressed, I didnt have any hopes at all but was so blessed. The key is everyone does have to pay for the service and I am on the 3 day trail. Hope this helps and again so pleasantly surprised!
I moved to another state and used roommates to find a place to live while I got my feet on the ground. It worked out and I found a match pretty quickly. I'm grateful that I was able to find a place to live on a budget so fast.
That hasn't been said here before. I'm SO mad at myself for not coming to SiteJabber and looking at the reviews FIRST!
Don't use this "service". It's F&^@ed up... and a total scam.
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
We are sorry you were not happy with the site. And we assure you that Roommates.com is not a scam.
We have assisted countless members in finding the perfect roommate. We are doing all we can to stop the scammers. Additionally, we have implemented several new security features we believe will reduce the amount of scamming activity on the site.
Obviously we would love to see everyone who uses Roommates.com be successful in their search for a roommate. However, we do realize that is not always the case as the process of finding a roommate can be difficult.
Even though you were not successful in using our website, if you should require a roommate in the future, we ask that you give us a second chance. We would be more than happy to explain how to get the most out of your account with Roommates.com, even with the free service.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
I am very disappointed with this "service". I had very few matches because I have a nine year old daughter, which is to be expected. It takes a very open-minded non-parent to welcome a kid into their home. However, I did have a handful of matches. Of those 5-6 matches, 3 were VERY CLEARLY SCAMS. They had poor writing skills or English was their second language although they all claimed to be from the "States" and have a recently deceased father. They all sent a list demanding that documentation be signed saying that we're reserving to be their roommate sight unseen and that we had to send security deposit and first month at the same time. They were all unavailable until several months in the future, and oddly none had friends in the area to show the place although they all "lived there". Highly unlikely! One stopped replying immediately and deleted their posting once I started asking questions. Another challenged me and asked me what was wrong with me, why would I think that it was a potential scam (10 messages in) when they still refused to show me the place, told me I could drive by, and were still asking for money. Horrible experience!
Hello,
This is Roommates.com Customer Support.
I am sorry to hear you came in contact with a scammer on the site. Roommates.com is a bulletin board service so there will always be some people that are not on the site for the right reasons, but we try to remove them as quickly as possible.
If you paid for a membership and the message received was a scam message, you are entitled to a refund.
We are doing all we can to protect our members and keep scammers from posting on our site. When a fraudulent account is detected by our Fraud Department, the account and any messages sent from that account are automatically removed in order to protect the legitimate members of Roommates.com. Unfortunately, many times scammers don't make themselves known until they get you to email them through their private email address, which Roommates is not privy to. We do offer some helpful tips to recognize scammers and avoid some pitfalls on the Support tab on the site.
Every profile also has a Report Member button in the upper right hand corner that can be used to send the account information of a suspected scammer to our Fraud Department for review. You can also send the Nicknames and/or Email Address of any profile you believe to be fraudulent to scamalert@roommates.com. If the account is found to be fraudulent it will be deleted.
We hope you will give us another try. Please contact our Customer Support through the website and we will be happy to assist you with a refund if you paid for a membership.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@roommates.com.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com
From the business
Looking for a room for rent? Roommates.com is the fastest roommate finder to help you find a roommate today. The best part, it's free to start!
- Sitejabber’s sole mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
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- Sitejabber’s sole mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
- Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
- Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members
Hello,
I am sorry that you felt misled on the website. That was not our intention. On the More Info tab we have a frequently asked questions page which includes information to answer questions such as, What does it cost?, How does it work?, Why should I become a choice member?, etc. This information is posted clearly on the site to give you as much information about the site as possible so you can decide if our site would work for you.
When we started this service, we designed the site so that people are able to utilize the website without purchasing a membership and many of our users have successfully found roommates this way. You are welcome to list your contact information in the comments section of your profile and include it in any messages that you send out. All outgoing messages are free and you can see the nickname of the member on incoming messages.
As with most websites, there are added benefits to purchasing an upgrade. Those benefits include having full access to your roommates.com emails as well as being able to view larger photos, maps, and the comment sections of other member's profiles. Purchasing an upgraded membership can be done at any time. Many individuals who utilize Roommates.com wait to purchase an upgrade until they have several emails waiting for them. This way, they fully maximize their upgrade.
If you have any questions on how to utilize the website and/or make the most out of your membership, please let me know. We will be happy to provide you with additional tips on using Roommates.com if you choose to give us another try.
Roommates.com Customer Support
support@roommates.com