Dating in 2020 is a bit of a minefield – there’s the catfishing, the ghosting and all sorts of other trends that make us wonder if we’ll ever meet ‘the one’.
Most people who’ve ever tried online dating have some sort of terrible story to tell.
And two women want you to share them all online – but if they like yours the most, they’ll give you a refund of up to £100 for all the costs you incurred.
Musician Alexina was inspired to start the site Refund My Shit Date, based on the lyrics of a song she wrote called Where Are All The Boys?
The 28-year-old, from London, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Last year, I wrote the song after a series of really terrible dates. I had this period with so many things going wrong – misogynistic guys, ghosting, the lot.
‘There was one particular date where a guy took me to a fancy restaurant and he was genuinely annoyed that I didn’t want to go on a second date with him, even though we were really incompatible.
‘I was so frustrated when I got home and I got in the bath and wrote the lyrics, which is a bit of a humourous eye roll in a song.’
After talking to friends about her experiences and the song, many of them revealed their own dating stories.
So with the help of her friend art director Daisy King, Alexina wanted to create a platform where people could anonymously share their own terrible dating experiences.
She adds: ‘I have my music to vent my frustrations but I wanted to give something to other people to help them feel empowered.
‘I sat down and chatted with Daisy to create something to run along those themes and Refund My Shit Date was born.’
Supported by her record label, they created the site where people can share their story in the style of a receipt.
The aim is to collect as many stories as possible, with Alexina and Daisy choosing their favourite and giving £100 as a ‘refund’, which is a reference to the lyrics in the song.
The site has been running for four weeks and they’ve already collected over 600 stories.
Alexina adds: ‘The response has been overwhelming. I look at the site every minute of the day and we have more new entries. It’s going to very difficult when the time comes next Sunday to choose a winner because there are so many different kinds of stories.
‘There have been some that have really stood out for me so far and I screen shot some as we go along.
‘There is one about a girl who went on a great date with a guy and then never heard from him, only to find out he was a wanted criminal.
‘There was a guy who was invited by a date to a wedding and when he turned up, it was actually her getting married. I don’t know what had gone on in that one – some serious miscommunication.
‘There was another really sad one about a girl who had spent all her money on having her hair done, putting in lots of effort and buying an expensive train ticket, but the guy completely ghosted her.’
Although the first winner will be chosen this weekend, Alexina hopes to continue to build and develop the site to create a community for people to keep sharing their stories.
She said: ‘We’ve like to offer more rewards and categorise the dates into different things because some are funny and some are sad. We hope this will be the first round but we’ll see what happens going forward.
‘I think it helps single people realise that they aren’t alone and everyone has those terrible dates.’
If you have a terrible date story, you can submit it online now.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch at metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
MORE: Single Brits spend an average of £1,349 on dates a year, study says
MORE: Couple who met on lockdown virtual dating show decide to move in before meeting in person
MORE: How lockdown has transformed the rules of dating (and how you can still find love)
0 Commentaires