Watch out for HowAboutWe bait-and-switch...

So - maybe you have heard about HowAboutWe on the web - a NY-based site that seems to be the next "new thing" for meeting people without using the bar scene as their primary source of connections with the opposite sex.

When it came out, I signed up because 1) I am single and would love to find my beshert and 2) I am always up for supporting a NYC venture. So, I signed up, added my profile information and even submitted a proposed date.

Suddenly, the "I'm intrigued" emails started to come in.And I can say that the women who I was getting are nice, but none who inspired me to pay the fee for joining to send an email - which required an upgrade to pay for the service.

And then suddenly, I get this barrage of three emails from one user - tanyak123

Now Tanya is not normally my type, but I wonder - why is she sending me two "I'm intrigued" messages and one personal message. But I can not see the personal message unless I pay for the service. So, curiosity got the best of me and I decide - what the hey - have not had much success on jdate or Match, so lets give it a go.

I google for a discount code on a coupon site (MyDate) and get the six month deal for half-off. I think - wow, great deal.

Then I log in to finally read these emails from Tanya. And what do I discover?

Those "urgent" emails are no longer there. Suddenly - Tanya is not in my inbox. That "urgent" email - gone. Or at least, Tanya is not trying to get ahold of me.

And while I thought it suspicious that Tanya - who cares about her Christianity a great deal - would be so "interested" in me, I must admit - it was tantalizing to investigate.

So, I must applaud HowAboutWe on their excellent conversion tactic - tantalize us with someone we might want to meet - and then suddenly have them disappear off the list.

Enjoy the game at your leisure (or peril) depending how you look at it.