Friends1st Reviews 

Firstly I am putting this here as I need to share my thoughts with people potentially thinking this is a road to travel.
I joined in April this year thinking I wanted some help in finding a partner. When I spoke to Steve in the outset, I mentioned that I want to date and that hasn't changed..I still want to meet someone to date and just talking by text or phone is something I have been doing in the past and not getting the results. I was hoping that joining an agency would take that away from me so I signed up thinking they would send me profiles of people closer to where I live, and suitable partners for what I am seeking. So far I have had profiles which ain't really close to me or suitable for what I seek. I have made the effort and contacted them.knowing full well that I wouldn't get responses or get ignored and haven't been disappointed in that. Now I know what I signed up to and it really sickens me to think I have wasted my.money and thinking on this and most importantly that I won't get any of that back.
Also I feel the information that is meant to be guidance is a bit patronising as it sounds like we, the clients, are bit dim and haven't tried some of these ideas already so don't need to re-visit.
Anyhow like I said, I know what I signed up to but as a Christian agency I just expected.more to go into it and I would be writing a glowing review instead of this one.
Advice: Stick to what your doing as the light will shine brighter I am sure and you can save your money.

Updated: After placing this review, I had a call and discussed why I had put this here and wasn't impressed that I was being told off for placing it and weeks later this reply turns up...Well I still don't feel no way for placing it because people's experiences need to be shared sand evaluated...and if I didn't say it in my conversation previously or then, if a partner is fine then I am quite happy to sing about the blessings that Friend1st has bought me..but until then...

I’m incredibly grateful for Friends1st, as it was through their thoughtful and principled approach that I met my now wife. In a world full of superficial dating apps and fleeting connections, Friends1st offers something genuinely different: a faith-based, personal, and ethical matchmaking service for Christians who are serious about finding a God-honouring relationship.

From the beginning, I appreciated their honesty, pastoral care, and structured support. They never made unrealistic promises or tried to sell me an illusion. Instead, they guided me with practical advice, encouragement, and a commitment to integrity. They focus on people as individuals, not just profiles on a screen.

Some of the negative reviews on here seem to misunderstand the nature of what Friends1st offers. This isn’t a quick-fix or casual swipe-based dating site. It’s for those who are serious about their faith and serious about meeting someone special—and willing to invest time, effort, and prayer into the process.

Yes, it requires patience. But the results speak for themselves: I met my wife through this service. That alone makes it worth every penny.

If you’re looking for a Christ-centred, respectful, and professional introduction service with genuine people and genuine intentions, I wholeheartedly recommend Friends1st.

THIS COMPANY ARE THIEFS LIERS AND SCAMMERS. THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY BUT SEND NO PROFILES OR ANYTHING TOTAL LIERS THIEFS TIME WASTERS AND CROOKS

Seems to be a fraudulent company out to scam unsuspecting people. They emailed me out of the blue (I do not need a ‚Christian partner‘, I never contacted them, I didn’t even know who they were). I received four emails on the same day within 45 minutes insinuating I had made a ‚transaction‘ for ‚roll over silver membership’, asking me ‚to set up a recurring payment agreement‘, stating falsely that I had set up a FuturePay agreement and sending me details that ‚will be stored in order to process future payments as agreed by you during the FuturePay set-up process‘ although they couldn’t have any genuine details - indeed, getting my name wrong - as I never made contact with them or their Worldpay CARD FuturePay company. Do NOT click on their links, do NOT reply - it seems to be a scam!

Friends1st are still coming after me two years after I terminated their service. Even though I paid £49 × 3 (£147 in total) for a subpar service that showed no regard for my preferences, they still went ahead and employed the services of a debt collector, and are now claiming I owe £538.90.

I curse the day I came across Friends1st. I curse the day they successfully lured me into believing they were a true Christian organisation, set apart from normal secular dating companies.

All Friends1st are concerned with is milking people out of their money under the disguise of helping them find a Christian partner. It’s a shame they have found a way to use the law to empower their dubious schemes.

I left a review in 2023 detailing how I was duped by Friends1st, and in no time at all they used bogus positive reviews to push mine down to the bottom so no one could see it. They will do whatever it takes to hide the true nature of their business and lure other victims in — especially foreigners. I am now out of pocket for ever trusting them. YOU WILL BE TOO IF YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE BY IGNORING THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS I READ BEFORE TRUSTING THEM TO HELP ME FIND A SUITABLE PARTNER.

There is nobody I’ve spoken to about Friends1st who has had a positive experience, despite what the positive reviews say on here or on their website. IF THEY ARE AS GOOD AS THEY CLAIM, WHY DO THEY TRY SO HARD TO PLASTER POSITIVE REVIEWS ALL OVER THEIR WEBSITE (think about that).

They trap you by making you agree to a 12‑month contract. So regardless of their subpar service, you’ll be obligated to pay them without receiving any benefit whatsoever. THE LAW THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO DO THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.

Organisations like Friends1st shouldn’t enjoy the same benefits as other businesses, because what they claim to do should be distinguished from secular companies.

The law shouldn’t empower them to claim I owe them money simply because I naively trusted they were genuine Christians when signing an agreement - especially when they fail to hold up their end of that agreement and still expect me to be indebted to them. If the law needs to change so that agreements are only valid when both parties uphold their obligations, then that’s what needs to happen.

Moving forward, I will be using the power of social media to push for change. Look me up on social media platforms under the name “Jules Sun” and show your support. Friends1st may have won many battles by duping people out of their money using the law, but they shouldn’t win the war. IT’S TIME TO STAND UP TO THEM AND EXPOSE THEM FOR WHAT THEY TRULY ARE.

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UPDATED - 11/04/25

The founder of Friends1st scrambled to get this review taken offline. Her actions only caused TrustPilot to verify my review, and it now carries the “verified” tag.

Having failed, her next tactic was to DM me - threatening my future, my soul, and blaming me for a potential loss of income for her staff. This proves she is only concerned about making profits, regardless of the cost to her victims.

I have now paid her a total of £685.90 - GAINING NOTHING IN RETURN. She claimed I owed her that amount for signing a 12‑month contract in good faith. So be warned: once you sign a contract with her, you’ll be trapped. If you find her services subpar and decide they’re not worth your time or money, you won’t be able to terminate. She will claim “a worker deserves their wages” and come after you with everything she has.

Then, when you finally give in and pay the amount she claims you owe, she will try to one‑up you by offering the same subpar service again. What is the point of forcing someone to pay for a service they already found inadequate, only to offer the same service afterwards? How can the law continue to empower her to operate this way?

If you had a great credit score beforehand, Katherine will make sure that changes until your “supposed” debt is paid. She doesn’t care that you gained nothing from entering into a contract with her after trusting she was a genuine Christian with good intentions. All she cares about is draining you financially and making you miserable.

SO AGAIN, BE WARNED. STEER CLEAR OF FRIENDS1ST FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING YOU - ONLY IN HOW MUCH MONEY THEY CAN MAKE OFF YOU. She has found a way to use the law to take people’s hard‑earned money for services she doesn’t even complete. That must change.

As I approach 9 months now as a member of FriendsFirst, I have continued to feel very encouraged and supported by the whole team, who are so knowledgeable and experienced in the world of dating. This caring Christian approach has helped me to grow personally in my confidence (one of my aims). As a result, I have been more proactive in contacting members and have chatted to/met up with quite a few of them! So far, I have found all of them to be really genuine Christians, which was one of the main reasons I decided to join FriendsFirst. I am looking forward to receiving my next group of profiles soon.

I am a current member who is looking to leave pretty soon. I found friends1st a little bit process driven and out of touch with the way dating is for people under the age of 50. It was the first time i tried this type of service and its really a introduction agency rather than a dating agency which is a hell of a difference. I think there were limitations for me because of my age but there was also a reality for example if i want children in the future why would i pursue dating someone who is close to 50? who might not want children. They match mainly on age which is quite limited. Overall i think the service is ok and a little hands off unless you pay for a bigger package. It just was not for me at this stage of my life. I was lucky enough to meet someone outside of this introduction agency. If your under 50 then i think dating apps even though they are stressful are probably better and cheaper.
Just a honest opinion on my experience as my membership comes to an end. I am having to see my membership out for the next few months because i wanted to end it a little earlier. There isnt any discount for ending your membership early either so no point in paying it all up front.

Lack of clarity, quality and reliability. Poor customer service.

I joined Friends First in June 2024.

Before signing up, I reached out to the Friends First team to see if I could chat with some successful members who had used their dating services. They suggested I look at the success stories available on their website instead.

In response, I decided to share my contact information on Trustpilot, for anyone with a success story or current members of Friends First to discuss their experiences with me, and I did receive several replies.

I proceeded to join Friends First, and the registration process was straightforward and professional. Membership required the submission of identification, which I appreciated. Having previously used dating apps, I often had concerns about the possibility of encountering catfish profiles. Therefore, providing my ID contributed to my sense of security regarding the platform's users.

I chose the silver membership, which allows me to receive new matches quarterly. While I have engaged in conversations with other members on the Friends First app, I have not yet had any interactions outside of the app. Although I have suggested phone calls, the members have shown little interest.

The membership includes a photoshoot and a coaching session.

The photo shoot I did was fantastic, and I ended up with some really high-quality pictures.

The coaching session was super helpful too, and I got some great recommendations for relationship books, which I’ve already bought.

I had heard that a lot of members are age 50 and older, so if you're a Christian over 50, that might be something to think about since many success stories come from that age group.

Friends First aims to promote young Christian marriages and even offers discounts for younger members to encourage them to join. Being under 30, I found that paying for the membership all at once was a better deal than going for monthly payments.

Overall, my experience with Friends First has been positive. The team is courteous and professional. They recently contacted me to check in on how my membership is going, and I think that's very good.

I had a great experience even though I was despondent to meet thinking the phone conversation wasn't that great and the distance was far. She persevered however and came by train and stayed in nearby accommodation. We spent 4 days together getting to know each other. It was fantastic. I am now going to her and have even found work nearby.
I would like to encourage anyone to persevere and meet and realise that nowhere within the UK is too far, its a small country.

Im writing to say that I'm disgusted and devastated by a letter I received from a solicitor today contacted by the friends 1st dating site. I subscribed to them in the summer and signed a 12 mth contract. However , when I was given my profiles I was not impressed considering id already agreed to £49 a month . I also realised that I couldn't afford it and that it wasn't the right time for me to start dating. I then cancelled my direct debit to friends 1st at the bank and sent an email telling them that I'd cancelled the direct debit. However I then received an email saying that I hadn't paid my next monthly payment and so I emailed a longer polite but assertive email back explaining that I've cancelled the payments and why. When I received this letter this morning from a solicitor demanding payment or it'll go to court or a series of fines I was shocked . This is meant to be a " Christian" dating site . They are very much not acting in a Christian manner and just interested in getting my money! I'm appalled that they would act like this! This very much seems to be a money making scam and not a Christian dateline at all. Trying to get through to them now so I can sort this but so far not got anywhere! Awful! God is not the happy with this at all and whoever's leading this thing will be judged

I was interested in Friends First, as I thought I could try their services. Then because of my upcoming travel, I decided to cancel and to re-subscribe perhaps in the near future. I sent an email to Katherine and her team on their business email to say that I will discontinue and begin again sometime in the future. They took my money without me registerig. After several emails to them, to say that I had changed my mind, I was met with silence and noone has yet to respond to my email. It's been over a month already. What shoud I do? Who should I complain to about this to get my money back?

At age 81, almost given up on new relationships, since my wife passed. But for some reason l decided to look for some advice on the Internet and found friends1st.
From the start all the team members have been listening to my story in order to learn how to find a lifetime friend for for me.

I was reluctant to join at first as I thought its like any other group out there but it's totally different and fantastic. I joined in June 2024 and in July the month later I found someone. Friends 1st sent me some men to contact. I contacted all of them, two of them were not responding to me. And one in particular never even had a photo on his profile. I thought "why does he not have a photo " but at the same time I was curious to know who is behind that profile. He only sent me a reply after many days. I had thought in me that he doesn't want to know or you know other things came in my mind. Then he said he love to know me and would want to meet me. He said he is sorry he didn't answer me in time, that he had problems with his phone. I thought distance was a problem but he took a flight all the way from Dublin to Scotland to see me. Things are going very well. We are thinking of getting married. Thanks ti Friends 1st. They are putting smiles on people's faces

Stay away!!!
They are a total rip off. All the positive reviews here must be fake. They are all about the £££. Profiles shared looked like paid actors, I got a contact from one of them and he arranged for us to meet up for coffee the following week only for me to have received a text message 2 days after that he'd met someone. Totally unrealistic which made me believe he was a fake profile.

Save your money and don't get trapped into the 12 months contract. They'll harrass you and threaten you if you are no longer interested. They'll shame you into thinking you've done something unspeakable

STAY AWAY!!!!

I recently joined Friends First and I have found it to be completely different to any other dating apps/agencies out there by far. There is support, videos to help and encourage people on their dating journey and most recently I had a one to one coaching call with a dating expert. I was given so much helpful advice about things to try and ideas that I would never have thought of myself I would recommend them to anyone.

I've been with Friends 1st about 2 months and in that time I have contacted and been contacted by lots of nice people.
I have a very good feeling about the Friends 1st site.
Kevin from Woodley.

I've been a member of Friends1st since February 2024 as I was looking to meet fellow Christians and navigating the dating apps seemed a nightmare. Friends 1st have supported me throughout my 3 months to understand myself, having a professional photoshoot, encouraging self discovery to enable the best possible me to go forward into a new committed relationship. Always happy to support on the phone, email , always so positive and encouraging. It boosts your confidence and allows growth to your self-esteem. I would fully recommend anyone doing the same and joining.

Friends1st offer a coaching session to every member to provide personalised advice and support for the dating journey. I found this to be very useful and encouraging. As part of the process, we discussed strategies and goals, which I have already begun to put into practice. Sarah was very well-prepared for the session and suggested a couple of books I could read to develop my confidence. She had also researched my local area and gave me tips on how to meet more Christians in my context. Thank you!

I really regret joining this company and wasting money. You don't get any Christian vibes from it whatsoever. Promised me if I got less than 15 matches in my area, I'd get another year free...which I had to ask for, and I did receive. However, in 2 years I didn't even get 15 matches in my area. If you are in IRELAND, forget it...complete waste of money. I was very disappointed with my membership, staff were pleasant on the phone, but there were NO matches within a 60 mile radius of me, and even then it was mostly matches in the UK or Northern Ireland. I gave it an extra star for the customer service, but they basically sold me a membership knowing they had very few people in my area. My membership ended over a year ago and I'd never re-join. My advice is to find a better Christian dating site online where you pay a monthly subscription fee.