22 Mar 2013 14:46
| Date: | 22 March 2013 |
| On behalf of: | Cupid plc ('Cupid', the 'Company' or the 'Group') |
| Embargoed until: | Immediate release |
Cupid plc
Comment regarding press speculation
The Company is aware of a recent article and is carrying out an investigation into the allegations therein.
The Company can confirm:
• The Company does employ a motivation team of 24 people working across three shifts, covering a range of websites and companies.
• The team does not communicate with free members.
• The team does communicate with new paying subscribers to help them get the most out of the site.
• The team also communicates with subscribers to monitor and interrogate the sites in order to detect and identify any technical or product issues proactively. The team also moderates chat rooms and forums.
Further to the commitment made at the Company's results, it has now commissioned an independent audit by one of the big four accounting firms and will report the findings to the market as soon as possible.
The Company recognises that one of the allegations in the article is that members who have signed on a 3 day trial membership are then encouraged through messages created by Cupid employees to move to a full subscription. This allegation will be directly addressed by the audit.
For further information please contact:
Cupid plc | Tel: +44 (0)131 526 3600 |
Niall Stirling, CFO | |
| |
Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) | Tel: +44 (0)207 418 8900 |
Richard Kauffer Daniel Harris | |
| |
Numis Securities Ltd (Joint Broker) Alex Ham Nick Westlake Redleaf Polhill | Tel: +44 (0)207 260 1000 |
Emma Kane Rebecca Sanders-Hewett David Ison | Tel: +44 (0)20 7382 4730 cupid@redleafpr.com |
Notes to Editors
§ Cupid plc listed on AIM in June 2010 and is a leading provider of online dating services
§ Cupid has built significant and growing revenues in 15 countries.
§ Cupid offers a wide variety of online dating services allowing members to interact with each other and access the content available on the Group's websites. These websites are intended to appeal to dating users of diverse ages, cultures and social interest groups. The Group's most heavily visited websites include www.cupid.com, www.flirt.com, www.benaughty.com and www.girlsdateforfree.com. The Group also promotes the niche brands www.datingforparents.com, www.indiandating.com, www.loveagain.com and www.uniformdating.com.
§ Cupid plc products are available across the web and also via mobile application stores.
§ Further information on the Company can be found at www.cupidplc.com.