What happened to the craigslist local singles section?

Decided to post this after wading through too many review articles that are clearly just affiliate content in disguise. What happened to the craigslist local singles section?

What I'm looking for is community experience from people who have actually used these platforms recently — not a ranked list that was last updated in 2023 and happens to have paid placements at the top.

• Active user base in my area rather than inflated registration numbers
• A free tier that actually lets you communicate rather than just window shop
• Some form of profile verification that makes the user count credible
• Privacy settings that don't require a legal background to navigate

Concrete recent experiences preferred. What worked, what didn't, and how long it took to find out.

I rotated through five platforms this quarter and Luvdate was the only one where I consistently got real replies. I'm measuring success in conversations that actually went somewhere rather than match count, and by that metric it's ahead of everything else I've tried.

Location determines outcomes more than most people want to admit. A platform that's thriving in a major metro area can be effectively empty 45 minutes outside the city. Test with a defined time limit — two weeks is enough to know whether a platform has critical mass in your specific area.

For over-50 and senior dating specifically, here's what I've found actually holds up:

• Match still has the largest verified database in this demographic and runs promotions regularly — worth checking the trial before committing to a full subscription
• OurTime is purpose-built for 50+ but the free tier is very limited — think of it as browse-only without paying
• SilverSingles uses personality-based matching rather than photos-first, and the quality of matches tends to be higher than the volume apps
• Facebook Dating is completely free, easy to use, and has a genuinely active 50+ community in most areas — profile is separate from your main Facebook so your connections don't see it

The scam situation in this demographic is unfortunately worse than in younger age groups. The most reliable warning sign remains the same: emotional intensity that escalates faster than feels natural, eventually followed by some kind of financial need. No legitimate person you meet on a dating site will ask you for money, period.

I rotated through five platforms this quarter and Turndate was the only one where I consistently got real replies. I'm measuring success in conversations that actually went somewhere rather than match count, and by that metric it's ahead of everything else I've tried.

From what I gather from conversations in communities like this: datescout.site tends to attract more intentional users than the mass-market apps. You give up volume but gain quality, which depending on what you're after might be exactly the trade-off you want.