Illicit Encounters is a real UK affair site with a long history, but it is not the safe, “verified” bet its homepage suggests. It has been running since 2004, it serves attached people in the UK and Ireland, and it does exactly one job. The catch is in the terms: no refunds at all, no duty to check that profiles are accurate, and a charging policy that decides what you pay by your gender.
I went through its own site and its terms (last updated June 2026) so you know where your money goes before you hand it over. If you just want the sites that get men dates fastest, go straight to my top hookup apps, ranked.
Want a more direct route to casual dating? Try WannaHookUp — my current top pick.
- Illicit Encounters homepage and member claims
- Terms and conditions, last updated 4 June 2026
- Price, payment, refund and termination clauses
- Trustpilot user reviews, treated as reports, not proven fact
Straight reviews. Clear expectations. Platforms with a realistic route to real conversations and dates.
Illicit Encounters Review: Quick Answers
Is Illicit Encounters legit? Yes, it is a real business. It is run by Online Tech Support Limited, trading as Illicit Encounters, and it publishes full terms and a UK phone number. Legit does not mean every profile is active or accurate, which I cover below.
Is Illicit Encounters free? Joining is free. Whether you pay after that depends on your gender. Its terms say whichever gender has more members pays the fee, and the other gender gets full membership free.
Can you get a refund? No. Clause 4.6 says all money paid is non-refundable, and that cancelling will not get you a refund, even if the company ends your membership.
Is it only for married people? It is built for them. The sign-up form asks if you are an attached male or an attached female seeking the opposite sex, in the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
What Illicit Encounters Actually Is
This is a discreet dating site for people who are already in a relationship. There is no pretence about what it is for. You make a profile, you search, and you message through the site’s own private system, so you do not have to hand over your email to the other person.
That narrow focus is the main selling point. On a mainstream app you spend half your time working out what someone is really after. Here everyone has signed up to the same idea, which saves a lot of awkward conversations.
The other point in its favour is geography. It concentrates on the UK and Ireland instead of spreading itself across the world, so if you live there the idea of finding someone within reach is at least sensible. If you live anywhere else, this site is not for you.
The “Verified Members” Claim
Here is the part I would want a friend to know. The homepage has a section headed “Verified Members” and talks about “genuine UK members”. The same homepage gives two different totals, 1,863,155 in one place and 1,890,784 in another, so treat either number as marketing and as a total since 2004, not as people online tonight.
More important is what the terms say. Clause 10 says the company makes no promise that the information in any profile or message is accurate, and that it is under no obligation to verify it. So “verified” on the homepage and “no obligation to verify” in the small print are sitting on the same website. The terms are the part that counts.
On Trustpilot the reviews are mixed, and one complaint is about dormant female profiles that never answer. Those are individual reports, not proven facts, and the company says it monitors and removes suspicious accounts. Expect some old accounts that will never reply, and do not judge your chances by the headline number. For the warning signs of the worse kind of site, read my 21 warning signs of a scam dating site.
How Much Does Illicit Encounters Cost?
The homepage and the terms do not print a price. Clause 4.1 says the price is whatever the payment page shows at the time, so you will only see the real number once you get there. Look closely at it before you pay, because of the next two points.
- Your gender decides if you pay. Clause 4.7 says the gender with more members pays and the gender with fewer gets in free. It also says this can switch in either direction. Men usually outnumber women on affair sites, so if you are a man, assume you are the one paying.
- Nothing comes back. Clause 4.6 rules out refunds, whatever the reason. If you find the site is quiet in your area a week after buying a long plan, that money is gone.
- Buy the shortest plan first. I would never start with a long subscription on a site with a no-refund rule. Pay for the least you can, test your area, then decide.
To end your membership, the terms say you must email them. The terms I read talk about a subscription expiring and contain no wording on automatic renewal, but check the payment page for that before you enter a card, and keep a copy of what it says.
Can You Realistically Meet Someone?
Yes, more realistically than on the fake chat sites that dominate this corner of the internet. There is a real site with a defined audience, and nothing in the terms describes staff or fictional profiles chatting to you, which is the first thing I look for.
The odds are what you need to be honest about. If you are a man paying while women join free, that imbalance is built into the business, and it is written into the charging policy. Expect plenty of profiles and far fewer replies. A big city gives you a far better shot than a small town, where you may find only a handful of active people. Search your area hard in the free stage before you pay anything.
Privacy and Safety
Discretion is the whole product, so check it for yourself instead of taking the homepage’s word. It says all activity is hidden and that no personal email is needed for messaging, and that is useful. It does not change the basics. Use a separate email address, keep your face out of public photos, never send anything you could not stand to see again, and do not move to WhatsApp with someone you have not met.
The bigger point is that the site cannot protect you from the person you are talking to. The terms themselves tell you profile details may not be accurate. Anyone who asks you for money, gift cards or a paid verification link is a scammer, whatever the site says about its members. My dating app safety guide covers the common ones.
Who Illicit Encounters Suits
It suits attached people in the UK or Ireland who want discretion and a site where nobody has to explain themselves. It is the best deal for whichever gender is in short supply, since they get full membership free.
It does not suit single men who just want to meet someone fast, anyone outside the UK and Ireland, or anyone who wants a refund safety net. If you want to compare it with the best-known name in this lane, read my Ashley Madison review, which runs on credits rather than a plain membership.
Final Verdict: Real Site, Read the Small Print
Illicit Encounters is a genuine UK and Ireland affair site, but “verified” is a homepage word and the terms say otherwise. It earns 3/5 for being real, focused and long-running, and it loses the rest for the blanket no-refund rule and a member count you cannot lean on. If you are attached and in the UK, test your area for free, then pay for the shortest plan only. If you simply want the options most likely to get you a date, see my top dating and hookup apps.
Compare Better Dating Apps for Your Area
Ready to actually meet someone? My top picks
Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. SteveJabba.com may earn a commission if you join through them, at no extra cost to you. This review is based on official platform information and publicly available user feedback checked in November 2026.
Read how SteveJabba reviews dating sites, including how official terms, pricing, verification and user feedback are assessed.