"...Why they didn't delete their profile is beyond my understanding..."
Some paid members let their membership lapse when they take a break and then pay to reactivate their membership when they are ready to make contacts and play.
Others use their SLS membership for keeping track of parties/events - some events are only open to SLS members and free members qualify to attend.
"Free members can initiate and receive calls, but they can't read or respond to messages."
Free members aren't able to initiate messages. I suspect that if somebody receives one from a Free Member the message was sent prior to their paid membership expiring. Free members can receive messages but they can't read/respond to them.
"...profiles that posted alternative contact info who were running sextortion scams...."
Unlimited members who approve profiles should have caught the outside contact info and flagged the profile before it went "live". Many times the contact info is inserted cryptically and not everyone who reviews profiles catch it. If you run across a profile with outside contact info you should report it to management.
"Some might have bought a membership and then canceled it. Why they didn't delete their profile is beyond my understanding."
Usually people just let their paid membership expire. Unlimited memberships don't expire, if unlimited members "cancel", they most likely tell management to delete the profile. I'd wager that some unlimited members just lost interest, didn't return and either forgot the log in info or just don't care.
Or they died and didn't have the courtesy to tell management that they're dead.
Free members can initiate and receive calls, but they can't read or respond to messages. I never feel video ready so I personally have never connected with someone that way.
Also have run into 2 single women profiles that posted alternative contact info who were running sextortion scams.
Some might have bought a membership and then canceled it. Why they didn't delete their profile is beyond my understanding.
I am only going to guess that a few Free Members are posers, Posing as a couple but is only the husbands fantasy. A lot of fakes! Just saying!
FWIW, we used to go for extended periods as free members to take a break, then become paid members for a period.
After years of the "Wash. Rinse. Repeat." cycle we finally became unlimited.
Sometimes we'd come back as paid members when we saw that we had like 15 messages that we couldn't read- only to find out that all 15 messages were about events going on (that we had no interest in/were 1,000 miles away), messages from the site about events/cruises sponsored by the site or from people (usually SMs) who couldn't read our profile and were either 1 word (Hey. Hi., etc.) or asking us to open our pictures.
You're not missing anything.
If I remember correctly Free Members can see Events and sign up for them (and some events require membership).
Others will let their membership lapse when they take a break and pay again later when they can participate.
I have always assumed they think it is like other sites where free members are allowed to contact, and be contacted by, a few people a month and they want to try out the site first.
Of course, they could just be really stupid.
I also wonder why the free accounts come up during a search. I always exclude free from my searches. But I have always wondered what SLS expected me to do with them in a search.
I agree, I recently had a couple send a friend request, of course I accepted, reading their profile saw they were looking for single male for mfm. I didn’t notice for weeks of unreturned messages that they are free. How would anyone contact them? Oh well I’ve moved on, but it baffles me me.
I have noticed lately in my area (50 mi radius) a lot of folks.. single women- couples , that make a nice profile with pics. They stay in the free member catagory, for months and months. I dont get it, why sign up with a great profile and stay on without being able to communicate?? Am i missing something ?
