I have been on and off of fling for about 6 years, and can give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. For starters, free membership gets you little to nothing. The flip side of that coin is that you're getting what you pay for. Many single guys who take a free membership think they are entitled to girls who are obligated to sleep with them, and that is silly. On the other hand, fling promotes this idea through their advertising. The truth is, fling is a microcosm of the real world. If you're too socially inept to get laid in a bar, you're too socially inept to get laid.
The realty is that fling is populated with fake profiles (and many "female profiles" without pics that are obviously men), the chat rooms are a big part of fling... obnoxious guys who think that $#*! is their god-given entitlement, guys worshiping fat girls with their tits out on cam (who would $#*! themselves if a pretty girl ever flirted with them in the frozen food aisle), scarred 30-50 y/o women who love attention, but would rather get it from behind their computer than have actual sex, or even a date, and self-absorbed 20 y/o girls who think it is your privilege to have them speak to you.
Rarely did i get an independent e-mail from a local girl, but the day my paying membership lapsed, i got one a day (obviously bots).
Profiles stay up even after memberships have been cancelled, which pads their apparent ranks.
That is the negative.
The positive is that i have hooked up with at least 10 girls from fling, including my current girlfriend, who is awesome. I have also made my share of "long-distance friends" who are very cool people.
I should point out that i am a reasonably good-looking, socially competent man, and getting laid is not rocket science, but idiots who expect guarantees should stick to sports bars and complaining about not getting laid.
This is NOT a swing site. It's not really even a dating site (they don't get paid for people FINDING, they get paid for people LOOKING) - basically a bunch of posers who want to dabble in sexual liberation. So, why the 3 stars? Well, you CAN get laid, if you're not a moron or a recluse, though many people on fling are. Decent chatrooms, if you're not an idiot (but can tolerate idiots)... in other words, if you are cool, you will meet cool people.
As far as legitimate swing sites go, fling is single A baseball... lifestyle lounge or swing lifestyle are the way to go, but in all reality, if you are a single male troll with no game, looking for easy $#*!, no one on any site is going to want you. On the other hand, if you are a single A player, fling is fun, and if you can weed through the crap, you will meet some cool people. It is much more tolerant of (especially single male) idiots than real swing sites, so if you are looking to dabble, or are a troll, it's a better choice than most.
In the end, if you are serious about swinging, fling is not a serious choice. However, most single men who want to swing are like homeless people wanting a mansion... and most single men who dive in half-assed (free membership) will get what they pay for. Everyone has their WANTS. Fling is a place where limited investment by limited people meets with limited results... on the other hand i (a pretty marketable man) have made some friends, gotten some kitty, and met my (ridiculously hot) girl.
Hope this helps
- cheers