While our website has only been live since March 29th, 2011, we have already had over 10,000 new signups (and we are adding close to 2,000 new accounts a day). The statistics are alarming. We have been responsible for setting up over 500 dates. But what is even more alarming is how quickly the media got wind of our website – which is supposed to be officially launched next week!

Here are some of the headlines that showed up since yesterday:

Gawker.com: New Dating Site Is Indistinguishable From Prostitution
MSNBC.COM: New dating site treats members like prostitutes
Huffington Post: What’s Your Price Dating Site Blurs Line Between Capitalism & Prostitution
Switched: New Dating Site Blurs the Line Between Capitalism and Prostitution

Judging from the headlines, it seems people are quick to rush to judgments about what WhatsYourPrice.com is about. But … how ironic is this? It’s okay to host charity events where first dates with beautiful people are sold off to the highest bidder in the name of helping a charitable cause. But when the same concept is taken to the real world, all of the sudden it becomes questionable.

When capitalism is mixed in with dating, all of a sudden people start concluding “it must be prostitution”.  But does paying money for a cup of coffee every morning mean Starbucks is engaging in prostitution?  Does paying for gas every time you fill up at the gas station mean that Mobil or BP is pimping?  Does donating money to the Church every Sunday morning equate religion to prostitution?  Obviously NOT, and obviously buying a First Date isn’t either …

What the world should be asking instead …. is does this work? While I have already received numerous emails from new members telling me how WhatsYourPrice.com is working extremely well for them, I want to prove that this website works for just about everyone.

The WhatsYourPrice.com Challenge:

To prove this is a viable model for dating, we are going to send one of our own SINGLE staff members — a ‘regular Joe’ — to test out WhatsYourPrice.com over the next few weeks. He will be armed with 1000 credits (which is what members of our First Date Guarantee package will get) and $200 in cash. He will then be asked to make $20 offers to attractive members on the site… and he will go out on 1st dates.

Chris - a WhatsYourPrice.com Staff Member

We will be filming his entire experience just like on any reality TV show, and we will post updates of his progress here on the WhatsYourPrice blog over the next few weeks and months.

— Brandon Wade, Founder & CEO

What do you think of the WhatsYourPrice.com concept?

Have you had any good or bad experiences via the website so far?