Dating Tips

How to Cancel a Date

Call and cancel

If you’ve agreed to go on a date with someone, but then find yourself having second thoughts or wondering whether it’s really such a good idea, how do you cancel the date? Here are five practical do’s and don’t’s for cancelling dates.

1. Don’t just ignore it and not turn up

However awkward you feel about cancelling a date, it’s never a good idea to just ignore it and not turn up. Apart from the fact that it’s simply not a polite or nice thing to do, if your date has made special arrangements to meet you and travelled far, then they may be left out of pocket too.

2. Do be honest and say you can’t go.

Honesty is usually the best policy and it’s far better to be honest in advance and say you can’t make the date as planned, than leave your date high and dry.

3. But don’t be too honest about why!

The only thing to be aware of when cancelling a date is being too honest. If you’d agreed to go on a date with someone out of pity, because your friend told you to, because you didn’t have anything else on, or because you couldn’t get any other dates, then don’t tell them that.

Whilst honesty is good, too much brutal honesty is going too far. Don’t feel you’ve got to tell your date exactly why you’re cancelling, just stick with a line that you can’t make it.

4. Don’t leave it until the last minute to cancel

If you’re going to cancel a date, and have been thinking about it for a while, then please don’t leave it until the last minute to cancel. At least give your date a bit of notice if you can, so they can make alternative arrangements, rather than being left with no other options for the day.

5. Do have courage!

If you’re having a bit of a wobble and a worry about going on a date, and are thinking of cancelling it, then don’t do it before you’ve thought it through properly. It’s normal to experience first date nerves, especially when going on a date with someone you’ve met online.

Think it through carefully before you abandon the idea – after all, he or she could turn out to be your dream date!

Tags: cancel, cancelling a date, date