Abstract
We analyse 21 in-depth interviews with online dating service users to understand how consumerist market logic transforms human relationships, challenging the view in consumer research of market capitalism as empowering consumers by showing how neoliberal market ideology can hinder value creation in consumption experiences. Second, we develop the notion of value conflict as an active antecedent of value co-destruction in service settings that generates multiple forms of uncertainty, contributing to negative experiential outcomes. We explain the strategies consumers apply in pursuing romantic love in a shared marketplace while preserving their freedom of choice. Finally, we extend research on multiple value regimes in shared contexts by illustrating what happens when conflicting notions of value are not reconciled between actors.