Why Not Pair Players Of Approximate Rating ?

Is it because Chess.com first requires becoming a member ?

Is it because Chess.com first requires a membership fee.

Sometimes i'm paired with someone above 400 and am able to abort, but most of time my only option is to resign. My average rating is between 250 to 300. Yet, sometimes i'm paired with someone rated above 400 and resign saving my time as well as a much better player.

Also, is it true that Chess.com may not allow posting by a non-paying member?

It appears Chess.com encourages miss-matches to boost the rating of much higher ranked players; while reducing the rating of a lessor player.  It has also happened that a much better player will forfeit a game just to be nice to a much lower ranked player. Was told by Chess.com that they allow mismatches as an incentive for a lower ranked player to get better. Instead it discourages a player with a rating of 250 playing against a player with a rating of +400.

Am 74 and just learning chess to delay dementia. Am helping my grandson earn his Boy Scout Merit Badge. I really don't mind resigned if it encourages the other player and raises his/her rating. At 74 years young it isn't important whether or not i loose so will just keep resigning to another ranking much higher as winning is more important to young folk. As for me why should i pay a membership fee as long as i can resign and boost the self-esteem of another player rated at least double my rating.

In your settings, you can define your ranges for seeks. If you abort too often, as a percentage of completed games, you are left with the only option of resigning.

https://support.chess.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1444922-fair-play-policy

You don't have to buy a premium membership for that.

This is totally ludicrous as the rating system does not work that way. 

If you are paired with (and beat) someone much lower rated you gain almost no rating points at all as your win expectancy is very high.

The only way to boost your rating higher is to play with and defeat players of roughly equal of higher ratings. If you only compete against players with much lower ratings you will not gain much at all. 

Don't think a non-paying player can set match pairing. Now i just let a person win that is rated well below me or way above me. It's more important to others to win. To me it's just a game.

If U want to WIN play a casual game with me

Was just paired with another having a rating of 425 to my 285. He was playing white and decided not even make a beginning first move, but instead awarded me with a Win. This is nothing new as it happens at least a coiuple times every day. So now i'm following the same example by either purposely letting a much better player win ASAP as well as letting the clock run out on someone rated under 200. Apparently Chess.com doesn't allow players to set a match parameter unless they first Pay-UP. 

You have to keep in mind, also, that there's not a lot of players in the 250-350 ELO range, so chess.com has no choice but to try to pair you up with the next closest ELO range player. Paying members allowed to set a match parameter? Not here. Not on this site. 

Regarding your note, non-premium can set the ranges.

Settings > Live Chess and set your Incoming and Outgoing rating preferences.

I'm 77 and if you only play to delay dementia, yet don't care if you win or lose? How can that help delay dementia? My view is that you must extend your mental abilities trying to win! To me, its the fight within you that matters, only that, could delay dementia. Use your brain man! Chess is one mind against another mind, its the fight that matters,

#13  "its the fight that matters,"

That is not my reason for playing chess as U can read from my above post.  Do agree with your premise for all those that play for the wrong reason. It drives some to quit or go crazy (e.g. Fischer). I recently learned from a Utube on the history of Chess that the game supposedly had demonic influence from it's origin in India.

NO CAN DO!

CAN set the color of chess board and shape of pieces ... Yippie Skippy

On the website, that is where the setting is.

On the app, you need create a Custom Challege and set your ranges there. I think that becomes the default for future quick challenges, but I'm not certain. You can also set ranges on custom challenges on the website, but setting the defaults will probably be easier.

at your age sir you have achieved more than most on this site , in life you have a wealth of experience

this may be a new format for you though but as you see from the replies, we want you to enjoy the game too ,

set what grade limits you prefer to get the most out of the game , I wish you good luck and good chess

A whole lot of rambling without any understanding of the glicko rating system. The first thing to know is that there are very few chess players under 400. It's really hard to find close opponents for you. With a minimum amount of training (even at your age), 800 should be very quickly attained and this issue should go away.

#20  "With a minimum amount of training (even at your age), 800 should be very quickly attained and this issue should go away."

Who are U kidding ? Do U enjoy belittling those that aren't as gifted as others.  So U R implying that those that aren't able to attain 800 "very quickly" shouldn't be playing chess. IMO another Know-It-All comment that isn't helpful. Do U find amusement in belittling others as enjoyment ???

There are over 200,000 members rated 400 and under. It is very possible there will be a small percentage of those players looking for games at any given time, setting the ranges should provide games at comparable rating, though there might be a wait.