Jun. 20, 2022 Edmonton Matchmakers: This company is a total scam. Here are 2
articles about it:
Located in: Strathcona Town Centre
Address: 7915 104 St NW Unit 230, Edmonton, AB T6E 4E1
1 Google review:
Apr. 13, 2017 "Edmonton woman sues dating service after paying thousands of dollars for a single date": Today I found this article by Andrea Huncar on CBC news:
A 67-year-old Edmonton woman is suing a matchmaking service after she spent thousands of dollars more than two years ago but only went on a single date.
"I know I'm not Nancy Sinatra but there must be someone out there who would have coffee with me," said Margaret Clark in an interview with Edmonton AM.
According to the lawsuit, Clark paid $10,494.75 in December 2014 for a membership with Edmonton Matchmakers at their office in Old Strathcona.
Less than a year later, the Texas attorney general's office shut down the company's U.S. affiliate, ordering Lone Star Introductions to pay a penalty of $500,000 for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
In a statement of claim filed on March 31 in Calgary, Clark accused Canada Introductions Inc., which operates as Edmonton Matchmakers, of "using extreme and persistent high-pressure sales tactics."
"After two and a half hours, I felt like I was very low, my self-esteem had been bruised," Clark told CBC, recalling her initial appointment with the relationship consultant.
"She continuously bombarded me with questions:
Why hadn't I met somebody at the church I attended?
Why hadn't I dated anybody?
That women my age didn't have much time left and these statements were made over and over again."
Clark was taking Oxycontin after a recent hip replacement surgery in addition to breaking her foot. The lawsuit says the sales person was "well aware" of Clark's health condition, but convinced her to pay $10,494.75 for a membership.
None of the allegations have been proven in court and a statement of defence has not been filed. Edmonton Matchmakers has not responded to CBC Edmonton's repeated requests for comment.
BBB reviews
The Better Business Bureau of Massachusetts confirmed Edmonton Matchmakers is affiliated with Lone Star Introductions, which also operates as eLove. In addition to the $500,000 fine, Lone Star was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to customers. The company was also found in violation of the Texas Internet Dating Safety Act and debt-collection regulations.
Clark's lawsuit notes eLove and Alberta Matchmakers are both registered trade names owned by Canada Introductions.
Edmonton's Better Business Bureau gives Edmonton Matchmakers a rating of A- but several customer reviews are less flattering.
They echo Clark's allegations of high-pressure sales tactics, unsuitable matches and a lack of referrals.
"In my case it was a very poor match," wrote one customer. "After that, you might as well just write your money off. There are no time requirements to provide anything. They could wait until you die."
Clark's contract states that after clients receive their first referral they "will not be entitled to any refund."
"We will provide to you a total of 16 referrals on an as-available basis," reads the contract, adding the company does not guarantee "the time it may take to find referrals for you based on your compatibility with our Membership base."
The lawsuit says Clark met her one match for a lunch date shortly after signing up. Both agreed they were "wrongfully mismatched." According to court documents, Clark never received another referral and her calls and emails to the company were not returned.
According to court documents, Clark concluded she had been "scammed" in March 2015 and called to demand her money back. The lawsuit seeks a full refund plus interest. She told CBC she felt angry and embarrassed but decided to go public to warn others.
Insufficient evidence of offence
Service Alberta investigated Clark's case in 2015 but found "insufficient evidence" to identify an offence or enforce regulations, said spokesperson Cheryl Tkalcic.
"If new information becomes available and is shared with us, our consumer investigators would assess the information to determine if reopening the file is warranted."
Tkalcic said the Fair Trading Act protects consumers from unfair business practices such as being influenced to make a purchase,
taking advantage of the buyer
or representing goods that are of a different quality than promoted.
She advised customers to review contract terms and refund policies, and ask questions.
Tkalcic is encouraging "those who are concerned about a similar transaction" to call the consumer contact centre at 1.877.427.4088.
With files from CBC's Mark Harvey
Edmonton woman sues dating service after paying thousands of dollars for a single date | CBC News
Apr. 26, 2017 "'He was partially toothless': Edmonton woman raises alarm over matchmaking service": Today I found this article by Wallis Snowden on CBC news:
An Edmonton woman is urging buyer beware after she spent thousands of dollars with a matchmaking company but only went on a single date with a gap-toothed homeless man.
Val Taylor, 54, paid $7,344 for a membership with Edmonton Matchmakers at their office in Old Strathcona. A company salesperson promised to find her a match, but Taylor says her single suitor was hardly the man of her dreams.
'Very surreal experience'
The date was shorter than her five-foot-10 frame, unemployed and homeless, she said in an interview with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
"He was partially toothless," she said. "And during our coffee, he continuously chewed and destroyed plastic utensils. It was a very surreal experience."
"I had very strictly specified that I'm not anybody's sugar mamma. I'm not dating any unemployed bums and this guy lived in a camper on the side of the road."
Taylor decided to go public with her story after another Edmonton woman, Margaret Clark, filed a lawsuit against Canada Introductions Inc., which operates as Edmonton Matchmakers.
In a statement of claim filed March 31, Clark said she paid $10,494 for her membership — and a single date. She claims the company was "using extreme and persistent high-pressure sales tactics." A statement of defence has not yet been filed in the case, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
'Hiding in my house in shame'
But Taylor said she too has serious concerns about the company.
"I thought, 'Oh my god, somebody went public with that,' because I've been basically hiding in my house in shame since it happened," said Taylor.
"I think it was very brave of her. I've long wanted to do something myself and bring this company to light because I'm sure Margaret and I are not the only two people out there."
Taylor went to the company's office in July of 2015 to inquire about a membership. She alleges that was subjected to an aggressive sales pitch, which "hacked away at her self-esteem."
The contract with the company promised to provide her 12 "referrals" but not a successful match. An information package describes the service as a "premier matchmaking service for upscale and mature singles" with an "introduction process that has produced thousands of relationships."
She eventually agreed to sign on and filled out a form, asking for a match with an attractive and gainfully employed man close to her own age, she said.
"Your self-esteem is already low when you go to someplace like that, because you're thinking I'm such a loser, I have to go to a company to find me a date," she said.
"And they use high-pressure sales tactics, and then when you tell them that you want to think about it, they berate you and make you feel like you've wasted their time and cost them money."
Within a week, she was set up with a date. It would be her first, and her last with the company.
After her outing with the "toothless gentleman," Taylor said she complained immediately and asked for a full refund on her contract.
'Very, very fine writing'
She was flatly denied, and was never again matched on a date, she claims.
"You can sign up for these different packages and in very, very fine writing it tells you that once you've had your first meeting, you're locked into the contract," she said.
"And then they set you up with someone completely inappropriate.
They set you up very quickly so you don't have time to change your mind, and then it's a brush-off after that."
Edmonton Matchmakers has not responded to CBC Edmonton's repeated requests for comment.
In 2015, the Texas attorney general's office shut down the company's U.S. affiliate, ordering Lone Star Introductions to pay a fine of $500,000 for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
The Better Business Bureau of Massachusetts confirmed Edmonton Matchmakers is affiliated with Lone Star Introductions, which also operates as eLove.
In addition to the fine, Lone Star was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to customers. The company was also found in violation of the Texas Internet Dating Safety Act and debt-collection regulations.
Service Alberta investigated Clark's claim in 2015 but found "insufficient evidence" to identify an offence or enforce regulations. As of Wednesday, a Service Alberta spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment from CBC News.
A number of negative reviews can be found on the Edmonton BBB page.
Taylor said she would like to see the matchmaking service investigated again.
"These kind of companies need to be shut down because they're preying on vulnerable people and laughing all the way to the bank," she said.
With files from Mark Harvey
'He was partially toothless': Edmonton woman raises alarm over matchmaking service | CBC News
These articles remind me of this because it's about people telling others about their bad experiences with this company:
"#MeToo movement becomes #WeToo in in victim-blaming Japan"/ "Outrage as women in Japan told not wear glasses in the workplace"
"You never look good when you are trying to make someone else look bad."- Unknown
Cham: Sometimes people need to be exposed for who they are hahah or maybe I should stop being petty
Tracy Au: There's a difference between trying to make someone look bad, and exposing them for who they are. It's like those #MeToo accusers and victims, they are plainly telling everybody about the perpetrators. They're not trying to make them look bad.
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