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More single men and women are turning to dating services to meet that special someone. But what exactly do dating services promise and is it worth the cost?
It's a lesson one man says he learned the hard way.
Matchmaking is an exploding industry with more than 400 services nationwide promising to find the right person for you. But with any booming business, the Better Business Bureau warns there are complaints.
"We're finding there are allegations that the dating club is overinflating the compatibility between the two folks," said Erin Jones, Better Business Bureau.
Enrique Becerra is a 45-year old college professor who recently spent $1,500 to receive 12 matches in 12 months.
"For this amount of money, I think that I may have better luck meeting friends if I go to a bar, which is what I wanted to avoid," Becerra said.
Becerra canceled his contract with a dating service after only five matches. He says profiles about his prospective dates and about himself were inflated.
"She had the impression from what they were telling her by phone that I was from some place in Europe, which I am not," he said.
Compatibility between clients varies with each date, which is another reason why the Better Business Bureau warns customers to be familiar with cancellation and refund policies before signing a contract.
"We recommend to consumers that they are very clear on what the expectations are and the number of matches that they can expect," Jones said.
Dating services don't guarantee love and marriage, which is why traditional sites, like bars, are still an option. There are no expensive contracts and no one to blame when expectations fall flat.
Another tip from the Better Business Bureau: Be sure any verbal guarantees a dating service makes are also clearly spelled out in the contract before you sign it.
By OLGA CAMPOS / KVUE News
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