So I've always been curious about those matchmaking companies. Several reputable sources say they are great. Sure maybe in major metropolitans like NYC or Cali. Anyway, there's no way to research them, and I'm the research queen. I looked for reviews, but the only ones that came up in Google or Yahoo were their own websites reviews.
There's also no cost to be found anywhere. We all know that likely means extremely expensive. The old adage "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" type thing. This in fact sparked my curiosity more. How much more than Match or eHarmony could it be?
So partially out of curiosity, a little bit from beer nudge, eh, what the heck? Let's fill out the site questionnaire and see what happens. (Note this is a site that genuinely had been talked about on real professional websites and newspapers like the WSJ.)
So the next day four phone calls from an unrecognized number on a workday. In the evening I finally answered. The young woman was super polite. Very inquisitive to what I liked, didn't, etc. Not in the nosey Nelly way that would make you want to scrub yourself clean and worry about your finances way. She seemed really sweet, like that perfect realtor who listens to what you are looking for and is genuinely going to help you find that house. Yet, after a very lengthy sales pitch that was super friendly and asking me to sign up, she still had not told me the price. In fact, she wanted me to go sign up, and yet still without the price tag.
When I buckled because I wanted to know the price? Tap dance around the price while explaining to me that I'm not getting any younger. Well, no shit. And it doesn't get easier as you get older, particularly when you get to 50. Wow. Okay. But this is me she's talking to. I simply tell her that of my 40 something friends, she's probably right. Most of us are single and struggle, but most of my 50 something girlfriends seem to hit the jackpot in their 50s. I know 3 right off the top of my head.
Yes, that's nice, but.... I kind of cut her off. How much? ..... Well, she begins to explain this 10 month membership and that they will screen everyone, etc. How safe it is because they have participating restaurants. How they have several men in this area. How many? Several. Several is an interesting number. How about a rough estimate on how many between Charlotte and Atlanta? In the state of SC? Nope. Several, several. Oh boy. So more than one....
Again push for how much? Finally for all this...$4800. LMAO. I went silent. Come on. I know PT Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute, but that was the most insane number I had ever heard. She then goes into hard sell tactics. Now I am getting old and I don't have much time and blah, blah, blah. I wasn't hearing her. So what did I think? Holy hell. What did I think?
But she had been so sweet overall, I simply told her I couldn't see spending that much money on dating. What else would I do with my money? $4800? Was she kidding me? Vacation, ticket to Europe, all inclusive resort. I don't know, anything sounded better.
Here's the final kick, desperate sales pitch: well how are those vacations going to be if you're sleeping by yourself?? WTF. Did this tactic actually work? On who? Like someone who's totally down on themselves and has nothing going for them? Then, here comes what apparently would close the deal normally: Is it really too much money so that you don't have to be alone? It was the same as going on vacation. I started laughing. No, it definitely wasn't like going on vacation. Would anyone ever say first dates are like super relaxing like a vacation?
But no, she didn't stop there. "Isn't finding the love of your life worth $4800?"... No. "You don't want the love of you life." Not for $4800, nope. And the punchline: "I don't think you're taking finding the man for you very seriously."
BAM. Yes, you're right, I tell her. I'm really not that serious about it. Definitely not serious enough to spend $4800.... I had to block the emails and the calls because they kept coming for the next couple days. $4800? That kind of money will buy a lot of toys.
Finally find a group of reviews they can't get rid of... On Yelp. 90% claim nothing but a scam. But hey, I learned something about myself. I'm not serious enough to not being alone to spend 2 round trip tickets to Europe. Girl is going to start planning some vacations though.
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