There comes a time in many peoples lives who have given up on dating apps. The reasons of giving up on dating apps are many - lots of fake profiles, lots of fake photos, sick of wading through all the photos, too much searching, and the list goes on and on.
If you have the means to pay for a matchmaker it may make sense. Usually someone who does go to a matchmaker does for several primary reasons - they want to cut down on the time looking for someone, and they want to meet someone specific in mind. They also want to someone else to do all the lifting, because they are sick of looking online. As well, they are hoping the matchmaker has a few tricks up their sleeve, and has access to the people the person paying wants. Its a tricky slope, lets delve in a bit deeper shall we.
Cost.
This is the first step of looking for a matchmaking services. It is not cheap. The lowest on the totem pole tend to be about $5,000 all the way up to $50,000 for the year. I have seen that go much higher as well, into the $100,000 fees. For that money, you have to throw in a free wedding, a car, and pay for the catering for me. Also note, that sometimes the higher price does not get you a better service. Think of it as a brand name they are selling. You pay more for a designer brand t shirt, but is it really a better t shirt. Well, you wont know with a matchmaker until you sign up for at least two of them to compare. By then it may be too late as well.
Reputation.
The problem with matchmaking services it is the wild west out there. At times you don’t know who or what you are getting. As well, there are no guarantees. The only guarantee they can give is that they will deliver a certain number of prospective clients to you. Nothing beyond that. They cannot control chemistry or hormones. If you go online and do a bit of research on a particular agency, you will usually find quite the horror stories to go along with it. Usually the word ripped off comes up a lot in these testimonials. You have to take these reviews, at times, with a grain of salt. Why? Because many times the clients expectations are extremely high, and high of themselves. Men believe they can get a 20 year old, while women in their 40’s believe a young man in his 30’s wants them. It can be hard to bring these people back to earth for a reality check.
Personal Experience.
I remember being set up by an agency in a trial run in London, UK. They told me they were setting me up with an uber hot 30 year old sophisticated woman. Great I said. I told her to meet me at this trendy watering hole near Bond Street. I came on time for our lunch drink date, and I waited a good 30 minutes for her arrival. Well, when she arrived, she did not apologize at all. This was a red flag. Second, when she opened up her coat to take off, underneath was a leopard print dress that would make any streetwalker proud. What fake leopard or tiger she killed, I still don’t know. Strike two, and a big strike at that! Then, when I asked her for what drink would she like, she ordered not a drink, but a bottle of champagne! at 1 pm in the afternoon. Boy was i mad and fuming. Spent time, effort, and now money to meet a wanna be style streetwalker with no manners, grace, nor style. Add to that - if she was pretty, a man usually will forgive something. But no such luck, she looked like she played professional football (American) in her younger days without a helmet.
Before I forget, the stench. Usually, I don’t pay particular attention to a women’s perfume, other than to say I either notice it or I don’t If I do notice it, I would say to myself, nice perfume, nice smell, etc. I don’t waver on the issue too much. This date smelled like she bathed in her perfume for a few days that it came out from every pore in that cheap dress of hers. Not only that, it would just linger in the air, over my table, and kill whatever greenery was on said table. My guess was, they had a gallon sale at a nearby perfume factory and she shoved a few gallons worth in her Lada.
To this day, that smell comes back to me every once in awhile, and I have to stop and take a breath of fresh air to get that matchmaking date from hell leave my memory. No luck though in getting rid of it forever. Things like this get tattooed on ones brain unfortunately.
Finally Do it.
When you finally do take the plunge for a matchmaking service they like to bring you in to a fancy office. From there, they will dote on you, give you the spiel, make promises and reel you in. When people are desperate the more likely they are to sign. From there, they will interview you. There are two routes here. One is, they will give you a questionnaire, and two they will interview you personally. Sometimes a combination of both. I consider anyone who primarily relies on a questionnaire that anyone could cut and paste of the internet, a waste of time and a waste of someone intelligence. It reminds of some 1950s punch card test. We have a match for you!
At least make the effort to interview the person in depth, get to know them a little better before you start the process. Also, what I hate, when you do begin, most agencies will not give you a book to look through, or 10 dates photo. Nope. You are luck to get 1 to 4 photos. From these you have to choose your first date. When you get this limited scope, you wonder what did I sign up for?
Conclusion
There lies the rub people, do your research before signing up with an agency. Visit a few in person as well, and never be desperate in front of them. Good luck, and happy dating!
Written by:
Jack Leon