Complaint Review: Calfornia Singles

This is a matchmaking service. I was interviewed by Karen in Santa Rosa who sold me an eighteen-month $6000 program in a 90-minute interview. I was told they had 800 people who were a potential match for me when I signed up. My experience with them would indicate they have no matches meeting my criteria. Sadly I was not able to communicate with Karen, who sold me the program after signing up. You don’t get the contact information of the person who signs you up to communicate with them later. You are immediately given to Megan whom you do not meet and have no information on. She is not a fussy warm person to deal with. The other reviewers describe her further. From all observations she runs the place and is not keen on being flexible with the way they do things.

There is a lot you need to know about this agency prior to signing up that is not disclosed in the sales pitch.

In short, this is probably the most inefficient matching service in the industry. Let me explain.

It is hard to get ahold of them on the phone once you are a client. The line is usually busy or the person you are required to speak to, Megan at first, is not in or not available. It usually takes more than a half dozen calls to get through. You cannot email or text them.

They take photos of you but they will not let you see pictures of the matches prior to setting you up with them. All matches are double blind. They also ask you not to exchange photos prior to meeting a match. This is not disclosed in the 90-minute interview. This means you will be needlessly meeting people who you will not be attracted to that could have easily been eliminated from a photo. Attraction is hard wired in most people and no amount of personality or shared interest can change that.

Other than a personality test they use no technology to make their matches. It is all done from 10x14 inch cards sorted by age. There is no database match up, no eHarmony like personality selecting programs, no computer sorting and no web use or web access. They do not use email to communicate with clients. They are Luddites in the 21st century. Interestingly, they are proud of that.

They gain their new business through extensive advertising on the radio, web advertising and long 90-minute sales conferences, which pressure people in to signing up on the first visit. Referrals from satisfied clients are rare, as their reviews will testify to.

When you show up for an interview they do not have a database so they can’t look up how many potential matches they have for you. The local sales offices do not even have a list of clients in your area. All matches are done in Sacramento. All of their other offices in Fresno, Modesto, Palo Alto, Santa Rosa, Walnut Creek and Bakersfield are only used for making sales. You would think you would be interacting with the office where you were interviewed. However, it is only a storefront and only occupied when an interview is scheduled with a new client. If you show up there later the office is closed and no one is there.

I asked for 45-58 women who were interested in a more mature man. However, they pushed me towards older women. This is probably because they have so many of them. Megan, the person who does your first match scolded me when I not want to accept her match that for me was well outside my comfort zone.

When they find a match for you they call at random times. They do not use text messages or email. It can take up to a dozen calls to get back to them. The line is usually busy or they are on the phone with someone else. You cannot schedule a phone call. You cannot go back to the local office to talk with them.

When I spoke to the match I was set up with it took only a few minutes to realize we were not suited for each other. They instruct you to set up a date without communing with the match they give you.

I asked the match they set me up with how her other matches were. They were very poor. One woman was set up twice with men who smoked when she specifically asked for a nonsmoker. They also have misrepresented the age of the people they are setting you up with by a year or two. All this is probably to get you to accept as match collect their fee. It is obvious they do not have suitable matches for many people.

Fees are $2500 for 6months, $5000 for one year, $6000 for 18 months with an 8-month hold and $10,000 for longer transferable membership. I was only offered the larger plans.

Their fees are about on par with a number of other agencies except their inefficiencies result in them delivering much less service than most.

If you read the other reviews you will see that almost no one like working with them or is satisfied with their service.

California singles is very very frustrating to work with. This is a poorly run business by all measures.