Complaint Review: Great Expectations Dating Service

I joined the dating service Great Expectations in July 2004 after a representative assured me I would find many young, single Jewish men in Los Angeles.

After she reduced the price of the service to a whopping $3600, and showed me a binder of eligible men, I signed the contract -- 3 years and $100 per month.

Within the three-day cooling off period I had doubts and wanted to speak with the woman who signed me up, but she was not available.

I wrote a standard profile and had pictures taken and a video which was uploaded to the site.

At this point, a representative told me the site was EXTRA -- I had to pay an additional fee to log on and check out men who were interested in my profile or me in theirs. Because this was costly, I went for two visits to the GE building in Los Angeles to use their computers and thumb through binders of men.

I ended up going on one date which a receptionist arranged for me.

I never logged online again because I did not pay for the service.

In January, I received a slew of phone calls from men whom I didn't recognize. They left messages, and a few got me on the phone live. The ones I spoke with said I selected them online and asked for contact. I said I had not been online AT ALL and I am unsure of why they were calling me.

I visited the GE office again and told them about the matter. They gave me a printout with strange mens' names and profiles -- and said there was a technical glitch and my information was given out to these men whom I NEVER SELECTED!

Instead of apologizing, they told me it was an unsevere error and that they would fix it.

At that point, for the $1700 I paid, I was annoyed. I wrote two letters trying to cancel my membership and cancelled my American Express card.

A representative from GE called and said the "glitch" was fixed and I cannot cancel my membership.

I told her I would secure an attorney.

This month, July 11, I received a call from ER SOLUTIONS a credit agency which had collected my debt of $1900 from GE. I said I could not pay this and would not based on the company compromising my privacy. The agent said, "you don't have a leg to stand on" and that she would report me to a credit bureau and this would mark my record!

I had an attorney contact her, and she was rude to my lawyer. I asked for her supervisor and was transferred to the voice mail boxes of several agents unfamiliar with my case. In addition, said agent told me there was no record of my attorney's calls. I said she left two voicemails. The rep said I could not even pay the $1900 in shifts -- I was forced to pay in full.

So I called GE and told them this agency was after me when my contract runs out in '07, and reiterated that my privacy was compromised. The rep there, a man named Stan said he was new, and that the credit agency ER SOLUTIONS bought my name and others from GE to pursue debt collection. He told me the corporate Headquarters in Arizona gave the order and that there was nothing he could do except call the HQ.

I called another supervisor at ER solutions. He said he could go over the first rep's head and collect $950 plus a $5 service charge from me over the phone now, and then GENEROUSLY give me until July 28, (this Friday and one week later) to pay the second installment of $950 or my credit record would be stained.

I consulted another attorney. He said to dispute the charge of $955 with my credit card company and that under the fair debt reporting act I could sue the collections agency and GE for their treatment.

Presently, I am seeking a class-action suit against GE so I can properly sue the company.

People with legitimate debts for services received like medical or dental, or even other debts -- are not even treated this way.

--SHB

Suzanne
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.

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