Complaint Review: It's Just Lunch - - Newport Beach California

I joined IJL in Newport Beach, CA on June 6, 2005. When I completed my application I emphasized how important it was to me that I met someone who was a professional (like me), and an active "ocean person" who loves to sail, scuba dive and ski, and had the time and money to travel internationally. Most important, I wanted to date another Christian.

In the interview I asked whether they had enough male members who would be compatible. Before I signed the contract with them, they assured me that they had enough men in their database to fulfill what I was looking for and quickly ran my credit card. I paid them $1300 in advance for 14 dates, based on their promises to provide compatible partners for me.

They require that you phone them to "report in" within 24 hours of your date. They told me that this was so they could get a better idea of what you did or did not like about the guy, and they could apply this to find you a more compatible date the next time. It all sounded like a great idea.

The truth was, they did not have nearly as many people in their system as they had told me.

Even after numerous complains during the next months, the matches they aligned me with became more and more incompatible and the dates kept getting worse and worse. They have not even come close to delivering what they promised.

Several times they sent me to one restaurant and my date to another. One of the dates never showed up at all. They gave me some lame excuse as to why he didn't show.

I expressed my concerns to them numerous times when giving my date feedback. They even offered to extend my membership to give me more dates. What good would that do? They couldn't deliver what they had already promised me.

Out of total frustration I put my membership on hold in October 2006.

In the middle of January I wrote them a letter outlining all their lies and demanded my money back in spite of a "no refunds" clause in their contract. I pointed out to them that I would contact an attorney and sue them for breach of contract if they did not refund my money, since they lied to me to get me to sign the agreement in the first place.

They send me back a letter telling me that they would refund my money in return for signing a non-disclosure that I would not go public with my story. I signed it, and waited for my refund. Now, almost four months later, still no refund. Additionally, they continue to promise to return my phone calls and never do.

This company is not qualified to be in the matchmaking business. The promises they make to the prospective members are for the purpose of putting money into their own pockets.

I am currently filing a claim in Orange County Small Claims Court asking for all my money back. I am also sending this report to Consumer Reports, the Better Business Bureau and any other place where I can get the word out. If I can keep one other busy professional from wasting their time and money with this company, then I feel it will have done some good.

Bonnie

Irvine, California
U.S.A.