Jan 11, 2008 10:44 pm US/Eastern
I-Team: Action Taken Against Dating Service
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
There are new developments in an I-team investigation involving one of the nation's most popular dating services.
The I-team showed some questionable practices used by the company Great Expectations to get people to join.
As a result of the story, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office is taking action.
Chris Gagnon said he plunked down more than $5,000 to join the Great Expectations dating service. He says he was told there were 3,000 members in his age range but he found only 8.
"If I was on a desert island by myself, eight would probably be a lot, but as far as in reality, no," Gagnon said. "Eight is not even a spec."
"I was humiliated, really humiliated," said Charlotte, a former Great Expectations member.
Charlotte, who wished to not reveal her last name, said she found only 7 people who met her criteria and only after she had already signed on and paid up.
"Incredibly high pressure, it's almost impossible to get away," she said.
Complaints about Great Expectations located in Newton have been piling up for years. In the early 90s, when the company was under different ownership, the state attorney general conducted an investigation and negotiated an agreement.
In a document called an Assurance of Discontinuance, Great Expectations agreed to, "Stop high pressure sales techniques…Clearly disclose cancellation and refund policies, provide a price list at the initial sales presentation, and not misrepresent the number or types of members enrolled."
The I-Team sent a WBZ-TV employee into the Newton office a few months ago to check out the sales techniques under current ownership.
"She said in Massachusetts in my age range, 27 to 40, she said there were 3,000 to 5,000 active members," the WBZ employee said.
However, when WBZ's Joe Bergantino talked with the current CEO of Great Expectations on the phone, she said there were only 825 members.
After seeing the I-Team's report, the Attorney General's Office sent a warning letter to Great Expectations and a statement to the T-team, saying "the assurance of discontinuance agreed to by Great Expectations in 1992 is still in effect and puts Great Expectations on notice that unfair and deceptive sales and advertising practices are illegal."
Meanwhile, former customers like Gagnon, who have been unable to get any money back, still hope something can be done.
"People need to learn how to fight against them and at least get them to change their ways," he said.
The Attorney General's Office hopes its warning will accomplish that but it has put Great Expectations on notice. If the Attorney General's Office gets additional complaints about the company, it will consider legal action.
The I-Team left several messages for the CEO of Great Expectations but she refused to return the calls as did the company's attorney.
The Attorney General's Office wants to hear from any consumers who believe that this dating service has violated their rights.
The Attorney General's Consumer Hotline is 617-727-8400.
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