BOISE, Idaho — What would you pay to find love?
A Boise woman says she paid $4,000 to a Meridian company to set her up with some potential love interests, but she didn't get the services she expected. Now, she wants to warn folks about her experience, so it doesn't happen to them.
“I never talked to my family about it, they have no idea and that's what makes this really embarrassing for me,” Kathy Larsen, who paid $4,000 to matchmaking company, said.
It’s something she still regrets.
“That was a big mistake,” Larsen said.
The 75-year-old said someone from Idaho Singles called her one day out of the blue, selling their services. That led to Kathy meeting with Idaho Singles, undergoing their interview and screening process and then signing up for their matchmaking services.
“What I really wanted was somebody to be my best friend,” Larsen said.
But it wasn’t free.
“She said this is pretty expensive, we start at $5,000 and I thought yeah that's pretty expensive but, if you sign up today we could drop it to $4,000,” Larsen recalled.
Kathy handed over her credit card and signed a contract, which stated she'd be set up with eight potential matches. But the Attorney General's Office says urging someone to make a fast decision like that can be a red flag.
“You really haven't saved $1,000, essentially they're trying to get you to decide now by taking off a fake $1,000,” Deputy Attorney General Brett DeLange said. “When you get called on the phone you have to put some extra red flags up because it's a very asymmetrical relationship, because that caller more often than not knows a lot more about you, and you know nothing about them.”
Kathy signed that contract in April but says she never received a copy despite repeated requests. Idaho Singles set her up with one person a few days later but it wasn't a match. She says two other potential dates never happened, and a fourth date was with someone who was out of her preferred age group.
KTVB reached out to Idaho Singles about Kathy’s experience and asked what type of services the company offers and what is stated in the contract Kathy signed. Below is their emailed response:
Idaho Singles is a matchmaking service that provides its clients “Introductions” to Members that generally possess the attributes desired by the particular Member. Idaho Singles is not a dating service; it’s an “introduction” matchmaking service. Although Idaho Singles does guarantee that a client shall receive the number of “Introductions” specified in their respective Membership Contracts, the Company does NOT guarantee that (a) Introductions shall be provided within any specific timeframe, or (b) Introductions will result in a “date”. As noted in the Contract, Introductions are considered confirmed when each Member Client accepts the Idaho Singles’ matchmaker referral of the other Member. Notably, Larsen’s contract provides her eight (8) Introductions, with four (4) months of “Hold” time. “Hold” time is time during the contract period that Larsen, at her discretion and for any reason, may suspend the provision of Idaho Singles “Introduction” services.
Idaho Singles will not disclose its marketing strategies citing they are proprietary and confidential. However, in an emailed response the company said they do not cold call prospective clients or physically solicit clients.
“Idaho Singles has a parent company in Oklahoma, and that headquartered company there are 32 complaints on their BBB file,” Better Business Bureau’s Rebecca Barr said.
Here in Idaho, the company has received five complaints, according to the BBB.
As of Monday, Idaho Singles said they have no record of any complaints from Kathy, but they do have a client relations division that accepts and works directly with clients to resolve any and all client complaints.
“The best thing to do is really read a contract before you sign it, especially with a high dollar amount,” Barr said. “Make sure your expectations and needs are going to be met.”
The BBB also recommends researching companies and looking at reviews.
“I just want to see people who get calls like that be very weary and understand that these kinds of things are out there,” Larsen said.
Idaho Singles is not accredited with the BBB, but the organization says they do have a high rating with the BBB because they are responsive to the complaints.