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From: paveleck@ihldt.UUCP (Bob Paveleck)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Successful Singles Group
Message-ID: <2713@ihldt.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 10:33:07 EST
Article-I.D.: ihldt.2713
Posted: Mon Feb  4 10:33:07 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Feb-85 00:14:38 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 40

In response to Ian's article on the high-pressure singles organization
he spoke to: the company's name is Successful Singles International.
This outfit has locations across the country (apparently, they used
to do their membership processing in Georgia) and opened up a branch
in the Chicago area not long ago.

Some time back, I had pretty much the same experience as Ian did with
the Chicago-area outfit.  I got a phone call from the company (I don't
remember how they got my number, unless it was passed along by the
other singles organization I was in at the time) asking for an
interview.  They also offered to come to my house for that interview,
saying that it would only take about an hour.  I heard the same
story: the big sales pitch, the numerous psychological tests they give,
the avoidance of answering any questions about costs and the (more
or less) disparaging remarks they give you when you express any
doubts about joining.  I ended up having that interview (which lasted
3 1/2 hours!) and I even got talked into joining (they just tire
you out with the bullshit, until you say "yes" just to get them off
your back).  Of course, I'm sadly much wiser for the experience and
will NEVER go through such an experience again!

As far as their ability to provide "compatible" matches goes, this
company was less-than-superior (this is the understatement of the
year!).  Although I met some nice people through it, I ran into a
lot of problems which shouldn't have cropped up for the $975 I
paid to join the organization.  I was given many "referrals" (the
term they use to describe the clients whose names are sent to you
monthly) who were either inactive members, lived unreasonably far
from me (~50 miles) or were not within the ranges I specified on
the membership form (too old, too heavy, etc.).  I wrote a lot of
letters of complaint to the company about these things, some of
which were rectified fairly quickly (like the distance factor).

In short, it wasn't worth the trouble for me.  Hopefully, Ian's
and my experiences with this outfit will help other people think
twice about getting involved (Only my opinion: don't even give
them a chance to talk to you!).

Bob Paveleck
ihldt!paveleck