Another Opinion of Chemistry.com
Kay on Oct 3rd 2008 07:49 am
Mandi and I appreciate comments and emails from readers. We sincerely try to provide help and guidance in the online dating arena, and when someone spends the time to write a well-written email like this that has a strong opinion of a site, we feel it's in your best interests to print it.
We received this email from Stan, and decided to print it in its entirety to warn you of his opinion and experiences with Chemistry.com. I have to admit that I've been having some of the same issues since I joined; in fact, it's been several weeks and I haven't even had email correspondence from anyone on the site.
Thanks, Stan, for taking the time to write this:
borderline scam?
Hi, not sure if you guys tried out chemistry.com but it's a borderline scam. Supporting that site is going to lead to disappointed readers.
The problems with chemistry.com are numerous.
dating preferences ignored
1. It ignores your preferences. It keeps matching me up with people who would have no interest in me or vice versa. For example, I describe myself as average in build, and it matched me up with someone who only wants to meet athletic people.
2. Distance. The site is insane. I live near LA. I have millions of people all around me and it keeps giving me matches that are 50 miles away. Do you know how long it takes to go 50 miles in LA? Lots and lots of hours!
garbage profiles
3. Garbage profiles. They match you up with people who sign up for free accounts! Those usually don't bother with pictures and have a few sentences describing themselves. Worthless.
4. More Garbage. On top of that they keep matching you up with inactive accounts as well as the trial accounts. These are people who can't contact you.
5. They're not even showing my profile to anyone. It's been days since my "Interest" count jumped. By "Interested" it means someone saw my profile, doesn't even mean they're really interested in me. How is it that they can find 10 matches a day for me to look at, but can't find anyone to show my stuff to?
This is a complete scam. My "active list" currently has 23 people on it from whom I'm awaiting a reply. None of them have replied - you know why? Because they're not there.
By "reply" it's not like they have to send me an email. They simply hit an accept or reject button. Being that they're not even rejecting me, it's hard to not be suspicious.
no way to get your money back
This site is a scam and I'm seriously considering contacting my credit card, the better business bereau, the chamber of commerce in their home city.
At this point I just want my money back and their policies don't even allow that.
This site is a scam. Please warn your readers.
Filed in Dating Sites, True Stories, chemistry.com | Comments (2)
Chemistry.com is a scam. I thought it best to resolve an issue with the company by briefly outlining an inherent weakness of their program which is a frustrating experience for me. The main weakness I found is that the guided questions prevent conversations between matched individuals until completed. It can be similar to playing telephone tag where neither you nor the other person is likely to be available when you log in to continue responding the the guided questions. What are the chances you are going to settle with the first person you go through the process with. Not likely. By then, time is wasted and you are left to repeat the process again.
In response to my complaint, Chemistry.com tries to pin it on the match by suggesting that I report a particular match for inappropriate behavior. How horrible of the company's staff to suggest that. There is nothing to report about poor matching other than the program that made the poor match. I understand that this happens. What I reject is the forced process of waiting through it all to finally speak with the person and discover that we are not a match at all. This they refuse to acknowledge.
I'm only into the first month of a six-month membership and they refuse to refund me any of what I've paid even though I've stopped visiting. When I followed up by repeating my request to cancel and receive a refund, they informed me that they resigned me and that I can continue to participate until my six months is up. Aren't they listening ? I wish to cancel and not ever visit their website again. And, how is it possible that they resigned me but I can continue as before? If one is resigned, that's it, resignation means 'cease to continue as before' . Have they now redefined the word resign to suit their purpose?
Dr. Helen Fisher seems to me to have a high profile with this site. When Chemistry.com stopped responding to me, I contacted Dr. Fisher. She sends me an email telling me that she has nothing to do with the membership part of the program. Well, isn't publicity about obtaining membership. And doesn't her credentials lead people to believe there might be something to the site if she is so heavily publicizing it? No one, it seems, will be accountable for the site's seemingly fraudulent practise of refusing to refund money.
If anyone is planning a class action lawsuit against this company. Count me in. My email is againstchemistrydotcom@yahoo.com.
Whew! I'm glad I found this information before signing up with Chemistry.com. After trying eHarmony a few years ago and realizing that MANY of the matches sent were no longer members and unable to respond, I wanted to be sure that was not the case with Chemistry.com - but apparently it is. Chemistry claims to send five new matches each day… that's an unbelievable number of fellows! Unbelievable indeed.
Thank you for posting this information.
Vikki