Woman spends thousands on dating service, matched for one date

Melissa is a single mom with an adopted daughter, which makes it hard to go out on dates.

"It's difficult, especially when you have adopted children, especially with special needs," she said.

In March, she took a big step. She called the popular dating site It's Just Lunch, listened to the sales pitch, and was sold.

"The initial application fee was $2,500. Then the monthly fee was $285," she said. "It seemed like a good investment at the time."

Melissa went on a date in April, but none in May, June, or July. Discouraged, she wanted her money back.

"I could have used that for my adoption; for something for more therapies for my daughter," she said.

Dating cases are tough -- single people pay a lot and expect a lot. But companies can't make people fall in love.

Better Business Bureau president Tom Bartholomy said, "If you're forking over almost $3,000, I'd take the 10 minutes and read that contract, especially the cancellation pieces of it."

Melissa did read her contract. She felt entitled to a refund, but she said It's Just Lunch gave her the runaround.

Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke contacted It's Just Lunch about the matter, and they replied, "As you know, we have been trying to resolve this matter with [Melissa] directly. Not only has her matchmaker reached out, but in addition our Manager of Customer Service, our VP of Matchmaking and our CEO have all contacted [Melissa] on separate occasions to request a one on one call with [Melissa]. Our CEO would really like to talk with her so she can understand why [Melissa] cancelled her membership after she went on one date (a date that her feedback indicates was a good date)."

The company added, "We are hoping that [Melissa] will reconsider and speak with [It's Just Lunch's] CEO. [Melissa] has her contact information and can speak with her directly if she would like to do so."

Action 9 then got involved in the situation on Melissa’s behalf, and after a few weeks, the company gave her a refund for everything except for the one month she did have a date -- more than $3,000 back in her pocket.

Melissa emailed, "Hi! I want to let you know I just got a message from my bank informing me that I will receive all of my money back except for the $285 for the one month that they provided the service, which is exactly what I had hoped for."

Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke will have a full report on Melissa's experience on Channel 9 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Cox Media Group