When you have online dating services that cost much less, why try Great Expectations? Well, if you ask 'them' they will tell you that Great Expectations just has a better program and better people to choose from for dating.
This is one of many deceptions thrown your way by Great Expectations. Don't be taken in by the 'smooth' talk. Here is my list of issues concerning this company:
(1) You are required to bring a credit card which is used to lookup your credit score / credit background. And I suspect it is also used to see, based on this check, how much they can charge you for their service. They actually told me that "'a person with your kind of money could easily afford our service". How did they know how much money I have at my disposal - they never asked for my income?
(2) They will not tell you over the phone how much the cost is for their service. This is to lure you into their office for their 'smooth' sales staff to work on you. If you heard the cost over the phone, most people would probably not consider coming into their office.
(3) They will make you an offer for their program, which will probably be too high, then pretend to walk out to 'talk to their superior' and then come back with a reduced offer 'just for you', an offer which is still costly. However, in contradiction, they will say that 'everyone pays the same price' for their service. If we all pay the same price, why do they have to walk out and come back with a counter-offer? Also, they will say that this offer is only good for this one-time. After you leave the office, the offer is no longer available.in fact, I got the feeling that they would never even talk to me again.
(4) They will also tell you how wonderful you are and how great this program is going to be for you. You get to watch a video of people smiling until hit hurts, telling you how they found dating 'nirvana'. They will show you photos - supposedly at random - of some of their members. This choice of members I believe is not random but used to draw you in. Why? Because when I asked if I could go into their library to see some member profiles I was denied.
(5) Be careful what you sign - this office's contract has a line which you must initial that says you can not get a refund for any reason whatsoever.
When I tried to get my money back - a partial or full refund - I was told that they could not do that because they had to pay all those employees that are working so hard for you.
(6) Those 'hard-working' people work hard to get you into the office, calling every week. But once you make that initial payment, you never hear from them again, even if you have missed your photo session. So the initial fee really doesn't do much for me after all...
(7) As well as paying an enormous fee up front, you also pay up front for a photo session which amounts to approximately 4 pictures of you. The cost of this is also too high.
(8) There have been many complaints about other Great Expectations offices across the country and when I mentioned the troubles the Houston office was/did having/have, I was told the each office operates separately and independently. The response sounded canned as if it had been used many times before and may or may not be true.
(9) You also have to sign-up for a minimum of 6 months internet access order to get to the members profiles. And you do not get your password until after your photo session. You pay 3 months 'up front' for this internet access even though your photo session may occur later. So money can be wasted between the time you sign up and the time to get your photos done. The point here is that, if you do choose to use Great Expectations, get your photo session done a.S.A.P. You can cancel the internet service after the 6 month period or so I have been told.
In my opinion Great Expectations is an overpriced dating service not offering much more than your onlince services. If they were a reputable company, they would offer some kind of guarantee or way to get all or some of your money refunded to you if you are not satisfied. But they don't. They want that intial large membership fee and then hit you with other monthly fees - e.G.internet access to the members profiles.
If anyone has a way to expose this company, to get the government's attention on this company or to get a refund (full or partial), I would be interested.
[As a disclaimer, this note is in no way meant to be defamatory or offensive but merely defines, as accurately as possible, my experience with this company to the best of my recollection.]
AALE
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
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