Luckily, I slipped the Great Expectations high pressure salespitch, and I'm so glad after seeing all the negative reports on the Web. About a month ago, after seeing a roadside sign "Meet singles - newalbanysingles.com" - I filled out a webform and Great Expectations reps began calling my work, home and cellphone numbers for 3 weeks nonstop every day, until I naiively agreed to a "brief" meeting, and told that I would not be pressured to join.
My appointment was scheduled for 11:45, and they told me it would take about an hour. I had to present my credit card and driver's license at the door, and was forced through a personal interview with canned, targeted questions designed to reveal my vulnerabilities, and made to watch a video. I pressed for metrics and statistics on members, and was told there would be 100 men in the area, my exact age. I asked to view 10 "profiles", and most were blue collar workers or much older men—when I had stated I was interested in highly educated men in my age group.
After about an hour, the costs were presented, which started out around $5,500 for a 3-year membership. After I refused, then the interviewer said she had to speak to her manager, came back in and offered the "single parent" rate of around $3,500 and told if I joined I would need to sign a nondisclosure. After being worn down for another 1/2 hour, she came back and presented the "student" rate of around $1,600 for 1 year. When I refused that (3 strikes), she called the "manager", a skanky-looking bleached blonde in Tammy Faye Baker makeup, wearing a 5-inch miniskirt she was much too old to wear, 1-inch long fingernails in bad need of a balance... in to wear me down more and try and close me.
By now it was around 1:45 P.M. And I informed her I had a 2:00 meeting and I really needed to get back to the office. When I said I'm not interested and attempted to open the door and leave, she really flipped out. She began berating me in a loud voice—saying that I was not EVER going to find anyone, that this was my LAST chance for happiness, that I was making the biggest MISTAKE of my life, I was BLOWING it, etc. Etc. And she stormed down the hall, cussing all the way and waving me off. Now — talk about customer oriented — NOT!!!
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