I was contacted by a salesperson to setup an appointment in SF. I was told that I would be meeting a member who can tell me more about the company and the services.
I went to the initial interview and met the west coast director of the company - Chris. Their office is small, with three individual offices and a receptionist. When I was filling out the questionnaire (didn't fill out everything), I heard the receptionist calling different gymnasiums to host an event there. She was not very professional though, she didn't even identify herself as an employee of Events and Adventures.
Initially, he seemed friendly and explained what they had to offer me.
Chris seemed to be friendly at first. He asked me a few questions such as my reason for inquiring about their services and my dating life. I was told that since there's an one year commitment, people in this "community" treat each other with respect and that's how their "safe" dating environment is created. I asked about what people do if one ends up dating someone in the "community" and then have a nasty break-up? He avoided answering the question directly and just said that people treat each other with respect. That seemed to be his "go to" answer.
After he told me about how much the membership costs, I was a bit taken back. I told Chris that I would have to think about it. He asked me what there was to think about, to which I replied that there are other options around that I would like to explore before committing. He tells me that there are no other programs like theirs in the bay. I doubt that. Then he asked me to tell him in an interrogating manner which program I knew about. That was the first flag. He became confrontational.
Then I told him that I was just there to find out more about their services and that I was not going to decide one way or another that day, that I'd have to go home and think about it and talk to my girlfriends about it. His reply was "do you always make decisions with your friends?" I drew the line right there. Second red flag. A BIG one. You can be a pushy salesman, but you don't make offensive remarks because any logical salesperson would know that that HURTS your business. I didn't give in. I told him that I would think about it and that I would contact him or come back to the office if I decide that this is something I want to do.
He told me that I can give him a down payment first, then the rest can be paid monthly. Third red flag. It's all about $. Money there and then? NO WAY. If I am going to pay $ I better think it through before I dish out the money. I refused, and said firmly that I am not deciding that day and that I am not signing up without thinking it through at home. He said that if I don't sign up that day, I wouldn't sign up and that's his experience. When I showed no change of mind, he said "good luck with your love life" (sarcastically) as if I am never going to return (at this point, after all the red flags and seeing how his behaviors have changed, of course I wasn't going back) I then asked for a business card from him so I can contact in the event that I do want to sign up. He pointed to them on his desk, didn't even make the effort to hand it to me. Neither did he stand up nor shook my hand to say goodbye. Furthermore, he told me to leave the door open.
I stormed out of there.
If this was a legitimate and good business, the salesperson would not have behaved such a way when he couldn't make the sale. It is highly sketchy. Please beware!!!
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