Elderly Woman Files BBB Complaint Against Local Dating Service

FORT MILL, S.C.,None — An elderly woman who spent thousands of dollars on a dating service discovered she had no recourse when she became dissatisfied with the company's service.

Doris McGinnis, 74, decided she was ready to give love a second chance a few years after her marriage of more than 50 years ended.

"Just wanted to meet somebody in my age group to go out on a Saturday night for dinner once in a while or, you know, just friendship," said McGinnis.

When McGinnis saw an online advertisement for the local dating service Great Expectations last summer, she thought it would be a safe and convenient way to meet her expectations.

McGinnis made her way to the company's office in Fort Mill, S.C., where she said she got an aggressive sales pitch, signed a contract, and paid $2,250 for a six-year membership.

"I would have access to their full library," said McGinnis. "I could pick anybody from their library that I wanted to and she said she had a lot of men in my age bracket."

McGinnis said once she got access later to the company's library of singles, "There were two to three men in my age bracket. The minute I got on the library and saw the few men in my age group, I knew made a big mistake."

McGinnis said she wanted out and to get her money back, but the contract she signed does not allow it. She filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in Charlotte.

The BBB has received 19 complaints about the company during the last 36 months, mainly for contract and refund issues.

The BBB said the company has a very strong position when it comes to challenging complaints because their contract is valid and legally binding.

"There's nothing I could do," said McGinnis. "My money is gone and I got absolutely nothing for it."

In the state of South Carolina, there is no "three day right to cancel" when it comes to a dating service contract, so once you sign, you cannot change your mind, according to the BBB.

Eyewitness News called, e-mailed, and stopped by the Great Expectations office for a response to McGinnis' complaint but the company had not responded late Friday night.

The Better Business Bureau said it plans to hand over McGinnis' complaint to the attorney general's office, because it specifically works to protect the elderly from high pressure sales.

WSOC