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It's Just Lunch Hangs Onto Its Money

February 13, 2006

It's Just Lunch IJL Consumer Complaints • Irate Men • Angry Women --- IJL Consumer Compliments • IJL Fans • The Company Responds --- News • New York Women Sue It's Just Lunch • “It’s Just Lunch” Settles Overcharging Complaints • Illinois May Require More Protection For Online Dating Special Report • It's Just Lunch -- Or Is It? • No Refunds • Typical Complaints • Dating Service Tips • Other Dating Services ---

No Refunds.

That's the response many It's Just Lunch (IJL) clients say they received when they asked for their money back.

Some clients, however, have gotten refunds. But consider the measures they had to take to get their money:

• T. C. of San Diego He set up a Web site where singles could file complaints about IJL. He also filed a case in small claims court. After taking those steps, he says, IJL finally refunded his $1500, plus reimbursed him the $500 he paid to register the domain name for his Web site. Before that, he says IJL ignored his requests for a refund.

"This is a very unethical company," says T.C., who joined IJL in 2005. "This company did not provide the services promised. It needs to be stopped." T.C. has since taken down the Web site and also withdrawn his complaint in small claims court.

• Suzanne K. of Colorado Springs, Colorado She sent IJL a copy of an ad she designed and planned to run in a Denver metropolitan newspaper exposing the problems she had with the dating service. "The ad was going to say something like 'Are you a victim of deceit by this dating service?'" she says, adding the company ignored the letters she sent requesting a refund of the fees she paid in 2004.

"The paper told me it was going to interview IJL and the day it called the company, the franchise owner sent me a check. But it took all that for me to get my $1300 back."

• Marla B. of Alexandria, Virginia She took IJL to small claims court because of all the problems she had with the dating service. "The judge sat on the bench and read my letter and laughed about my experience with the company," says Marla, who joined IJL in 2004. "This same judge said he's friends with the owner and called her from the bench. Then, he sent me to another judge to hear my case."

Marla says the second judge ruled in her favor. "I went back to the first judge -- the one who knew the owner -- and he called her back and shamed her into paying the judgment. So I did get back my $1300 back."

• Elizabeth M. of Washington, D.C.

• She also took the company to small claims court, but the case was dismissed because of "insufficient service." Elizabeth says she had a difficult time serving the owner with court papers. After that, Elizabeth filed a complaint with ConsumerAffairs.com. "Then and only then did I get anyone caring about what had happened and calling me," says Elizabeth, who joined IJL in 2001. "One of the owners actually met me and handed me a check for the full $1300."

Other consumers say they received refunds from IJL after posting complaints on our Web site or contacting other consumer or governmental agencies. Some consumers say they also received refunds after they wrote several letters or made numerous calls to the local and corporate IJL offices.

"The costs to fight them is far greater than the membership money lost," says Jennifer P. of Wilmington, Delaware, who was stalked by an IJL client. She finally received a $300 refund -- although she was promised a full one -- after making several calls to the owner, the regional manager, and the corporate office.

"It was never about the money for me. It was the principle, and the fact that they wasted my precious time."

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