“It’s Just Lunch!” (IJL), a dating service that claims it is “the world’s #1 personal matchmaking service,” was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that the services the company delivers to its love-seeking clients fall far below what was promised, including matches with married, unemployed, or otherwise unsuitable partners.
Lead plaintiff Sarah Dunphy alleged in her class action lawsuit that the dating service purports to be exclusive, but then “accepts any and all persons who are willing to pay its fees,” and offers substandard service on virtually all other counts. She argues the company is “a massive scheme to defraud single professionals.”
Dunphy alleges that she paid the $2,700 membership fee expecting to be provided “personalized matchmaking & dating services,” “quality matches” and “guaranteed dates.” The plaintiff claims in her class action lawsuit that she based her decision to purchase a membership based on IJL’s claims on its website to be “the world’s #1 personal matchmaking service,” and promises that its services would “take the legwork out of dating by outsourcing the search to insightful professional matchmakers [who] will hand-select matches for you based on the information we discuss in your interview and our teams’ skilled and successful matchmaking abilities!”
“Defendants market and sell their Internet dating service as one that is tailored to the needs and desires of busy and successful professionals who do not have the time to search for interesting, like-minded individuals,” the It’s Just Lunch! class action lawsuit says. “The truth is that defendants do no ‘legwork,’ and defendants do not ‘hand select’ any individuals,” Dunphy alleges. “Instead, dates are chosen at random, and the dating pool is not based upon any special criteria or demographic.”
The It’s Just Lunch! class action lawsuit alleges that the company ‘almost completely ignores the customer’s stated preferences. Rather, the company forces its IJL franchises to make matches which are driven entirely by monthly quota requirements, and which wholly and categorically disregard the customer’s stated interests and preferences.” Dunphy alleges that IJL “routinely hires staff members who have no experience, training, or background whatsoever in the field of matchmaking,” and that “[s]taff at IJL franchises use a basic scripted sales pitch to uniformly and routinely make the same misrepresentations of fact to prospective customers.”
According to the It’s Just Lunch! class action lawsuit, IJL staff make many misrepresentations about the company including that the company “already has several so-called ‘perfect’ matches in its database for the customer when in fact no such matches exist,” and that it has “thousands of available members in the customer’s city, when in fact there are only hundreds or even fewer members available in that city.” Dunphy also alleges in her class action lawsuit that the company claims that it ‘has an equal percentage of men and women in its system, when in fact the number of women is grossly disproportionate to the number of men in the system.”
The class action lawsuit alleges that IJL is violating New Jersey’s Internet Dating Safety Act, which “mandates that Internet dating services issue certain warnings concerning the dangers of Internet dating, and certain advice on how one can protect oneself from such dangers.” The plaintiff also alleges that “IJL corporate has also been the subject of a consumer-fraud investigation conducted by ConsumerAffairs.com,” which, according to Dunphy, found that it misled customers about its service, business practices and membership.
The It’s Just Lunch! subpar dating service class action lawsuit was filed in Bergen County Court in New Jersey. Both IJL’s parent company, Riverside Partners, and its director, Loren Schlachet, are listed as defendants. According to the class action lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking class certification and damages for fraud and unjust enrichment against IJL.
Dunphy is represented by William Pinilis with Pinilis Halpern of Morristown, N.J.
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20 thoughts onMatchmaking Service ‘It’s Just Lunch!’ Hit with Class Action Lawsuit
I tried IJL around 2009 and got taken for a $2500 ride. Went on a half dozen dates which were staggering mismatches personally, professionally and geographically. I was living in Westport CT at the time yet they could only find potential matches in Hartford, New Haven and Madison. They would not show you any photos back then before you met the person which was a huge problem and time waster as well.
On a humorous note, my sales rep kept asking me for a job with my Company as she had little interest and opportunity with IJL! Discovered Match a few years later which was immensely cheaper and more effective.
on top of the table things are cool
I too signed up in Sacramento. I came to the same result. Everything was very personal and professional until they assigned me a representative to select my dates. I had two dates that did not fit my criteria in the least. After multiple phone calls and being reassigned a new rep. Same thing….I was clueless how they paired us up based on the conversation during the date. I put my membership on hold. I now wish I would have contacted them for refund as it was a very costly $2,500.00 mistake. I see their articles in Airport magazines and just cringe!
I received an email about the proposed settlement for the class action lawsuit. You are likely in the class if you joined IJL on or after Oct. 15, 2001, have not received a refund and paid at least $1000. From reading the settlement proposal, IJL will provide vouchers with a value of approximately $450 (if you are in NY you also get a refund of $100). I do not know if anyone else feels this way but I am not interested in a voucher because I am now married (and not to someone from IJL!). Even if I was still single, I would not want a voucher, I would want the refund since I was beyond unimpressed with IJL. I would imagine there are a number of previous members that joined since 2001 that are now married, since thats a stretch of 15 years. Just wondered if anyone else felt this way or had concerns with the settlement.
Yes I have a problem with the proposed settlement. I don’t want anything to do with this sham of a company, I want my money back, not a voucher for a ‘date, that doesn’t even seem reasonable given the nature of the complaints of the service. It’s amazing to me they are still in business! My experience was that of everyone elses. I think if you opt out, you retain the right to sue in the future.
I was sent an email about the lawsuit recently but unfortunately deleted it. Does anyone know how I can get in on this claim. Terrible company, I was disgusted at the way it all went down, complete con in my opinion.
Hi Janine, I was successful getting $2400 back but not the $400 fee to join ijl. This company is a total scam they promise you the world but never come through. I hired an attorney that’s how I got my money back good luck to you Mary Kay Seattle.
Mary Kay,
What did you do or say to get the $2400 back?
I transferred my service to South Florida, Fort Myers area. I was persuaded to upgrade so I could view members. This was in July, since then I have been sent 2 pictures which did not meet my dating specifications. It is now almost January and I have not been on 1 date. Every time I call I am told what a \process\ it is and to be patient so they may find the \right\ match. I asked for a refund, Aleisia told me \ no\ and have a nice day and basically they are done searching for a date, and I’m out the 1750.00.Will someone please help me end this injustice? Playing with human emotions is an unforgivable violation. I would love to be a part of this class action or find a lawyer to help
Has anyone been at all successful in obtaining any refund?