Events and Adventures

08/11/11

Don’t Waste Your Money!

by sprinter1000 at Citysearch

I was lured into their office by a radio advertisement for an “informal information meeting”, but told to bring 3 forms for ID, and was told nothing about prices nor given any details over the phone, assured they would be covered in the meeting. Upon arriving, it quickly turned into an experience similar to being sold a timeshare or a used car.

A woman salesperson who was over-the-top nice to me talked up E&A like it was the answer to all my prayers. I was shown many photos of young, healthy, active people doing fun, outdoorsy things. When it finally came time to reveal the cost of their membership, I almost did a double-take. $2,000 just for the “privilege” to become a member, plus $30/month in additional fees, plus you are responsible for paying for the tickets to the events, the tab for any dinners, plus pay for drinks at the events. From what I’ve heard, any event tickets bought through them are marked up also, to get even more revenue and profit from members. When objecting to the excessiveness of this cost, the salesperson’s tone quickly changed, to the point where she became annoyed by my detailed questions about why this was so expensive, that she was doing a favor for me by taking the time to help me get in on this “special exclusive offer”, and not-so-subtly hinted that if I didn’t join I’d be lonely and single for the rest of my life. Finally I insisted I would like to think about it, and was told this “incredible offer” was only good right now, and that they would have to pass on this offer to the next person if I didn’t sign “right now!”.

There are plenty of free alternatives out there to meet singles. Speed dating, meet up groups, online clubs depending on your interests, etc. Many alternatives that are free or much less expensive and give you the same experience.