March 10, 2025
SINGAPORE – Complaints about matchmaking agencies here have crept up in the last few years, with clients saying that the companies became slow to respond after they paid for packages, leaving them to chase for dates.
Clients also said the agencies did not introduce suitable matches based on basic criteria they had specified, such as their religion and whether they want to have children, despite having paid thousands of dollars for these services.
One customer, who wanted to be known only as Mr Yang, paid dating agency Lunch Actually a non-refundable deposit of $324 for a promotional offer. It was supposed to include a free date even if he did not eventually sign up for a membership.
This free date offer was never fulfilled, said the 32-year-old, who works in the IT sector. The agency’s consultant ignored his texts about the date for over a month, until he filed a claim with the Small Claims Tribunals.
“It was very ironic, because they are a dating agency, but they are doing the ghosting themselves,” he said.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, Singapore’s consumer watchdog said it received 54 complaints about dating platform Love Group – which runs the Lovestruck dating brand – in 2024, up from 35 in 2023, 29 in 2022, and 24 in 2021.
For Lunch Actually, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) saw 36 complaints in 2024, up from 24 in 2023, 15 in 2022, and 17 in 2021.
Overall, at least 93 complaints were lodged about the matchmaking industry for the financial year ending March 2024, higher than the 82 in the previous financial year, according to Case’s latest annual report published in June 2024.
Case president Melvin Yong said consumers’ complaints about matchmaking agencies generally centred on the companies becoming unresponsive after packages had been signed, with some citing the companies’ failure to introduce matches based on their specified preferences.
The complaints – which have also surfaced in online forums and reviews – raise questions about whether those who rely on more traditional matchmakers are being well served.
This comes as dating apps like Bumble and Coffee Meets Bagel have altered Singapore’s dating scene, with more people open to meeting their partners through online channels.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in response to queries that the Social Development Network (SDN) – previously known to many as the national matchmaker – has ceased operations.
In 2024, ST reported that SDN had seen declining membership over the years and would no longer focus on social interaction initiatives. From Dec 31, 2022, the Government stopped accrediting dating agencies through the SDNTrust Mark, a framework to improve standards and service delivery.
“Today, the dating landscape is vibrant with a wide variety of options for singles to meet new people, be it through well-established online apps or more informal interest groups,” said MSF.
Unfulfilled promises
Rachel (not her real name), 36, paid Lunch Actually nearly $3,000 for three dates in 2022. She did not expect to have to wait three months for a match.
She had gone to the agency for a shot at finding a life partner as she was “not getting any younger”, she said.
When the laptop repair manager was offered a date, she was matched with a man who did not have the only non-negotiable condition she specified – not wanting to have children.
She spoke on condition of anonymity, like others interviewed for this article, as they did not want it to be known that they had gone to dating agencies.
Another customer, Tim (not his real name), a 43-year-old manager in the fitness industry, said he was convinced to sign up with Lovestruck after a consultant said the agency would help him do a “profiling” on areas like his personality type, to find a good match for him.
But he said this profiling was never done, and the company took several weeks to follow up on whether some matches he was offered were keen to meet.
“If the person is not interested, at least you can let me know that. But they didn’t even answer my question about whether the ladies were keen, but just sent me other profiles,” said Tim, who paid over $2,000 for a 12-month subscription, which came with two free months.
Singapore’s consumer watchdog said it received 54 complaints about dating platform Love Group – which runs the Lovestruck dating brand – in 2024, up from 35 in 2023, 29 in 2022, and 24 in 2021. PHOTO: LOVESTRUCK/THE STRAITS TIMES
Both agencies said the number of complaints is small compared with their total number of clients, though they acknowledged that they had not met expectations for some of them.
Lunch Actually co-founder and chief executive Violet Lim told ST that the company’s “match success rate” stands at 85 per cent, meaning there will be some cases where clients feel matches do not fully meet their expectations.
“The number of complaints to Case represents less than 1 per cent of our active membership database in Singapore,” she said.
Ms Lim said the company’s client pool is about 60 per cent female and 40 per cent male, with a “strong representation” in the 30s to 40s age group. She added that its merger with Paktor Group in September 2024 has grown its matchmaking pool by more than 50 per cent, without providing figures.
Ms Lim said that in the past year, Lunch Actually has expanded its customer care team and developed an app to improve communication with customers, coordinate dates and collect feedback.
It now also schedules regular check-ins with clients, she added.
Replying to queries, Lovestruck said its consultants explain during the initial meeting that matches are made on a “best effort basis”, and not all the criteria may be strictly met every time.
Clients are advised to limit their “deal-breaker” criteria to three key factors, such as education, income and religion.
“We cannot compel members to meet if their requirements do not align,” Lovestruck said, adding that it has offered refunds as a goodwill gesture to clients who did not get matched.
It acknowledged that there were instances where it failed to meet its goal of responding to all client inquiries within 24 to 48 hours, and said it is working to improve its response time.
It added that it has signed up over 5,000 clients in person at its Singapore office, and its matchmaking pool primarily consists of single professionals aged 30 to 60, with a nearly equal gender split.
It said it is actively working to expand the matchmaking pool and improve the quality of matches, including through exploring new marketing channels like a referral programme. Love Group is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Case’s Mr Yong said it is assisting those who had lodged complaints. He advised consumers to read the terms carefully and understand the details of the package or membership before committing to the purchase. The total contractual value of disputes related to matchmaking agencies amounted to about $180,000 in 2024, according to Case.
Insurance law specialist Tang Jin Sheng, director of WhiteFern LLC, said the extent of the customer’s rights will depend on the contract and whether the terms protect their interests.
A Lovestruck contract seen by ST states that the client “should follow Love Group’s employees’ judgment and expertise and the company’s matchmaking formula, and not insist on being matched according to their own stipulations or criteria”.
Mr Tang said this may be a red flag for a customer who does not believe in the notion of a matchmaking formula. “Ultimately, the customer must be comfortable with the match,” he added.
On the other hand, customers may also have unreasonably high expectations which prevent them from getting a match, he noted.
Matchmaking agencies still have a place
Despite the complaints, observers say there is a place for traditional agencies to serve people fatigued from dating apps and social events.
Unlike apps, agencies also provide the assurance of screening. Ms Lim said Lunch Actually checks clients’ Singpass, which indicates their marital status.
Experts said singles who go to dating agencies have put themselves out there and are in a vulnerable position.
“A lot of emotions are at stake, and the individual’s self-esteem, hopes and aspirations,” said Singapore Management University sociologist Paulin Straughan.
Ms Theresa Pong, director of a private counselling practice specialising in relationship and couples’ counselling, said matchmakers should maintain frequent and open communication with their clients. “A responsible or professional matchmaker is someone who is able to walk this journey with you,” she said.
There are success stories, with some couples finding life partners from these agencies.
One of them is software engineer Adam (not his real name), 31, who met his wife through Lunch Actually in May 2023 and got married in September 2024.
Adam paid around $3,300 and specified one strict criterion – his wife had to be a practising Muslim like him. He and his wife, a 29-year-old risk manager, hit it off from the first date as he felt they were aligned on important things like religion, career and starting a family.
“Personality-wise, also, I think we really match in that we’re both direct people, we’re honest. A little serious, but also can be fun.”
Encouraging those looking for a partner to still consider dating agencies, Adam said: “If they’re able to afford it, I think it’s worth a shot.”