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So a few months ago I had unsuspectingly and unknowingly signed up for a dating service that did not advertise itself as Great Expectations or a dating service. A few days after signing up to that initial site (which I would like to keep nameless) I had started receiving calls from a "restricted numbeer". I refuse to answer calls from "Restricted numbers" due to the fact that if they dont want me to know who they are I dont care to know who they are. They had called 3-4 times a day. many times I was at work and have my cell phone on "silent" mode while at work anyways. They called 3-4 times daily (7 days a week) and of course all calls were "restricted". Finally after the 3rd week of this someone had left a message. I have forgetton what her exact words were on the voicemail but it was something to the effect that she wanted to talk to me about the form i had filled out online a month ago. She never stated what company she was with or even a call back number. (How the hell am i suppose to call back if you dont tell me the company your with, and the call back number" as the number was "restricted"
The fourth week rolls by... I receive a call from an area code of 216 which i did a google search on and came back to a cleveland ohio area code. the phone number 216-642-0587 also came back to google as numbers that have been reported 216-642-0587 - Google Search in any event when they called by that number i was not able to catch the call in time. After doing some research on the number on google I had decided to give it a call. When I called a lady by the name of "Kim" answered stating "Thank you for calling Great expectations this is Kim How May I help you?" I did not say anything and hung up as I now wanted to do research on the company "Great expectations"
What I found was astounding. I had Typed "Great Expectations" and scam into google and came across the consumer affairs website on Great Expectations Consumer complaints about Great Expectations I begun reading horror stories of victims that suffered greatly from great expectations I read stories about the sales reps preying upon there vulnerabilities of telling them what a great man/woman they are and how they can find someone very special to garner their cash, to checking there credit reports with out the victims approval, to checking there bank accounts to determine how much they should charge said victim. The list goes on and on there are over 37 Pages on consumerAffairs of victims that had suffered the wrath of great expectations and the deceit that they were fed to garner their cash.
Additionally Great Expectations was sued by the State of Arizona, Arizona Sues Great Expectations and I believe I read within the 37 pages of complaints that they were sued by two additional states but have not been able to find any record of it.
So after learning all this information about the Great Expectations scam I had called back the number 216-642-0587 I had spoken to a woman who was not Kim but some other woman and advised her that I would like to be taken off whatever list that I was on. She had stated that she would need to transfer me to the cancellation Department. After being on hold for several minutes I was transferred to a woman by the name of "Jennifer" I had told her that I would like to be taken off whatever list I was on. Though I do not know the exact words that were spoken the conversation went something like this from what I remember:
She had asked why and I had stated that it was not important but that I wanted off the list she then started telling me how she deserved to know why I did not want to at least look into the company I had advised her that I had done some research on the company and was not impressed by all the complaints then she had stated where I had found the complaints. I had told her that it was not important (i didnt want to tell her because I felt like the consumerAffairs Website was a useful tool in warning people aware from Great Expectations... though im sure she knows about the website) She had stated that she did in fact deserve to know what websites I had read. Then she begun to try to prey on my emotions and vulnerabilities. She had started asking me why I did not have a girlfriend and why I am single. What she did not know is that I do in fact have a girlfriend (Remember I had filled out this form not knowing that it was a dating service form or Great Expectations form). Fortunately because I was prepared and had read about the kind of treatment that the reps use to garner our cash from the ConsumerAffairs website I had just hung up stating that if they call me again I will sue. It's been over a month now but have not received anymore restricted calls or calls from that 216 number.
If you ever come across the Great Expectations Scam-----STAY AWAY!!!!!!! I only say this because If i was indeed single and had not done the research that I did I probably would have fallen for this scam and would have probably wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars like those 37 pages of innocent people who were taken by this scam did. I cant even believe that it is still up and running considering all the victims that were left behind.
