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Posted: Friday, 02 October 2009 6:41AM
Woman sues dating service after several dates and no Mr. Right
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CHICAGO (STNG) -- A woman who signed up for a Chicago-based dating service hoping to meet her soul mate filed a lawsuit against the matchmaking company Thursday, claiming all the service brought her was heartache, disappointment and stress—and cost her $3,500.
In May, Sheena Finnegan signed a contract with Élan Relationships, which has been “Chicago's premiere personal introduction service” for 18 years, according to its Web site.
Finnegan, who refers to herself as a “busy, professional Chicago single” whose “time constraints prohibit [her] from getting the kind of exposure necessary to find a life partner” claims she counted on Élan to find her a suitable life partner, according to the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court Thursday.
In exchange for $3,500, the service allegedly promised Finnegan to find her “genuine, high caliber, professional” matches by setting her up with six “qualified introductions” in a six-month period, the suit alleges.
As opposed to Internet dating, Élan’s Web site claims they “value the significance of personal introductions based on true compatibility and priorities.”
In May, Finnegan met with the company’s director, Mary Harris and owner Eileen Messier for over an hour, explaining what she was looking for in a mate. Harris and Messier are also named as defendants in the suit.
On May 30, Finnegan had her first date scheduled with a man named Mark—he canceled due to “car trouble,” the suit said. On June 6, she went on a date with a man named Steve, who she felt was not a good match. On June 28, she finally met Mark—who bragged about his homes and money, which Finnegan was not pleased with. On June 20 and June 27, she was scheduled to go on a date with Chris—who canceled both times.
On June 26, Finnegan contacted Élan, asking that her membership be extended due to the cancellations. The company agreed to extend it for one month, the suit said. After a few more dates, and two more cancellations, Finnegan said she realized the men she was meeting were not serious about finding a relationship—and that one of the men did not even sign up on his own accord, someone else signed him up.
She again contacted the company, claiming the service was not what she was promised and asking for a full refund. The company refused.
Finnegan said the company’s contract was “misleading…false…fraudulent” and did not make any favorable matches for her. The suit claims Finnegan endured heartache, stress and disappointment and has nothing to show for the $3,500 she spent trying to find a committed relationship.
The suit accuses Élan, Harris and Messier of breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud, deceptive business practices, intentional misrepresentation of material fact and negligence. The eight-count suit asks for an unspecified amount of money in damages as well as an injunction to prevent Élan from continuing to practice deceitful business techniques.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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