Monday, July 2, 2007 | 7:06 a.m.
Richard Femenella, 42, rides a Harley, owns a jet boat, goes camping and loves the outdoors.
He paid Elite Personal Search, a professional matchmaking company, approximately $3,000 to find a woman who wants to ride a Harley, share a jet boat, go camping and loves the outdoors.
It took Elite Personal Search three weeks to come up with a match: a 53-year-old woman who "likes reading."
Oh, and doesn't like motorcycles. Or Jet Skis. Or camping.
"And is probably a very nice person," Femenella said, "but looked like my mother."
Suddenly, Femenella wanted his money back. He's one of a handful of Las Vegas residents who say Elite burned them. Took their money and didn't deliver, all while dodging phone calls and letting their complaints go ignored for months.
The California-based matchmaking company is headquartered in Santa Monica, where, according to the Better Business Bureau of Southland, it has a grade "F" - the worst possible - for a pattern of complaints alleging unfulfilled contracts and refund disputes.
Elite officials told the Sun that the failing grade was a mistake, that the complaints were really filed against an insolvent matchmaking company Elite acquired and to which it is wrongly being associated.
Bureau spokesman Gary Almond said the consumer agency has enough unresolved complaints specifically filed against Elite to justify the F grade, however, regardless of any acquired company.
The Sun asked Elite to address Femenella's claims last week. As of Friday , there had been no response.
On the same day the Sun contacted Elite, Femenella noticed a refund had appeared in his bank account. On that same day, the Better Business Bureau Web site indicated that Elite had responded to complaints dating to 2006 for the first time.
At least the "personal matchmaker" that Elite assigned to Femenella suggested someone.
Corinne, a 63-year-old widow twice over who doesn't want her last name in the paper, signed up with Elite in April, met her matchmaker once, and never heard from her again.
Corinne has paid the company $1,000 so far. She owes $1,950 more. She refuses to pay the debt. Now the collection company is calling. Calling more than her matchmaker ever did, Corinne says, half-laughing.
"I haven't heard a boo from these people," she said. "Nothing, nobody, zippo, zilch, nil."
Corinne spent 20 minutes on the phone with Elite last Wednesday, trying to get someone to cancel her contract. As the Sun listened in, the call went something like this:
Corinne tells an Elite matchmaker she wants her money back. ("I have already paid $1,000 for absolutely nothing!")
The matchmaker insists they are "looking every day" for Corinne's match.
Corinne says she doesn't want a match. She wants her money back.
The matchmaker puts Corinne on hold, comes back and says "we have a match for you."
Corinne says she doesn't want a match. She wants her money back.
The matchmaker puts Corinne on hold, comes back and says Corinne needs to speak with someone else about cancellation, a woman who is not presently available but will call back later.
Corinne hangs up. Several hours later, a woman calls back, says she'll cancel the contract.
Corinne hasn't heard anything from Elite since. She has, however, spoken to her attorney. She's thinking of pursuing legal action for the principle of the matter: she doesn't want other people to be scammed.
Elite officials argue that complaints filed with the California Better Business Bureau did not speak to issues reported in Nevada, where the company has operated a satellite bureau for less than a year, flying matchmakers to Las Vegas from Los Angeles when a potential client schedules a meeting.
Bureau spokesman Almond, however, says complaints filed against Elite from any of the 10 U.S. locations in which the matchmaking service operates, including Las Vegas, would be registered in California, as that is where the company is based.
A private investigation firm is now looking into complaints filed against the company on behalf of upset clients in Nevada and California.
Roger Britt, 47, says he signed up with Elite in February, paying $3,800 up front, in cash.
It was a steal compared to prices quoted on company materials; which range from $14,900 for a 24-month "Elite Membership" with unlimited matchmaking to $5,900 for a 12-month "Introductory Membership" with five guaranteed matchmaking introductions.
(Also recommended: a "special $395 photography package.")
After Britt signed up, he says he waited two months to actually meet with his matchmaker, who, after he threatened legal action, paired Britt with two 53-year-old women who didn't meet his companionship guidelines.
Britt started putting in complaint calls to his matchmaker - he estimates 30 at least - only to find that she was never in the office. When Britt did finally reach her, the matchmaker explained she doesn't check her voice mail, and couldn't he have sent an e-mail?
But Britt, like Femenella and Corinne, decided to pay thousands for an in-person matchmaker precisely because of an aversion to the Internet: Britt's not good with computers; Femenella doesn't trust online dating; Corinne thought an actual person could match her better than a Web site.
By the time Elite offered Britt another match, he was too angry to accept. He just wanted his money back. Now he's also considering hiring an attorney.
"To me, this is fraud," he said. "Elite drew a pretty picture for me, but I don't believe none of it no more. That money is gone."
Britt is living alone in a 2,800-square-foot house. He's traded dating for more hours at work.
Corinne is living alone with her pets. She's too embarrassed to tell her daughter about the matchmaking fiasco.
Femenella is single and eager to make it known he's available, but doubtful it will amount to much.
Sighing, Femenella says, "I think maybe I am just destined to be by myself forever."
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