Bellevue Great Expectations Settles Law Suit

Great Expectations franchises continue to get into trouble (see Story) and this time it is in Bellevue in Washington. The Washington Attorney General's Office and a dating service in Bellevue, which is a licensee of Great Expectation, have reached a settlement which provides partial refunds to disgruntled customers and restricts how they can market their service. No admission of wrongdoing was included.

The settlement requires Great Expectations not to misrepresent the number, ages or locations of its membership. That settlement requires the company to display up-to-date photos of active members and to check on members' status at least once every two months.

The agreement requires the dating service to disclose the fees for services such as photos, events and Internet access that aren't included in the basic package. The dating service must also obtain written permission before accessing a prospective member's credit history.

Some of the contracts Great Expectations had with clients cost upwards of $8,000. Clients of this location may be eligible for pro-rated restitution if they have filed a recent complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or the Attorney General's Office. To become eligible for any restitution you must file a complaint by September 13, 2010.

For more on the story, read The News Tribune.