JoAnn and Steve Ward, Master Matchmakers Beware before you buy! Philadelphia Pennsylvania

I am ready to meet someone special in my life, but my schedule does not permit me to do so. I did not want to go the bar, speed dating or internet route. A friend of mine suggested a dating service. I searched the internet and I came across the website of .

At first glance, I became very excited about the possibilities, but also skeptical. A mother and son duo? Not very mainstream. but I was willing to give it a try. I had a nice conversation with JoAnn. although some of her comments were well, interesting.

I asked her how many matches I got and she said six. six for $3000? She said if I hadn't found my husband in six matches there must be something wrong with me....ok. We then began to talk about other things and I felt my blood pressure return to normal. Enough so that I decided to book an appointment at a local restaurant with her - so I thought.

I then received a call from Steve, her son. He said he would be taking over my "case". He said he and his mother passed clients back and forth and I probably wouldn't be comfortable with them both at the meeting......"I mean -what if we decided we wanted to flirt"....." he said. "I wouldn't want my mom there". are you setting me up with other men, or with you?

After a couple of days of thinking about this, I then started to have second thoughts. being passed back and forth between these two - having to hit the bullseye by the sixth date, or else I supposedly had something wrong with me. the suggested flirting. it wasn't what I wanted to spend $3000 on.

I called them and left a message and told them I was getting cold feet and had some concerns. I wanted to meet someone wonderful, but had so many bad dates lately that I was starting to give up hope. I really hoped that they understood that I was still really interested, but just needed some encouragement.

Steve returned my call. He said I needed to "get my priorities straight" and that I sounded "fiercely independant" and "wishy washy" at the same time and NO man found that attractive. Also, the fact that I was in my mid-forties was a real turn off to men. The 50 something men in his pool wanted to date 30 something women. the clock was ticking, so where did that leave me? He also had bad language - I am no puritan but, I don't need to listen to GD this and JC that. manners count in my book, and this guy didn't have them.

He also told me that he was a bachelor and he would be able to give me the hard edge, hard to hear realities of the dating world. what men really wanted. Also, when I was on the phone with him he said his mother had just called, and he told her he was on the phone with me. She told him to tell me "if you don't get it, then you don't get it. move on". nice.

Scare tactics, inappropriate language, bad manners. also, I started to wonder. why, with all these fabulous women around at his disposal, is this man still a bachelor and quoting his mother. maybe it has something to do with a lack of compassion, bad taste, poor manners, and no style.

Thank God I didn't take that meeting and waste my money. My advice to you - if you have one shred of doubt, listen to your gut. It isn't about you getting your priorites straight - it's you knowing yourself better than they ever will.

Linda
Vienna, Virginia
U.S.A.