S'pore woman, 56, spends S$915 on matchmaking service, denied refund after matches didn't meet her criteria

A 56-year-old single woman in Singapore has been refused a refund of over S$900 by a matchmaking agency after expressing dissatisfaction with the matches recommended over two months.

She told Shin Min Daily News that she was a long-time customer of Lovestruck, an agency founded in London, whose Singapore operations are run by dating platform, Love Group.

She first signed up as a member during the pandemic.

Although she felt the experience was satisfactory then, she did not meet a person she liked, and so decided not to renew the package when it ended.

Lovestruck confirmed this with Shin Min, saying that the woman had signed a three-month package in July 2020 for S$441, and went on five dates.

A second try

In June 2025, the woman saw a new advertisement by Lovestruck and clicked on the link.

A female employee of the agency then contacted her via WhatsApp and introduced her to a one-year package that cost between S$1,500 and S$1,800.

The woman told Shin Min she refused it, but decided to take a six-month package for S$915.

She downloaded Lovestruck's app, entered her preferences for an ideal partner, and further informed the agency of her criteria.

After two months of using the app, she still did not find a suitable match.

None of the men recommended to her on the app fit what she wanted, the woman lamented.

Some were even people she had met with years before when she first tried out the service.

When she requested for a refund, Lovestruck refused, and suggested that she switch to a manual selection mode.

That still did not provide the woman with any suitable matches, which frustrated her.

Lovestruck's response

On its website, Lovestruck said it offers "meticulously tailored dates" to ensure that members meet people "perfectly compatible" with their preferences.

The agency told Shin Min that, as per the contract, members have to accept the staff's assessment and approach in selecting matches, rather than insist on their own criteria.

However, Lovestruck added that the agreement of both potential matches are required to arrange a first date.

The woman, who made the complaint, was advised to widen her scope of preferences so that she could get more successful matches, the agency said.

According to Lovestruck, she had expressed that she wanted a younger partner between 48 and 58 years old, but based on agency's experience, men in their 40s and 50s tend to like younger women.

Lovestruck's contracts included a requirement for members' criteria to be reasonable as deemed by the staff, the agency told Shin Min.

If their criteria continues to be "unreasonable" despite revisions, or if they request frequently for revisions, Lovestruck reserves the right to reject making the changes.

Additionally, if a member rejects matches too many times or for "unreasonable reasons", it will be taken that the agency has fulfilled its obligations in the contract.

Lovestruck clarified that its team will take into consideration members' preferences, such as age and race, "but there is no guarantee that the matches we recommend will meet all of their criteria".

The agency added that the approximately S$915 the woman paid for the package in June was a special price.

The woman is still an active member, the agency said, and will continue to receive recommendations until the end of her package.

Not the first complaint

Many other members have previously reported dissatisfaction with Lovestruck's services.

The president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), Melvin Yong, told Mothership that CASE has received 69 complaints against the agency's parent company Love Group from January 2024 to August 2025.

Among these 69 complaints, 30 were made in the roughly eight months of 2025.

Those who complained said they were dissatisfied with Love Group's services, as the business did not match them with candidates based on their stipulated preferences and requirements.

Case advises members of the public to exercise due diligence when engaging dating or matchmaking services, to avoid making large upfront payments, and be cautious of high-pressure sales tactics.

Members of the public can look out for agencies that are CaseTrust-accredited, as they are recognised by Case to be more fair and transparent in their business practices.

Top images from Shin Min & Unsplash