How to Choose a Dating Agency

When choosing a dating agency, try to bear the following points in mind:

1. Choose an agency that is a member of the ABIA (Association of British Introduction Agencies).
2. Don't join any agency that uses a PO Box number, a premium-rate telephone number, or one that is not prepared to give you details of their fees on the phone or in their literature.
3. Do some research on agencies in your area before you commit to anything.
4. Make sure that the people you speak to at an agency know and understand your needs and have them explain in detail what they can do for you. Remember, you are paying them to represent you.
5. Ask how long the agency has been in business and how many members it currently has.
6. Fees vary widely from one agency to another, and the most expensive is not necessarily the best.
7. Don't part with any membership fee without having been given the opportunity to visit the agency.
8. Don't be put off by agencies that ask for plenty of identification. The security measures that they employ are to protect you and your confidentiality.
9. Visit the agency and ask to see evidence of their successful track record such as letters of recommendation, thank-you letters and wedding photographs - these are all signs that an agency knows what it is doing.
10. You can tell a great deal about an agency's success by its decor and furnishings. Don't be over-impressed, just make it part of your considerations.
11. Don't be pushed into joining unless you feel it's the right agency for you.
12. Trust your gut reaction. If you don't click with the person interviewing you, then it is unlikely that their impression of you will represent the best side of your personality.