Online Daters File Loveless Lawsuit Against Match.com

Posted 01/06/2011 at 7:12am | by Paul Lilly

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Like Leisure Suit Larry -- the version created by Al Lowe and not the bastardized remake that never would have flown at the Sierra of old -- daters signing up at Match.com may be looking for love in all the wrong places, but it isn't their fault, they say.

Former customers accuse the online dating service of misleading potential subscribers who pony up to find their soul mate only to run into a plethora of expired ads for fake accounts created by spammers, BizJournals.com reports. These scorned lovers have taken their complaint to court.

"Match takes virtually no action to remove these profiles," the plaintiffs complain. "With regard to the thousands of fake or fraudulent profiles, Match likewise makes little to no effort to vet, police, or remove these profiles and thereby permits, condones, and acquiesces their posting."

In legal speak, the allegations amount to breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and negligent misrepresentation. The basis for all this? The plaintiff's attorneys say they interviewed former Match.com employees who admitted that as many as 60 percent of profiles on the site are inactive or fake, and that they're instructed to only take them down following a specific request.