Ukraine Brides Agency - Good or Bad?

[AdamF]

Hi, does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this agency.
This is their link: http://www.ukrainebridesagency.com/

They have a number of affiliates so it hard to measure if the head agency could be corrupt, or if its a affiliate.

I haven't dealt with them yet, but Im looking at a trip to Nikolaev and I thought about trying them when I arrive.

AdamF

[Shadow]

I think if you search this site you will find the answer pretty quickly.
As for being unsure who is "corrupt", does it matter ?

[2tallbill]

Hi, does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this agency.
This is their link: http://www.ukrainebridesagency.com/

They have a number of affiliates so it hard to measure if the head agency could be corrupt, or if its a affiliate.

I haven't dealt with them yet, but Im looking at a trip to Nikolaev and I thought about trying them when I arrive.

AdamF

Here is a good rule of thumb on how to weed out bad sites.
Is to look at what they charge [size=78%]http://www.ukrainebridesagency.com/Process[/size]


Pay by the letter = bad
Pay by the minute to chat = really bad


The agency is both bad + really bad.




Here is a thread listing some good sites
http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=14615.0




Udachi !




Bill

[AdamF]

Thanks guys for the info

[JohnDearGreen]

I think if you search this site you will find the answer pretty quickly.

I searched this site.  I also searched google for info on that site.

I found about a dozen guys like yourself from this site (and 1 other similar site) having nothing good to say about it.  Only 1 appeared to maybe have ever personally used that site.
That site has about 20000 visitors per year.   I did not find any negative comments on google from users of that site, other than from the 2 RW forums   So what is the answer that I will find quickly?

Obviously payperletter sites are not the best price value, and $100 for contact info is high, but not the highest, and you will find some scammers on almost all sites.  It is up to Adam to decide if a lady is worth risking $100+ of his money.   Some are, some aren't. 

[AdamF]

I definitely agree that the pay per letter, and pay per chat, is not the most attractive thing.

I did check out the list of agencies recommended by one of the members.

Keeping my ear to the ground, and wallet in check

Thanks

[tfcrew]

 

[ajb]

Hi Adam, I'm one of the developers of the site you mention. Apologies for the late response, I've only just seen this thread today. Did you end up trying the site in the end? I can totally understand your hesitance in using us - like others have mentioned, there isn't a whole lot of outside sources that talk about the site, so it's hard to get a good idea of how genuine it is. No doubt you're taking whatever I say with a grain of salt!

[ajb]

I think if you search this site you will find the answer pretty quickly.
As for being unsure who is "corrupt", does it matter ?

I would also be interested as to what you found on the site that lead you to believe that it is corrupt. Keith is very good at investigating complaints so if you have any, I'm sure he'd be really interested to hear them.

[AdamF]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I decided against using this agency; the pay per letter system, n pay per minute chat did put me off.

But I'm happy to announce that I'll be using A Foreign Affair for my communications.

Ha ha ha I'm kidding.

Thanks again.

[ajb]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I decided against using this agency; the pay per letter system, n pay per minute chat did put me off.

Fair enough - thanks for the update! Feel free to use the remaining free credits on your account.

When the site first started out, we did have a subscription based system but eventually changed after people complained that they were paying for certain things they didn't use. For us, we moved to a credits based system to lower the barrier for entry and so people could spend exactly what they wanted to, when they wanted to on exactly what they wanted. There are definite cons, however I suspect the two systems cater for different types of people.

I wish you all the best on your search

[Faux Pas]

Fair enough - thanks for the update! Feel free to use the remaining free credits on your account.

When the site first started out, we did have a subscription based system but eventually changed after people complained that they were paying for certain things they didn't use. For us, we moved to a credits based system to lower the barrier for entry and so people could spend exactly what they wanted to, when they wanted to on exactly what they wanted. There are definite cons, however I suspect the two systems cater for different types of people.

I wish you all the best on your search

ajb
No reflection on your site or the quality of such but, I do not know of one single poster here on this board that would recommend to anyone, a pay-per-letter service. Whether or not your site is, I do not know but, overwhelmingly such sites are nothing more than a con game and rip-off

[Hammer2722]

ajb
No reflection on your site or the quality of such but, I do not know of one single poster here on this board that would recommend to anyone, a pay-per-letter service. Whether or not your site is, I do not know but, overwhelmingly such sites are nothing more than a con game and rip-off

At the very least, the pay-per-letter sites are too susceptible to abuse by translaters posing as the ladies to keep the men writing and spending lots of credits....

[ajb]

No reflection on your site or the quality of such but, I do not know of one single poster here on this board that would recommend to anyone, a pay-per-letter service.

At the very least, the pay-per-letter sites are too susceptible to abuse by translaters posing as the ladies to keep the men writing and spending lots of credits....

Thanks for your comments guys. Our change was made based on feedback from guys, however there were other things that probably effected this. Based on your feedback I have discussed this with the site owner and we may look moving to a subscription based service in the future. I'm sure you'll appreciate these things take time (to discuss and to implement!), and we'd have to work out things like how agencies and translators get paid (while still making some sort of living).

From what I understand, the prices we do charge are some of the lowest (of those using the credit-based model). However, my main concern is that the site is indeed genuine but we're potentially making it look not so genuine by our payment model.

[Faux Pas]

Thanks for your comments guys. Our change was made based on feedback from guys, however there were other things that probably effected this. Based on your feedback I have discussed this with the site owner and we may look moving to a subscription based service in the future. I'm sure you'll appreciate these things take time (to discuss and to implement!), and we'd have to work out things like how agencies and translators get paid (while still making some sort of living).

From what I understand, the prices we do charge are some of the lowest (of those using the credit-based model). However, my main concern is that the site is indeed genuine but we're potentially making it look not so genuine by our payment model.

It's a plus that you would take note. Personally, I don't expect to ever need another agency/site but, having been through the experience and the mass confusion and disappointment that follows, I couldn't in all honestly recommend a pay by the letter site to anyone just starting out.

The main reason is that most all or almost all is wrought with con from both the agencies and many of the women. I also understand that many of the men who use these nefarious sites are playing fantasy and not serious about finding a serious woman so, it does cut both ways.

A problem ajb I see your site having is, it operates much like A-date,  HRB, etc. and people will make that connection. In this instance, perception is reality, even if it isn't. Those others have a nasty reputation of being a meat grinder and separating the unsuspecting from their money. Maybe there is a happy medium somewhere in the middle? On these boards Elena's models enjoys a pretty good reputation and that's because most guys that use it expect to pay a fair amount for services rendered and there, that is generally what they get.

[ajb]

It's a plus that you would take note. Personally, I don't expect to ever need another agency/site but, having been through the experience and the mass confusion and disappointment that follows, I couldn't in all honestly recommend a pay by the letter site to anyone just starting out.

The main reason is that most all or almost all is wrought with con from both the agencies and many of the women. I also understand that many of the men who use these nefarious sites are playing fantasy and not serious about finding a serious woman so, it does cut both ways.

A problem ajb I see your site having is, it operates much like A-date,  HRB, etc. and people will make that connection. In this instance, perception is reality, even if it isn't. Those others have a nasty reputation of being a meat grinder and separating the unsuspecting from their money. Maybe there is a happy medium somewhere in the middle? On these boards Elena's models enjoys a pretty good reputation and that's because most guys that use it expect to pay a fair amount for services rendered and there, that is generally what they get.

The site owner does a lot to investigate any complaints that are made (there's a public list of scammers we have caught) and I'm sure any site has their scammers, but yes I certainly understand what you're saying and appreciate your time spent engaging in the discussion.

Either way, I'll keep you updated on any changes that are made. We're in the middle of a full site re-write at the moment, so it could be an opportune time to be making the change. Those decisions are left up to the site owner though. Your feedback will certainly be helpful.

[Flashback]

Back in 2005/2006 I used a site called Globalladies.com. Over the years it changed hands and now its out of business. It was a pay-per-letter. However, the women I met were real. I was new, and I didn't know, neither did I know of RWD.

I can't help but fall in love with the glamor hot shots of the women. My favorite site to go fishing on is AFA. I never used their site until 2010. My gut said it was a scam, so I decided to get the addresses from the women I was speaking with on the pay-per-letter. Yes, I was paying for the letters. I went o Lugansk and met 5 of the 6. The 6th never showed. It was extremely reaffirming that the women ARE real. However, none of them spoke English as their profiles said. Recently a pay-per-letter came from one of the women I met in 2010. I paid to open it. After that, about 60 more letters came from women I had never even spoken to (eye brow raised to the ceiling!!!). Essentially my belief is that the women are real, but after that, its all the middle men (agencies) in the home town pimping them out. Its not the host agency really, they take the position of big old tobacco: "hey, just I roll tobacco into small sticks and sell them doesn't mean I know what the populous is doing with them." This is the same p-o-v of the agencies "hey, we just put up the profile, what you do is your business."

Before I went to Lugansk, I also tried UkraineCupid.com. I shifted through the profiles. Its also a mixed bag, however the genuine women are genuine, and the scammers are obvious. Its a good way to go .

Personally, my take on this whole thing is that if I'm going to Ukraine or any other FSU country, or really anywhere for a foreign woman for serious relations, I'm NOT going there to take home "the Silver." If I'm going to spend so much time, money, energy, etc on the whole extravaganza, then I'm going for an extremely attractive woman, who will have the family values I search for, the same I believe you all are looking for.

So... I'm still interested in the AFA women from Kharkov, but I'm thinking of using my own terp in case they don't speak English, that way the playing field is more level. I'm also considering going back to UkraineCupid.com or the other sites.

By the way, I have used Bride.ru. It was a good site, and I completely agree with all the above comments. They are completely correct. The women are real (not scammers), but the profiles are old.

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this post, but what else is new lol.

[SANDRO43]

Back in 2005/2006 I used a site called Globalladies.com. Over the years it changed hands and now it's out of business.

Funny, I still receive emails from it : http://www.globalladies.com/.

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this post

Less harm than if it'd be flak, from German Fl(ugzeug)a(bwehr)k(anone), or Ack Ack .

[LAman]

Funny, I still receive emails from it : http://www.globalladies.com/.
 

So do I!!!
 Maybe he meant Globaladies.com ( only one 'l')

[SANDRO43]

Maybe he meant Globaladies.com ( only one 'l')

Dunno, but http://www.globaladies.com leads to http://www.globalladies.com, anyway.

Unless he meant http://www.globalladies.net/, which was discussed here in 2007 in a European Connections (Globaladies.com) thread: (http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=5489.msg105144#msg105144).

[AdamF]

Interesting to see what happens to this site in the future.

Im curious, as this site is fed by other smaller, local agencies, what criteria do you have in place to partnering with them?

AdamF

[ajb]

You're referring to www.ukrainebridesagency.com?

[Flashback]

Dunno, but http://www.globaladies.com leads to http://www.globalladies.com, anyway.

Unless he meant http://www.globalladies.net/, which was discussed here in 2007 in a European Connections (Globaladies.com) thread: (http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=5489.msg105144#msg105144).

It was definetly ".com" Anyway, several years ago when I tried to google them, all my search results came back negative. If they're still up and running, cool.

[JL]

Hi Guys....even though I am no longer "looking" I like to check out sites and keep up with things. After reading this discussion about a week ago I went and joined Ukraine  Brides just to check it out. I am a firm believer against this type of pay per letter site as many others have said. It is the worst way to go. In my opinion the people who use that type of site have very poor judgement, or money to waste, or both.
I have been testing it for over a week and it is definitely a waste of time and money. Keith who is either one of the owners or has something to do with running it told me the criticism on forums often comes from people who own other competing sites or that the forum owners have competing sites.
Well I have neither. I am just a guy giving my honest report. On that site girls hound you to death to chat. I refuse to be involved in pay to chat sessions. I put a detailed profile saying I will not chat, I will not answer letters from people who have not read my profile and I also put things in my profile so I could tell if someone had read it. I also put that I was only interested in women who could speak in English well enough to talk and get to know me.
So far it is a complete waste of time. Out of  24 letters I received since I joined only one had looked at my profile. Do I have to point out the obvious.....if a woman is interested in you they will look at your profile. Any fool knows that. Sites like Elena's models let you see who has looked at your profile. I had girls in the past who when they took an interest would look at my profile 4 or 5 times....hell I do the same.
    If you want to use a sites use places like Elena's Models, Cute Only is now very good, Lucky Lovers is doable but there are many scammers from Africa and their are others...... But you want sites that let you communicate directly with a woman and exchange information. You pay a fee to join, know what you are spending in the beginning, and can write and exchange personal e mail addresses,  telephone numbers, Skype ID's  and communicate with 10 or 20 people if you want. Set up 4-6 people to meet and jump on a plane and go for it. Then you may come home and do the same thing again. I did.
     I cannot stand sites which put a wall between you and the woman you are interested in. Yes you can buy her contact info but not find out if she is even interested in you before you spend a ton of cash. So yes....go elsewhere. I also feel sorry for any girls on that site who fall for the spiel. I think Ukraine Brides does try to weed out scammers but that isn't really possible. It is a constant uphill battle against a huge army as we all know. So while they may have good intentions Ukraine Brides is designed to make money and is terribly inefficient for anyone really looking for a serious relationship and  even though the owner/managers claim otherwise it is obvious after testing the site they have to be completely out of touch with what really works best for guys like us. Also after testing the site,  their claims that they changed and designed things on the site after listening to their clients is hard to believe at all and even laughable. It could be true,  maybe there are actually humans who believe in that system.....but I certainly feel sorry for them. I realize my critique sounds harsh but I don't know another way to present the results of my testing of the site. I spent $40 dollars to do this....and also took a lot of shit from my girlfriend. She understands me puts up with my silliness but being from Ukraine is a penny pincher. 
 Two Tall Bill put it best in one of the early posts.....succinctly and correctly and didn't waste 40 bucks.  )  I had fun but really should spend my time in more productive ways.
Cheers and good luck flesh hunters,
Jim

[ajb]

Hi JL, thanks for checking out the site. We appreciate the time you've spent reviewing it even if you hold different opinions about it that we do! I just wanted to add a comment to explain or clear up a few things you mentioned in your post.

Keith is the site owner. He lives and works from New Zealand, but has a small management team based in Ukraine who handle most of the interaction between the agencies that the site works with.

Regarding hounding to chat, the site allows you to set your online status to 'busy', which should stop the chat requests. You can block nudges or unsolicited messages from the ladies if you wanted to also. I'm also surprised you dislike chatting as opposed to messaging - most guys far prefer using the chat system.

Regarding the 24 letters you received, these are called "introduction letters". They are a way for the lady to introduce themselves to a man and they can only use this letter when messaging a man who has not first started a conversation with them. This would explain the generic nature of the letters. This is explained in more detail in a recent blog post.

That's a good idea regarding the profile views - I'll suggest we add that to the site.

Again, thanks a lot for having a play with the site. If you (or anyone else reading this) have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm one of the developers that work on the site so will probably come at your questions from more of a technical angle than a business one but I can always forward your questions on to Keith.