Fantastic, another AFA question...

[GlobalEuphoria]

  Quick question about AFA/loveme.com ...... My quandry is about the emailing aspect, I have zero desire to do a tour.

   While I understand and respect those that urge people like myself looking to fish in the RW pond to not go the agency route, it is an aspect that I am initially comfortable with. I've narrowed my selection of agencies down to three and I'm about to widdle down my list of potential canidates however I'm stuck on one option.....

    Should I take off all of my saved profiles that do not have the purchase email option ? I understand that odds are not in my favor if I reachout to non-email available ladies but some of my saved profiles live in area's that make it understandable not to have a computer on the ready.... should I bother reaching out to non email options ? Have any of you had any success reaching out to members who do not have email accounts available for purchase ?

[Gator]

Today it is near impossible for a RW to not have email.  So why go to the trouble of snail mailing unless you live in rural America and are interested in only those women who know how to plant potatoes and milk a goat.

Seven years ago I made my first WMVM trip.  Met 8 women.  Only two did not have email.  Repeat, that was seven years ago!  Much has changed since then.

Other hints:

1.  Focus on women who are at least a Level 3 (of 5) in English.  Some men have been successful with non-English speaking women; however, I think it makes the "journey" 10x more difficult with a higher risk too.

2.  Avoid "pay as you go" agencies unless you are an inexperienced traveler.  BTW, a good RW will be glad to do everything that an agency does as part of meeting you, finding you a flat, etc.

3.  EM, Lucky Lovers, Bride.ru, free personals give you access to more than enough women to be highly selective in whom you meet.  AFA?  I met two RW via AFA 7 years ago.  There was no intervening, filtering interpreter and the women were sincere.  However, their profiles were still active 3 years later with same photos, and one had married a RM!   Perhaps AFA has improved in the 4 years since then.  If AFA has a couple of women who really impress you, give them a try.  But use other resources too.  This is one of the exciting parts of the journey.

4.  When writing women, concentrate on only 2-3 geographical areas.  You will go crazy with women scattered across 8 time zones.

5.  Unless you are a social introvert, advance quickly from email to phone conversations.  Best way to get a feeling about someone.

There are many more hints.  Start here and check back in ever now and then.

Good luck!

[Turboguy]

First thing I would do is forget about AFA/LoveMe.   There are many better ways to go as Gator mentioned.

I agree with you about not having a desire to do a tour.   Good move.   AFA tours will do nothing except waste your money and let you meet some scammers.   The only decent tour still out there is Jack's tours which are a good way for someone who has never traveled to the FSU or traveled much abroad to do a first trip with little worry and having some company to compare notes with and to help each other. 

I also agree with Gator, all the women have e-mail.   I guess it would be possible for some to not want to spend the money for an internet cafe and to want to use the agency computer but I doubt those women are very serious anyway.

Gators suggestions of Elena's Models, Bride.ru and Lucky lovers are all good.  You can also use freepersonals.ru which is free and there are some other decent free sites.  Above all avoid anything where you pay by the letter.

[GlobalEuphoria]

  Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated.

  I think I am going to sway away from AFA as most of those who I have earmarked for correspondence do not have the email purchase option.

  I'm about to cut away from another company and I am with and move into the 2nd level of my process. I'm currently emailing with someone from RWGlobe.com. It's cool though, I know they are the super elite of scam agencies but I wanted to set aside a few (and I mean just a few) bucks to correspond with someone who caught my eye but more importantly see and feel what the scam process is like. Go figure though as I'm seriously on the fence as to wether I've actually lucked out and wrote someone who is corresponding with me or if Sergei is really good at his job. I have four more beloved tokens left and I'll be through with this process. I'm about to send off the email that states write me at my private address or give me your number, after that I'll find out if I'm going to have coffee in Kiev with Anna or bowl of I told you so with Sergei.

[GlobalEuphoria]

  One more quick question in regards to the sites you mentioned.....

  Most websites seem to have angle about it that you can get a feel for how the odds are in your favor for each respective woman/profile.  An example would be Khersongirls.com list how many letters have been written to the girl..... with luckylovers there is a friendship status with some having high numbers and others having low or none... what is this friendship status ? 

   With Elena's models there is a Expression of interest response rate .... I take it the higher the % means the higher your luck in receiving a reply ? Thusly, stay away from low % , say below 90% ?

[docetae]

On site mentioned, there is no fees for writing to women. So expression of interest or other BS are totally useless. You write and if things goes well, you exchange email and phone. That's all.

[GlobalEuphoria]

On site mentioned, there is no fees for writing to women. So expression of interest or other BS are totally useless. You write and if things goes well, you exchange email and phone. That's all.

   I don't think I could of asked for a more perfect reply.... thanks. 

[BrightDawn]

On EM, the EOI rate doesn't tell you anything, because they could be 100% rejections. It just means she responded not that she was interested.

[Brianinaz]

First don't use any service that requires you to pay for each letter. The financial incentive to generate letters is just too great and there are too many other good options.

The most important thing to do is to get out of your chair and go. I think that to some degree the "tours" get a bad rap. Some people just aren't comfortable getting on a plane by themselves. I did a tour on my first trip. It was a while ago and there is a lot more information available on what to do and what not to do, as well as contacts in various cities. But if the convenience and security of an organized event gets you over there then I say sign up. You won't meet your future wife on a tour but you'll have a good time and learn enough to be comfortable going on your own next time. The bottom line is what ever it takes to make the first trip is what you should do. Make it a vacation. The sights are wonderful.

I would second Gator's advice with the possible exception of #1. Bring your laptop and a good translation program. Sitting at the computer concentrating on communicating with each other can be a good way to get to know each other. And it also can provide some interesting material to laugh about.

Good luck to you

[GlobalEuphoria]

On EM, the EOI rate doesn't tell you anything, because they could be 100% rejections. It just means she responded not that she was interested.

  Thanks..... I wasn't sure how that system worked and what it all ment.

[GlobalEuphoria]

The most important thing to do is to get out of your chair and go. I think that to some degree the "tours" get a bad rap. Some people just aren't comfortable getting on a plane by themselves. I did a tour on my first trip. It was a while ago and there is a lot more information available on what to do and what not to do, as well as contacts in various cities. But if the convenience and security of an organized event gets you over there then I say sign up. You won't meet your future wife on a tour but you'll have a good time and learn enough to be comfortable going on your own next time. The bottom line is what ever it takes to make the first trip is what you should do. Make it a vacation. The sights are wonderful.
Good luck to you

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I'll be doing a tour, it's just not my style. I'd go deeper into my reasonings but I don't want to clash with anyone else as my thoughts on the subject could anger those who do enjoy the tour aspect.

I do want to go over and to a degree that is my downfall with my search. I'm too eager to go over and need to continually remind myself that this process is somewhat slow... or at least this is one of my own personal rules, to not rush the search and get to know the person(s) before I head out over to Russia or Ukraine.  I've travelled a lot due to my sporting career so I'm used to the differences in culture and routines and am excitied by it all so there's another reason why I wouldn't do the tour route.

I've been in a slow email correspondence with one girl and I'm already not feelin' it with this one so it's back to the menu again to see what's available. I've done some serious homework on this whole process but I keep getting caught in the trolley tracks about which service to use. Right now it seems like I will be going with one agency via my own efforts to reach out and contact a woman and I'll also be using an interpritor who also does a bit of matchmaking on the side. I'll be doing the eastern Ukraine region and hope to go over during the winter.

Thanks again for the advice, always happy to receive more.

[Faux Pas]

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I'll be doing a tour, it's just not my style. I'd go deeper into my reasonings but I don't want to clash with anyone else as my thoughts on the subject could anger those who do enjoy the tour aspect.

Fugg that. If you are that worried about stepping on toes or having yours stepped on, this might not be the adventure you seek.

I do want to go over and to a degree that is my downfall with my search. I'm too eager to go over and need to continually remind myself that this process is somewhat slow... or at least this is one of my own personal rules, to not rush the search and get to know the person(s) before I head out over to Russia or Ukraine.  I've travelled a lot due to my sporting career so I'm used to the differences in culture and routines and am excitied by it all so there's another reason why I wouldn't do the tour route.

It's as fast or slow as you want it to be. What I would suggest is joining a site like Elena's Models and corresponding with many women and moving that correspondence as quickly as possible to telephone or skype.

I've been in a slow email correspondence with one girl and I'm already not feelin' it with this one so it's back to the menu again to see what's available. I've done some serious homework on this whole process but I keep getting caught in the trolley tracks about which service to use.

If you aren't feeling it, stop on move on to others where you may be feeling it. You are wasting time, yours and her.

Right now it seems like I will be going with one agency via my own efforts to reach out and contact a woman and I'll also be using an interpritor who also does a bit of matchmaking on the side. I'll be doing the eastern Ukraine region and hope to go over during the winter.

You don't need an agency unless perhaps you are seeking a woman who may be well out of your league for various reasons. Most agencies will sell you a fantasy and take your money. There are good ones but they are harder to find and even those are not "really" needed when the separate the wheat from the chafe.

[GlobalEuphoria]

-I'm not worried about someone crappin' on me, I just rather not crap on someone else. This board is full of people far too eager to pick a fight I'd rather just go with my own flow and skip the b.s.


-I'm playing within my league and aside from the glamour model looking for a super sweet sugar daddy, I'll do alright. I'm 30, in shape and do well with the ladies here on my home soil. I'm just tired of American girls, I come from a European household and desire to date/marry someone who has a sense of the world and is properly educated. Most women around here don't know their ass from their elbow.

[Shadow]

We are not here to pick a fight, but to fight your picks.

You wish for a more educated woman, and decide to go to East Ukraine using an interpreter. Somehow I doubt that a woman you can not have direct communication with is going to hold up to 'educated' standards, unless education means the Kama Sutra.

There are plenty of women with university degree and language skills around, and some of them might even like you.

[Gator]

I'm playing within my league and aside from the glamour model looking for a super sweet sugar daddy, I'll do alright.

At least you know there are sharks in the water.  However, this statement suggests that you may try swimming with one.

I'm 30, in shape and do well with the ladies here on my home soil.

And at 30 you should do well.  Even at my age all I had to do in America was 1) show up and 2) act normal.

I'm just tired of American girls, I come from a European household and desire to date/marry someone who has a sense of the world and is properly educated.

Solid reasons for selecting a sophisticated, educated RW.  However, such a RW will know a foreign language and is contradictory with having to use an interpreter.

...date/marry..

This is your first trip.  You are young.  Stress the date part  of your two-part date/marry objective.  Return home and deliberate about the next steps.

Good luck!

[Gator]

We are not here to pick a fight, but to fight your picks.

Shadow, rather than learning from others, most people learn by going with their euphoric intuition and making their own mistakes.  Such people do okay IF they deliberate afterwards (a mistake is an opportunity to learn).  In addition, they need abundant time and money. 

I did not listen and attempted a relationship with a RW who spoke little English.  She was remarkably amazing in so many ways that I kept swimming upstream with a positive attitude.  In the end it was futile because we could not have a serious conversation. 

Cost:  one year of my time, a lot of travel $$$, and a near disaster. 

Reward:  time with a thoroughbred.

 

[Silver Birch]

Good solid advice from my ol' sparring partner Phil !

I would back up his advice re finding a  woman who can speak reasonable English - and you will end up living together, hopefully and communicating...

Having made a similar trip to a woman who I liked, but for whom comms was via translating typed questions, I vowed to stay clear of non nr fluent speakers, and nearly missed out on my Wife...  who now speaks great English...

Good luck !