Hello again, and please feel free to respond :)

[HazyKnight]

So... yeah... I'm back, and I'm still a noob here. I was hoping some of you could provide some insight on these agencies and select which you think are the best (best being most attractive women/lowest percentage of scam, and please don't factor in cost):

(In no particular order)
1. Globalladies/Russianladies.com
2. EM's
3. Army-of-Brides.com
4. City-of-Brides.com
5. Russiansingles.net
6. KievMarriage.com
7. Freepersonals.ru
8. Khersongirls.com
9. KievConnections.com
10. MyDearWoman.com
11. DaisyBride.com
12. CuteOnly.com
13. Bride.ru

Any and all experiences, stories, etc are appreciated. Negative comments are not.
Thank you,
HazyKnight

[jdk1963]

I stopped taking Khersongirls.com seriously months ago.  ymmv.  The translators are no better than google or Promt.  It just is not worth the per letter fee.

[remiel6]

From my observations of the posters here I think the most recomended sites are either EM or the free ones. I have not much experience with any of them sad to say. The site I used where I met them is not listed in your list and not sure I would recommend them anyway. I think the most important thing is to remove the agency as early as possible regardless of who they are.

[JR]

My experience is limited to Scanna, EM and the free sites. For me EM has been the best.

[dogspot]

I have met a couple terrific women using lavaplace.com. Based on this small smple size, and the few women that I correspnded with for a short time on there, this site has many beautiful, sincere women.

[Al_C]

I vote for EM, hands down.  The sign up cost is a little steep but worth every dollar.  Once you are in, everything is paid for (except human translators, who work for a reasonable fee).

[HazyKnight]

Anyone have any experience with AFA? Go on a tour? Pay for any services? Ukraine? Odessa? Etc?

Please send me a PM or reply on here.
Thanks,
HazyK

[Jumper]

There are many methods to meeting RW....

 I would think an AFA *tour* ,especially in current times,
to be your least likely method of meeting a RW to be happliy married to.

I am sure they have had some success stories,
but in my opinion,  most of the RW you meet in that way at an AFA social, 
  will not be at the "social" for the same reasons you would be.


It is possible, but I doubt you will find any married members here that met thru an AFA or EC  social.

 i would advise you to that if you put the same time ,money, and effort ,
into almost any other method , it would have  a better chance at a good result.

do ANYTHING else,

just my two kopeks..



But if the idea of having "wingman" and others  with you , on your first trip..
or a guide and meeting a large group of ladies at one time seems what you really want to do..

Then i would try a smaller agency with a better "model" of these kinds of *get togethers*
a company called , FirstDream used to offer something similar ,
but the ladies at the social where ones you, or others in the small group,  had some correspondence with before going.

 

[BillyB]

Anyone have any experience with AFA? Go on a tour? Pay for any services? Ukraine? Odessa? Etc?

I have no experience with tours but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn express last night so I feel qualified to answer.

All tours with the exception of Jack's First Dream tour has a bad reputation based on what I read on the forums over the years.

AFA tours have a bad rep. Many of the women who attend tours are sharks and want to take the men for food, dinner, and shopping. They lock on to their target men and hog up all their attention. Sincere quiet women don't have much of a chance unless they get more aggressive and show more skin. I've heard a story of one sincere woman going home crying. The experience is not good for them and they don't come back. The insincere women always come back for the free party.

[GlobalEuphoria]

  As most, if not all, will agree... you need to step away from the agency as soon as possible. I personally think that when selected properly agencies service a great purpose and help to form the ever important bridge between you and "her."   As such, I'd say it would be best to get your feet wet with an agency or two and then if it doesn't work out, slide over to the free sites.

  As to the best agencies... we all have our own varied opinions but at the end of the day you should focus in on the following three.... EM, Khersongirls & loveme.com .  There are many other more local, mom n' pop type operations but that requires you to lock yourself in to a particular area/city. The best thing you can do at this point and time to is to put out a general sweep of one of the sites above and when you find yourself talking to one or two ladies that interest you enough to jump on plane... go ahead and look into what local agencies are in the same area as the lady you are speaking with. As I'm sure you know, you may not hit it off after you've done a face to face meeting so picking out a local agency or two incase things don't work out will help you out in the long run.

   EM is pretty good and I'd start off by grabbing a gold membership and go from there. Loveme.com is good as well, although I'd seriously shy away from the affiliated AFA tours... they are seriously horrible in so many ways. Loveme.com does have some scammers within it's ranks but there are quality ladies as well and I have to say the best looking options out of three suggested sites. Just make sure to think with the head on top of your kneck when searching loveme and you'll do just fine. Khersongirls is where I started off due to it's reputation but honestly I think they've slipped off of their normal form. The owner will email you when needed but don't expect a deep answer to your question(s)... I've contacted him a few times and have always felt like I've bothered him or I'm in some way beneath him... rather odd but then again perhaps thats just me. They used to never send out blind emails from the ladies... drumming up business... but now that's the norm for them.

   I'm sure everyone else can drop some serious knowledge on you about the other sites you listed and also one the ones I listed. I will say that I did try and lock myself into a site where scams where the norm so I could experience it myself and see just how these scammers try to angle you. I went with globalladies and man do you get run over by the amount of emails and the like from every cornern of the FSU. I wrote three women in the end on that site and two replied to me and I'm fairly confident those two emails were coming from Sergei and not the lady intended.... it was interesting though to go back and forth and see what exactly was answered from my previous letter and what was skipped over. Also, I will give my ththumbs up to luckylovers.com as well...it's more of eharmony/match.com styled operation which is plus as your not dealing with a pushy agceny..you just toss them a few bucks and that's it, no other fee's to pay.

   Good luck in which ever avenue you choose to pursue... I hope find what you're looking for.

[Turboguy]

Let me start with comments about the AFA tour you mentioned.   Back a few years ago there were two major tour companies, AFA and EC.  The tours were identical except for a few small differences.   I took 3 of the EC tours.   AFA and the former EC tours were done very professionally.  Nice info packs, nice support from the agency, nice parties, good interpreters and a good time to be had by all.  However, most of the guys were new to the AM-FSUW scene and a little naive.   Women were invited basically off the street.   You would see newspaper adds for women to attend, even signs on the street inviting women.  If a woman was a scammer or serial dater it was easy enough to know she would be getting a room full of inexperienced guys (you can substitute the word "suckers").   Everyone came back from the three tours I went on thinking they had found their woman.  I stayed friends with a number of the guys and all had miserable follow up trips or discovered their woman was a scammer before they made the follow up trip.  None married from the tour.   There were sincere women there but too many sharks.

A tour is great if you haven't done a lot of international travel since they guide you through that first trip.  A couple of the guys have mentioned Jack Bragg's "FirstDream" tours.   I have been on one of Jack's tours and would recommend them highly.  He takes a whole different approach.  None of the women are off the street, none attracted through advertising.  Every woman meets every man.  At the big agency tours women stand around like at a cattle auction.  There is a trip report here of when I took my son on one of Jack's tours.  They are worthwhile even just as education for someone without a lot of experience.

As far as agencies.   My suggestion would be to avoid any agency on a pay per letter format.  That would include LoveMe and others.   There are enough agencies that only make you pay a membership fee or for the conact info for a particular woman that you are far better off.   I met my wife through Elena's Models.   Lucky Lovers, Bride.ru and many others sites are good.  Even FreePersonals.ru is good. 

[Mars]

  As most, if not all, will agree... you need to step away from the agency as soon as possible.

 Loveme.com is good as well,

Are you serious?  Almost everyone agrees to avoid the pay per contact sites.

[Turboguy]

I would agree with Mars that someone using LoveMe could accomplish a lot more for a lot less cost with another agency.   I would never recommend them.   I am sure some have met their lady with them but there are far better ways to go.

[GlobalEuphoria]

Are you serious?  Almost everyone agrees to avoid the pay per contact sites.

  You're taking two different parts of my post and jamming them together. Of course pay per's aren't the best of ways to go but he did list agency/pay per sites, hence my opinion on what was listed by the op.

  Loveme.com is littered with scammers but there are also some great finds in there. You do have to pay to contact them but if you're savy you'll go and grab the ladies who list their email's for direct contact..no need to pay the website other then a few bucks for an email.That's better then most sites that only you let you obtain her email after jumping over hurdles such as the translator, office worker and lord knows who else before ever getting the girl to send it to you. Loveme has it's flaws but it's not as bad as people make it out to be when used by an educated consumer.

[JohnDearGreen]

Anyone have any experience with AFA? Go on a tour? Pay for any services? Ukraine? Odessa? Etc?

Be aware that because a lady's AFA ad says "she has phone number" didn't mean they would give it to you if you purchased her address info.  In the past, it only meant they could set up an $x/minute phone call with her and you.
If they have an office in the city you visit, it is an ok place to call to get an interpreter.  I really don't see the point of a tour if you can attract the ladies yourself, but depends on the age range you are looking at.   I've never been in one of their offices, but most likely you could go right in and arrange some meetings with ladies if you have some spare time.   I called a couple of places, and they told me I could go to a tour party for a price even if I didn't buy the tour.  That may have changed though, but most likely if you are there, cash talks, and you could get in for the right offer.

[HazyKnight]

Thanks for the replies guys. Everyone seems on the same page. I decided to go with Bride.ru, which was a little complicated (didn't realize I had to download software to search their site) but so far it is producing positive results. I'm going to visit Ukraine in the spring of 2010. I've already been to Moscow and a little town called Penza. That was a horrible experience. I'm hoping Ukraine will offer better, and with Bride.ru and the ladies being themselves (no agency/free will to post) I am much more confident with it.

Thoughts?

[docetae]

Thanks for the replies guys. Everyone seems on the same page. I decided to go with Bride.ru, which was a little complicated (didn't realize I had to download software to search their site) but so far it is producing positive results. I'm going to visit Ukraine in the spring of 2010. I've already been to Moscow and a little town called Penza. That was a horrible experience. I'm hoping Ukraine will offer better, and with Bride.ru and the ladies being themselves (no agency/free will to post) I am much more confident with it.

Thoughts?

add luckylovers.net and mamba.ru to your list..