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Author Topic: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator  (Read 4698 times)

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Offline NickB

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In my search I've come across a few that want the agency to be present at the first meeting and also to hire a translator (supplied by the agency).

Now to me this smells of scam.
One woman i want to meet is a long time acquaintance thru a pay site. (I've been emailing her for months)
The other day I find her on Singles.ru... I send her a message. No reply.. I see she's logged in every day since I found her so a second message was sent. No reply.
Even tho I get a message from her every day telling me how many days until we meet etc..
the agency called me to set up the meeting and informs me it's $70 for the meeting and $20 per hour for the translator.
Ive read too many stories where the woman requests the translator every day and winds up being a pro dater.

Could her lack of reply to my message on Singles.ru be the nail in the coffin? She will only contact me thru the agency since they get $$ for our meeting or is it that she won't get paid if she contacts me outside the agency?

I smell something fishy.

I will ask her about it..

Offline remiel6

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I would be suspicious. First of all, I would suggest hiring your own translator. Half of the $20 dollars an hour is for the agency. You can find a translator for less money. what is her english level like? if she struggles with english then this could impact how much she replies to you on another site.

Offline myrddin

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Could her lack of reply to my message on Singles.ru be the nail in the coffin? She will only contact me thru the agency since they get $$ for our meeting or is it that she won't get paid if she contacts me outside the agency?

I smell something fishy.

I will ask her about it..

It's definitely fishy.  The nail may not be in the coffin, but it's being held nearby.

I met several ladies in person through an agency (over a year ago, so the info may be out of date), but the intros were less than half that.  Terp was $15/hour.  One good sign was that for second and later meetings, the owner actually said "you don't need an interpreter anymore, you can communicate well enough on your own" and it was almost true. ;)

Good luck!
« Last Edit: October 09, 2009, 07:30:01 AM by myrddin »
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

Offline Johnny2009

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It's definitely fishy.  The nail may not be in the coffin, but it's being held nearby.

I met several ladies in person through an agency (over a year ago, so the info may be out of date), but the intros were less than half that.  Terp was $15/hour.  One good sign was that for second and later meetings, the owner actually said "you don't need an interpreter anymore, you can communicate well enough on your own" and it was almost true. ;)

Good luck!

Hate to sound like a scratched record (as I have already used these words before today, I must get some new material  :-\)

But if it smells fishy, its almost certainly a fish.

From your other posts it seems like you have already met a potential nice lady, stick with her or go to the next on the list!!

Offline Gator

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it's $70 for the meeting and $20 per hour for the translator.

Too much!  Wat too much!!!!!

Four years ago I paid Cindy Agency and Kiev Connections $25 per meeting (free if I had written the woman three letters).

Interpreters were either $10 or $5 per hour.  They are the agency's rep.  If not needed after the first meeting, I did not pay anything.  In fact I did not need a terp for a couple of Cindy's arranged dates, and I did not pay anything other than the $25 fee.

For the first meeting the women usually meet at the agency office and then go from there.

Offline Shadow

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Send her a last message with the name and profile nr of the agency, and that you wonder why she does not reply.
Then watch the fireworks.
Oh...and probably alreayd forget about the meeting on forehand. ;)
No it is not a dog. Its really how I look.  ;)

Offline Stirlitz

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In my search I've come across a few that want the agency to be present at the first meeting and also to hire a translator (supplied by the agency).
Because they get a third of what you pay to the interpreter. (Another third goes to the agency).
Igor Kalinin
Ukraine Guide Interpreter

Offline JR

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If it smell like fish it probably is fish....

Always work to eliminate the agency.

Tell her you'll provide your own terp or you'll provide yourself with another lady. If she won't go along with you on it she probably just there to make the agency money.
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else :)

Offline NickB

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Yes I did find a wonderful lady but... This lady is the one I came to see in the first place.
She was on a site and I worked to get our communications off the site and it has been for a month or so but she still wants the agency there for the first meeting. I asked her yesterday and her reply was that the agency was there for the first meeting for her safety (From me??) and that she is very nervous and requests the interpreter for the first meeting only.

Ok.. I'll play the game for the first meeting and see what gives.

Her letters to me from her personal email are very basic english but without the signs of an online interpreter (easy to spot).

Will report back whether I got shafted or not.
If it's only $70 for the meeting and $20 for the interpreter then I'm good. I can't see needing an interpreter more than an hour.
If we do then it's not worth the trouble unless she is even better than I anticipate.
Meeting is tomorrow at 1500 in the park near my flat at 11 Rishelyevskaya St. So maybe it's the main park there.

Offline remiel6

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I wish you luck, be leery of the "i don't feel comfortable I need the terp again." and the time goes faster than you think. If after the first meeting she is not "Feeling safe" in your words I would run very very fast away from her.

Offline NickB

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2009, 07:34:40 AM »
Good advice!
My thoughts exactly.

Too many fish in the sea (to keep it in the fishy theme).

Offline NickB

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2009, 07:04:56 AM »
The agency is giving me the run around.
They set up a meeting without telling ME!

They insist on sending me SMS to my american phone despite me repeatedly replying to their SMS stating I can not use the phone in Ukraine and would they please contact me via email.
Finally I was able to find the name of the agency thru one of the SMS messages. I called and now we're going to meet tomorrow.

I am very tempted to just forget the whole thing.
The more I think about it the more I don't like it.

Offline Sculpto

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2009, 10:27:12 AM »
Just curious.. is this a HotRussianBrides or RussianLoveMatch contact?  Sounds like it to me.

Offline Taz

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2009, 08:01:49 PM »
NickB- if it doesn't feel write, don't do it. They should have contacted you first to make sure the times are good for you. You might have had another meeting lined up on your own or other plans. It sounds like they just want to make money rather than a happy client. The $70 meeting feel is a total ripoff!
Take time to learn the language. Even a little can go a long ways...

Get off your butt and go! Don't make excuses why you can't do it, find a way to make it work! Always go with a backup plan too!!!

Offline NickB

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2009, 04:13:39 AM »
One hour till the meeting.

I feel kinda like the guy you see putting his head into the lions mouth in a circus act.
Almost in the clutches of the scammers, about to be sucked dry.

But.. I'm prepared to drop everything like a hot rock if it doesn't go like I want.

Offline NickB

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2009, 09:53:39 AM »
4 hours later...

I don't feel scammed.

The woman really speaks very little english so the translator was needed.
After two hours I cut the translator loose and we went on our own for 2 hours.
We did communicate somewhat thru the English-Russian dictionary I bought as well as her daughter, who is studying  languages and is pretty fluent. We called her several times.
The translator charged me $20. I think she had the best time of all. we talked at length before the date showed up and she turned out to be pretty interesting.
I did not hit on her! She's only 19!

The date went fine.. more in a trip report.

Offline Stirlitz

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #16 on: October 16, 2009, 12:40:39 PM »
Waste of time and money.
Igor Kalinin
Ukraine Guide Interpreter

Offline JR

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #17 on: October 16, 2009, 01:10:33 PM »
Waste of time and money.

Yep! The 19 year old terp had the best time....with you :) You shoulda been hittin on her, HEHEHEHEHEE!
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else :)

Offline Kievman

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2009, 10:56:26 PM »
Ok here’s my advice.


1st. Photo stealing is so common on these sites. My own girlfriend saw herself on Mamba 1 day. Freaky!!! Worse still, the thief added 4 years to her age!!!!!!!!!!!

2nd. If it feels wrong it is wrong” Next time this happens send the girl this message.

Привет Дорогая. Я очень хочу встретится с вами. Я понимаю что у тебя есть сомнения насчет твоей безопасности, так что я предлагаю тебе привести своего друга на наше 1-ю встречу, который говорит по Английски и ми потратим $90 которые я сохранил на агенство и покупки для тебя.


Hello darling. I am looking forward to meeting you so much. I understand that you have concerns about your safety so I suggest you bring a friend to our 1st meeting who can speak English and we’ll spend the $90 I save on shopping for you.


That’ll solve the problem.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2009, 10:58:21 PM by Kievman »

Offline Stirlitz

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2009, 09:05:05 AM »
Do you really think this have the slightest chance of making it to the woman?!
Igor Kalinin
Ukraine Guide Interpreter

Offline Kievman

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Re: Asking for agency to be present at first meeting. Also ask for translator
« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2009, 10:27:39 AM »
As I understood it, NickB was getting daily replies from this girl through the agency but no response from her "singles.ru" profile. My suggestion was to write directly to the girl on singles.ru and see the response.

 

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