Bad sign?

[KenC]

Gator & Billy,
I agree with your takes on his avatar.  If ever a photo cried out "I am a victim, please take advantage of me", it is this one.  I hope he didn't send this photo in his introduction to the ladies.
KenC

[tim 360]

Phantom,  get a grip. No reason to be upset just move on.  Get positive.  Y'see the big problem is...yourself... and I am saying that very kindly and it is not an insult.  You seem to have had great expectations which led to your great disappointment.  Whattsa matter with you?  It is absolutely silly to exchange emails with someone you do not know and to put too much credence in it.  The "pain" is fresh; forget about it.  And you had an agency in the middle making a tidy little profit.  Are you getting the picture? 

Ask some of the more experienced and OMB's on here for some guidance and listen to them.  Get rid of that negative attitude 'cuz if you are hurtin' from some emails with your false expectations...some RW will grind you into burger in real life.

And another quick thing---get rid of that stupid avatar.  It is pitiful.  That alone paints you as a...get something more positive if you need one.   

[KenC]

Phantom,  get a grip. No reason to be upset just move on.  Get positive.  Y'see the big problem is...yourself... and I am saying that very kindly and it is not an insult.  You seem to have had great expectations which led to your great disappointment.  Whattsa matter with you?  It is absolutely silly to exchange emails with someone you do not know and to put too much credence in it.  The "pain" is fresh; forget about it.  And you had an agency in the middle making a tidy little profit.  Are you getting the picture? 

Ask some of the more experienced and OMB's on here for some guidance and listen to them.  Get rid of that negative attitude 'cuz if you are hurtin' from some emails with your false expectations...some RW will grind you into burger in real life.

And another quick thing---get rid of that stupid avatar.  It is pitiful.  That alone paints you as a...get something more positive if you need one.   

Tim,
This nis just yet another example of a guy getting in far too deep before meeting.
KenC

[Simoni]

When something does not work, Phantom, change it.

Letter writing and phone and video has not worked for you.  Listen to what Gator and others have told you.

Go to Ukraine, use a good agency, and meet the girls first before investing months in letter writing.

Write only 3 or 4 letters to each girl before going.

Write a half dozen and be ready to zero in on one you like when you get there.  But be prepared to dig deeper into the agency files in case none of the six "ring your bell."

[phantom]

Gator,

For the benefit of others, I paid probably around $1700.00, for letters, phone calls, video conferencing.  But, other expenses, flowers, gifts, passes.  It was a monthly fee for the letter writing.  So, a rough idea would be around 2500 or more. 

I've been looking at other profiles, cindy agency, elena's models, toplop, cuteonly, a girl gave me her number there, she really dosn't email too much, she'd rather talk.  Anyone here of this site
www.english-speaking.russian-women.net I seen it during a search.  But, I'll be getting right back out there, it's like falling off a horse, grab your kahunas and get moving.  I'll decide on a site or two and get moving.  I even seen some on an agency site in the usa.  Forget the long letter campaign.

Until then, I'll stand out in front of the car wash with my sign.

[Faux Pas]

I got a chuckle out of his avatar.  But again I liked old Bundy.

Phantom, sho'nuff. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Life isn't over. You got soaked for $2500 and apparently enjoyed the ride up until now. BTW I would recommend Elena's Models. I had fantastic results with them. I'm still getting mails.

[Gator]

For the benefit of others, I paid probably around $1700.00, for letters, phone calls, video conferencing.  But, other expenses, flowers, gifts, passes.  It was a monthly fee for the letter writing.  So, a rough idea would be around 2500 or more.

Thanks for your candor.  I knew the nickles and dimes would add up.  This is a considerable amount of money, especially if an agency is doing the same with 50 other men.

For $2500-3000 you could have gone to Ukraine and met six or more women in person.

I've been looking at other profiles, cindy agency, elena's models, toplop, cuteonly, a girl gave me her number there, she really doesn't email too much, she'd rather talk.  Anyone here of this site
www.english-speaking.russian-women.net I seen it during a search.

 

The "english-speaking" agency is Angelica, a large multi-country listing agency who just sell addresses, the same as Elena's Models and cuteonly(?).  You will communicate directly with the women and will spend not more than $100-150 per agency excluding phone calls (which will not be costly if they speak English).  So you will not experience the scam as Maksim's did on you.  Yet, you will end up with women all over the FSU, thus making your trip logistics very complicated.  Also, you must do all the planning on your own, and I think you need help.  Keep it simple!

Consider only Ukraine (no visa needed) and consider Cindy, Kherson Girls, Kiev Connections, etc.  I worked with Cindy and you will do fine if you get some guidance from RWD men.  Remember, three letters max and get on a plane in May.

[BillyB]

www.english-speaking.russian-women.net I seen it during a search.

They are part of the Angelika network and I have heard they have a decent reputation but I don't like the fact that when you purchase their contact info outright, you're not getting the phone number and private emails of most the ladies when in fact most do have private email accounts and phone numbers. You're going to be dependant on them as a middleman for most your communication.

It you decide to buy bulk contact info from the Angelika network, use this affiliate which gives a discount for bulk compared to English-Speaking.RW.net which charges you 10 euros for each contact info.

http://www.bluesapphires.net/member.html

[KenC]

phantom,
Gator nailed it with:

For $2500-3000 you could have gone to Ukraine and met six or more women in person.

Why you waste your time with all the letter writing is beyond my comprehension.
KenC

[tim 360]

Well Phantom, don't sweat the 2500, just chalk it up to the learning curve.  Yeah, a tad pricey for an illusion.   The best scams always occur with a willing victim who is enjoying it, all part of the show.  Until...reality intrudes.  Plenty of guys lost more than that.  Just get over it and don't make that mistake again.  Plenty of savy guys here to help to point you in the right direction and it would be in your best interest to listen.  You have already received some good advice.  Good luck.

ps:  Emails, translations, phone calls and video is the main income for alot of these "agencies".  There are literally tons of guys world wide who are letter writers and they spend alot of sheckels and never leave home.

[Serebro]

phantom,
Gator nailed it with:
Why you waste your time with all the letter writing is beyond my comprehension.
KenC

it's beyond my comprehension, too.
I would have understood that if he'd met her online and she'd spoken English and they had written letters to each other regularly and that's all, no payments, but why to go to the agency and pay so much when you can meet the girl without it?!!!!!

[I/O]

Maybe a bride from the fsu is not for you then. KenC

My sentiments exactly.

it's beyond my comprehension, too.
I would have understood that if he'd met her online and she'd spoken English and they had written letters to each other regularly and that's all, no payments, but why to go to the agency and pay so much when you can meet the girl without it?!!!!!

Serebro, there is simply no explaining why some people do what they do.......................they just do. 

Phantom: (Cracked record mode on) For the umpteenth time, get your butt to Russia or somewhere near BEFORE you get involved in extended communications. Goodness knows how long mine and I wrote letters for, but that was AFTER I'd been to Russia and surrounds SEVERAL times. You will read letters from a totally different perspective after you have spent time in the East. (Any place for that matter) You will have a far greater understanding of what someone from Russia is talking about and the BS simply stands out like 3 balls on a race dog. Prior to seeing with your own eyes, the risk of believing agency and other nonsense is simply too high IMO.

The bottom line of your story is that regardless of what others think, the moment you called the bluff and said, I will be there soon, the trap snapped open and released you as being no more use. Can you see that? It is that simple. Local boyfriend........local husband more likely. The agency and the girl took you to the cleaners for a healthy amount. Your $2500 multiplied by another 50 or 100 or 200 or more makes quite a tidy little business over a 12 month period. 

I/O

[tim 360]

Ms. Serebro, it is beyond my comprehension also, but I do know that it happens and probably much more than any of us would guess.  RWD is small compared to all the letter writing guys out there.  Some of these agencies churn a lot cash from guys who write letters and buy gifts and English lessons... etc etc.  Lonely guys spending too much time on the internet just get sucked in to a fantasy and they pay as they go.  And they keep paying.  In fact these agencies make more money and do much less work with the letter writers than from a guy who decides to visit.  The key is to keep the guys writing and keep them spending.  Of course,  the guys are suckers and it is user friendly. :noidea: :selfharm:

[DKMM]

Phantom, wth?  Are you afraid of meeting them in person?

I wonder if you are afraid of rejection so that's why you want to make sure before you meet someone.  Well that hardly ever works so why try it?  Maybe now you feel like you learned your lessons.  Well great, get over there man!  Don't feel bad about the money, I wipe my a$$ with $2500 and I'm sure you did too.  Its better than blowing tens of thousands on the wrong one like I did last year... but i have real experience to show for it, you are starting all over again.  Sounds like Rivardco part II.

[phantom]

DKMM,

No I'm not afraid to meet them.  I'm not afraid of rejection, it happens.  It wasn't the money either.  I plan to get my @ss over there very soon infact.  I'm getting right back out there.  I have a list of five women I'm going to contact, see how that goes, then five more.  I'm going to call the one that gave me her number, as she'd rather talk than write.  So, that's the new plan. 

 As far as Maksim is concerned, it's an agency with a good reputation, it just didn't work out with the girl.  They've removed her from her site.  Other than that issue with the girl, I had no problem with their agency.  I was the stupid one on that.  Plus, her age probably played a big role in her descison, as she is 24.  She may change her mind again who knows.  So, I don't want someone to read this post, thinking the agency is at fault here.  They offer a lot of services that are well done, from matchmaking to background checks and have assisted victims of scammers in retrieving their money and assisted police in arrests.  It was my stupidity and not making it sooner.  The agency even kept asking when I would be visiting.  Some I was writing too and should have stayed writing, was ready for me to come as soon as possible.  Last year, I couldn't make it.  This year I will.  What happened was my own fault.

[Russiangirl]

 It's been almost a year since we began our communication.  We began talking to each other, shaorty after writing to each other.  She comes to the agency for the phone calls and video conferencing.  

It's been a year, and you haven't met yet. Maybe she's starting to think you're not crazy and/or serious about her, she's losing patience, and thus she's slowly distancing herself?

[KevW]

I'll second that Blue

[steviej]

who's that avatar?

[kryten41]

Looks like Brisco County Jr to me!