Here's my amended original review, which was removed due to having the last name of an LA First Dates employee: LA First Dates took my $25 328 days ago for an online speed dating event and has never delivered, but they insist on keeping my money. LA First Dates repeatedly emailed me to cancel events due to low attendance. Finally, after they canceled on Sept 11th, 2025, they stopped sending me emails to offer new online events. I emailed them multiple times, including messaging their billing department directly, calling their billing number (it goes to voicemail), and trying to email their CEO/managing director, Damien. Jen finally responded saying she'd check and give me a credit for another event if I'm owed one. This despite me never having attended and the last one I was offered, for Sept 11th, 2025, being one I signed up for having been canceled by LA First Dates. Yet my profile on their website says that I attended that. Here's my video about the experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWZ3FvxgTaI These people simply want to sell out their character for $25. They stole, and they just want money and don't want to give it back. The difference between them and a street hustler is they were kind enough to provide receipts for everything. Here's their BBB listing (they're listed as Chicago First Dates), make a complaint there and review them if you have cause to: https://www.bbb.org/us/il/chicago/profile/dating-services/chicago-first-dates-0654-1000044243 If they've done this to you, please message me. I'm interested in suing them and if there are multiple of us, we can make this easier by filing a class action lawsuit. read more

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I attended one of their online speed dating events. It did get rescheduled once. Prior to the event, I asked Jen what information would get shared with my matches. I didn't want my email shared because it contained my first and last name. Jen assured me that only first name with last initial and phone number would get shared. However, when I got my matches, email address was shared!! Jen told me to just switch to a different email address. It was very frustrating because I had to switch to one I rarely use so then I wasn't getting any email notifications. Very disappointed with Jen. The actual event was great. It was a Zoom call and they match men and women in private Zoom meetings for 5-minute conversations. It was an hour long and I met several great people. At the end of the event, I had 4 matches! If you do one of their online events, I'd recommend jotting down the names of people you like at the end of each conversation because it was hard to remember everyone's names when you meet so many new people. I'd also suggest uploading your photo on their website ahead of time so matches can easily identify you if they want to match with you. read more

LA First Dates - Convo with Jen - Matchmakers Near Me

I have done a few mostly online / Zoom speed dating events with this company, and will likely not do it again. First, MOST of the times these events get rescheduled which is frustrating because they don't have enough people in attendance. That's an issue. This company doesn't attract enough people to keep these events going at their scheduled times. You will be notified the day of that the event was re-scheduled to the following week. Second, if they are scheduled, the pool of people will be VERY small. I think I spoke to only 5 men at the last event. None of them were worthwhile. It runs the gamut in terms of ages and life paths so like anything, it's hit or miss and is usually a miss. read more

I signed up for this last November. They mentioned that there aren't enough people signed up, so they moved it. Then they changed it another time. I don't mind that the event changed, but then they didn't provide details of the event. I sent them 7 emails on different occasions and did not receive a response. On the day of the event, I mentioned that I will have to call fraud on the transaction, and suddenly I receive 6 calls. I will never go to these events ever. Really bad at organizing, and they don't care for you once they receive your money. read more

Fun, went on a date, still talking to him. I recommend that if you're single and want a serious relationship.

I went to their singles 30s & 40s online event last week. I met a couple of women there that i clicked with and later on matched with. I'm still talking to one of them so I find this to be a good way to meet people especially during these times. I find the women that attend these events to be more serious as they actually do show up and make an effort. read more

I've had a great experience at the speed dating events. It's nice to meet like minded individuals who we both have somethings in common with. Great events, nice people and will definitely try it again in the near future. read more

I was at LA First Dates event in Beverly Hills with my friends and had a good time. I find it hard to date online with photos that's out of date but it doesn't get better than in-person meetings where you see how the men carry themselves, how they dress and the vibe you get. It's definitely worth the experience compared to what you pay online. read more

I was single af and tinder and hinge was not working for me at all. This is actually first thing that worked, and it was super fun.

I've been to a few of these events over the years in person and virtually. It's always been a fun experience and a great way to meet new people. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about speed dating and alternatives to swiping. The event hosts are personable and clearly explain the process. read more

I went to an LA First Dates Virtual Speed Dating Event last month, and it was actually very fun and enlightening. I met a couple of men that I would potentially date, and the event host was very nice, friendly, and helpful. I know that with COVID_19 still around, they don't have a lot of in person events right now, but I am hoping they will have more soon. I am sure they will. I am looking forward to my next LA First Dates Virtual Event though! read more

YMMV, but for me the experience was disappointing. It started with the event I've originally signed up for being rescheduled TWICE in a row. almost 2 weeks later - it finally happened in a dive bar instead of a much nicer cocktail lounge it was originally scheduled to happen in. The location was so sad that some of the more more interesting ladies might have cringed and turned around upon pulling up to the dirty alley... Noted, but that didn't deter me. Okay, now, inside - the event was described as "20s to early 30s" - till 37 or so. Well... 2 of the 5 ladies were very much in their late 40s at the least. The venue was dark and rather loud "it's a dive bar" - it was sort of hard to talk to the ladies across a table. Okay, I'd sit right next to them instead of on my assigned spot across the table. None of the ladies were particularly interesting for anyone my age. Meh. I've attended another event 2 weeks later. This one was at an okay mid-scale venue, although sort of back yard of a cocktail bar on Santa Monica blvd. This time there was also noone of interest for me, I didn't even bother participating since I could see zero appeal at a glance. Call me shallow or superficial, sorrynotsorry. Anyway, YMMV, perhaps if you're a guy in your late 30s or above - go for it. Ladies - you can probably meet nice guys at these events. IF you show up :-D If no interesting ladies show up - men will ditch it, too :-D read more

I attended LA First Dates Beverly Hills event last week at a hotel and had a good experience. Initially, I was hesitant bc this is something new to me but at the end I enjoyed the event and met some nice guys who had professional careers. Definitely will come back again! read more

Such a rip off! $35 and no datable people. Host was late and unfriendly. Some cool people were there but it just doesn't work.

I went to this speed dating event in Downtown LA not having any expectations of what it would be like and am I glad I did it that way. When I got there waiting for the event to start, I noticed that people were a bit nervous not talking to each other. Once we sat down and got situated with the women in front of us, things started to get exciting. We had between 4-5 minutes with the person in front of us to see if there was any chemistry. After the 4-5 minutes, we would switch and do it all over again until we went through every person. Just like in any event, there will be people you connect with and others that you don't, however those few gems that you connect with will all be worth it if they also choose you. Good luck and try this out. I met a lovely woman from this event so heres a 5 stars review. If it doesn't work out, try again. read more

Only went to one event in the last three months, because they kept rescheduling, moving locations, etc. However, customer service contacted me and explained for reason why is because not enough women show up, and want fully filled events. While frustrating, at least they want to make sure you have a good time, and enough women to talk to. read more

A few friends and I were interested in "speed dating" so we bought some vouchers on Living Social for LA First Dates. Since I had attended one of their functions before, I suggested them. Even though I had no luck the first time, I thought it was fun enough to try again. We purchased our vouchers in April and did have some scheduling conflicts with the options provided which were quite minimal. Once we would select a group to attend (i.e. Business Professionals age 30-45) we would have to get on a "waiting list" because it was already full. We would not receive anything after the automated email informing us if we did or didn't get on the group date. Our voucher was close to expiration. I emailed the contact email provided on the site and nearly had to beg the correspondent (Jen Reyes) to honor the vouchers. She extended one voucher for a week. We finally got in to a speed dating event for this past Saturday at The Magnolia Grille. When my friend and I pulled up we thought it was a joke. It was a small mom and pop cafe filled with families and seniors - not a speed dating worthy establishment. They serve good food if you're hungry but NO FULL BAR (they didn't even know how to take an order for a vodka-soda) and the event was held on the front porch patio which made it quite awkward for the ladies anytime any of the grill's clientele walked in. Our host Monica was very kind and accommodating. She finally registered us and we got started. Our options were VERY slim and that made it disappointing. Nothing like my first experience with LA First Dates. I remember having close to 20 guys to chose from at a nice hotel in Culver City. This time we only had 6 guys. My friend and two other girls who drove from Chino split halfway through "date" because the experience was so disappointing. I sat through it but to be honest I don't know if I will get around to using the second voucher.. 1) because I'm having the hardest time getting your company to honor it. and 2) because I am not sure if I can handle another unfortunate experience like Saturday's... But for the $35 fee you guys should really consider the locations (for single people looking to get out on the weekends) and have at least 15-20 candidates of each sex to make it worth everyone's time. I will not be recommending LA First Dates. To top it off just got off the phone with their customer service "manager" Damian who called me repeatedly at work. He was very argumentative and resistant to any of the feedback I had in regards to my experience. DO NOT USE LA FIRST DATES YOU WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!!!! read more

I've gone to a few speed dating events organized by this company. They have really good crowd every time I visited. The locations chosen usually have good atmosphere. It's very easy to meet people. I like how the event is organized that you get to speak to everyone for a short amount of time to see if there's a good connection. I highly recommend it if you are new in town looking to meet someone or is ready for a serious relationship. read more

I hear about event from a friend. I thought about giving a try and also signing up for singles event Sun. Aug. 13th. Will keep you posted. read more

I've done speed dating quite a few times with a few different groups. Even if you don't meet anyone, it's fun IMO. I went with a Groupon (would NOT do this at full price!). My event met at a very loud, cramped place in DTLA. They had a DJ right in our area so the sound was awful. There also weren't enough tables so we all had to double up making things not really intimate at all. I felt it totally wasn't the right venue for a speed dating event. Anyway the host was nice and she was organized. There was an even amount of men to women I believe or close to it. There were 10 men and only 1 (the first guy I met) I would consider seeing again however, I didn't care for him enough to really log onto the website to see if he matched with me (I guess I was that impressed LMAO). In general with speed dating in LA (doesn't matter which organizer) I find this seems to cater to a lot of Indian and Asian men. Several of the men had huge accents. I just figure this would interest some people thinking about going. I would only go again if it were cheap enough. read more

This was a good social experiment for myself.. Thought the idea and the whole time being there was fun/hilarious/a different type of adventure... But.. I went to meet single, PROFESSIONALS... And they don't even ask you your occupation when you sign up to go which never phased me until I get there and realize I'm sitting next to a guy who lives out of a hotel and doesn't even have a job..... There were a few more guys then girls so our host was keeping the boys entertained when it wasn't their turn.. Yet at the end of the thing, I caught on that she was actually flirting with the guys there.... Umm I duno, I'll find love when I do, but I had to pay $30 bucks (using the promo code Meetup) to meet these guys.. Ur our host, not on the market for stealing the guys?!... Get back to work..I duno, SMH... If your shy, this is a good way to break through some of that.. If your even curious.. Try it because it's fun... But don't even expect to find "potential." The girls here are looking for instant hubby material (I couldn't even get them to have a good time ice breaking), the guys are DRAMA starting losers! The people that were actually probably worth talking to you would never know in the barely 5 minutes you get to grab each other's attention... But the venue was top notch (if only they had AC.. This is LA after all not Venice beach!!) read more

Do not work use this company in any way. They are not only rude but also unethical on how they conduct their business especially with their San Francisco chapter. I tried this place over a year ago and I was the youngest guy there and most women were ten years older than me for a 30s and 40s singles event. I might of ignored that at the time the age thing. I didn't match anyone despite I accepted 10 out of 10 just to check out the response including with who I wasn't interested in. However, to be fair I don't think that my experience with this speed dating is a fair way to judge as no one can really control quality of who attended only demographics. The host was very unpleasant and rude and never smiled. She rushed everyone to leave at end and if people were too long she told them "hurry up, you need to move" and seemed like someone who didn't like her job. The main reason I am writing a negative review 1 year from this experience is because of this incident. I had a Meetup group for Airbnb host with about 4 coorganizers. I stepped down since I don't spend enough time in SF to manage group. One of the reps supposedly named Kate on Meetup saw it needed a new Organizer, took over the Meetup group, removed the whole leadership team from group including myself, and changed it right away to a commercial speed dating group. Kate, never responded to my complaints on Meetup despite I tried to be diplomatic. So I had to report this to Meetup requesting to shut down the group instead as finding Organizer replacement. It is unfortunately Kate had to hijack my group and group had to shut down the way it did with no apology. I hope someone at company besides Kate has enough integrity and empathy to call me about this 5124925690 read more

I've been to a few of their events, the venues are usually very good and spacious/private so we can hear each other. Their matching system works by setting up online profile and choosing matches through their website. Overall it's good to try a few events as each crowd can be very different. read more

I've been to several speed dating events with this company. I don't have a lot of expectations as far as outcomes are concerned, since so much of that is chance, and the quality of the experience you have at any one event depends largely on the attitude you take with you going in. If you don't take things too seriously, there's no reason to have a bad time. It's just people talking after all is said and done, right? Most of the time, the venues they've chosen have been good. The online post-event matching system they use is very convenient and sets them apart in that way. read more

I attended a few LA First Dates events and so far they are really good. The hosts are very friendly and communicative, the venues they use are really cool and the organization is pretty good too. The overall experience is much better than online dating and I intend to use their services again read more

I have gone to quite a few events with LA First Dates and have found each of them interesting, exciting and fun. All the hosts are nice and friendly. The speed dating events have unique and creative themes such as Singles w/ Advanced Degrees and Single Professionals, 20s & 30s, Asian Singles. I always have a good time even if I don't get matched up. The parties are fun as i well because it always start with a icebreaker so it becomes easy to meet new people. read more

I have been on several dates using this company! I have has several successful dates and matched w good guys! I will try them and recommend them! read more

Save your time and money. Unlike the event I went to last week that had 20 men and 2O women, half hour after the starting time they had 4 men and 7 women. Waste of time, money and gas. read more

The awesome hostess Mary is very friendly.!! She will make sure you have a wonderful time. Make sure to attend the next event. You're in for a fun time!! read more

Went to my second speed dating event with them last night at House of Macau in Hollywood. I had such a great time and met a ton of people. As usual our hostess Jaylee was delightful and the venue magnificent! read more

I've been a long time participant with this company and they are great and I've had fun doing these events. The host Danny is great at what he does. Highly recommend to give it a try. read more

I went to the Speed Dating event after talking to very friendly customer service representative John who helped me with everything beginning with relationship advise and ending with the credit to extra events. read more

PLEASE READ. DO NOT EVER ATTEND OR PURCHASE A VOUCHER!! All I got to say is LA First Dates is a poorly ran company and you will be wasting your money and more importantly your time!!!! Damon the co-owner is rude and it makes sense why the company is poorly ran. I recently bought the vucher on Living Social and scheduled a event for me and a friend. when we arrive to the event, the venue host said this is a private party and that the event has relocated. Somehow after try several times to contact LA First Dates I get a call from them. They told me that the event was cancelled. I was furious because I didn't receive any notification via email nor call. After speaking to the owner Damon, I was getting more furoius. He is very rude and did not want to give me a refund but an additional credit to another event. DO NOT EVER ATTEND TO LA FIRST DATE!!! IT IS A SCAM!!! read more

horrible! I only signed up because a friend mentioned to me and since the event I signed up for was in FOH, dtla I figured wth, it's walking distance. WRONG! they've since cancelled, re-scheduled, and moved the venue 3 TIMES!!!!! oh.....we will give you a voucher. well stick that voucher somewhere! probably a bunch of ho-hums signing up for this. I know it's only $35 but hey, I better warn others out there. read more

I have never done speed dating before but my friends and I always said we wanted to try it. We signed up with LA First Dates and were looking forward to a fun filled evening. The location was the Sofitel Hotel. I really enjoyed the place it was a great environment as a whole... The experience on the other hand... It was an extremely unorganized event. My friend went to check us in and had difficulties doing that, the host was giving her a hard time. It was a lot of peoples first speed dating event so to have a brief explanation of how things were going to work and then seating everyone would have made things smoother. I didn't meet every guy in attendance. There were times where I was sitting by myself ( which shouldn't have been the case since there was more men than women). There were times when I was sitting alone and there were guys just standing around because they didn't know where to go. Some of the rounds were like 10 mins while others were like 3. The host would get an attitude with guys for just sitting in front of women who were sitting alone because" that wasn't the order or how it's suppose to be done" but there wasn't any order for the event period.The womens numbers didn't even go in order You can't get upset with the patron for your lack of organization. I would suggest speed dating to a friend because its quite an experience just wouldn't be with this company. read more

There doesn't seem to be a Yelp page for this, and I wish there was, because I would have been able to read reviews and avoid the terrible visit to the Island of Misfit Toys. Like many people, I bought a Living Social coupon to try speed dating with LA First Dates. Little did I know what a huge waste of time it was going to be. I spent over an hour in traffic getting to this weird mall on the edge of Skid Row (a MALL. Not a bar or somewhere romantic or interesting), then another 20+ minutes waiting for someone to leave so I could park. When I got to the site, I realized that there were nearly all women there (guess it's good for guys?). Which means...you sit by yourself, staring off into your $7 beer, because there are too many women and not enough men and you have to wait for the men to finish their other "dates." And then the few men who are there finally come to your spot, and you realize, oh god, they're all at least 10 years older than you. The ads show hip young attractive people flirting over glasses of wine. Nope, you're going to be awkwardly texting on your phone, wondering when the hell you can leave the mall. read more

LA First Dates - with a logo this cheesy, you know it can't be good - Matchmakers Near Me

I bought a Groupon for a speed-dating event with LA First Dates. I was rather excited about trying speed dating, and spent a lot of time getting ready for the event, looking forward to meeting lots of potential mates. As an added bonus, it was in Valley Village, which is close to where I live. I got to the bar and it was pretty much empty. The bartender knew nothing about an event scheduled there. I later found out the event had been cancelled, which I had not been informed about. It was pretty much the same awkward and unpleasant feeling as being stood up on a date. I emailed the company and they apologized, offered me a new code for a new event. I asked about getting a refund (as stated in the terms and conditions on their website) and got an answer that vaguely said I was entitled to a refund. The refund never went through my Groupon account, but I didn't want to bother with arguing about a 17 dollar charge so I just used the code and registered for another event. I hoped that giving them a second chance would pay off and I would meet some nice guys. On the morning of the second event I had received no confirmation or communication about the event, so I emailed them to ask about it. It was cancelled again (they didn't send out a email about the cancellation until a few minutes after I sent them a message about the event--and I'm not sure they would've if I hadn't sent my email), but they offered to sign me up for another event that I had no desire to attend (because driving to and parking in Downtown on a Friday or Saturday night is painful). I declined and tried to get my refund. The customer service rep responded and tried again to get me to attend the downtown event. I more clearly stated in a response that I wanted a refund. The communication that up until that point had been speedy suddenly became nonexistent. Luckily, Groupon quickly refunded my money when I explained the situation. read more

If I could give a negative star! I bought via Living Social. They 'postoned' 3 times on me.. each time the 'postponement' was texted day of. The last postponement was 3 hrs before the event! I called Living Social who refunded me! And.. I still get their texts and emails on the events that keep getting postponed. Revised: they called me after seeing this review to explain they postpone if they don't get the equal # of men and women. They wanted to make it right. I turned them down but said I would indicate their willingness to try to make this right. I am concerned how they figured out this review with my info to contact me. Next time I will be careful and not give out any numbers. read more

LA First Dates saw my review and gave me a genuine apology for the way I was treated and even offered me a free pass to come try their service again. It's nice to see a business make things right like that. I'll be giving them another chance. read more

Everything about their events was so fantastic. The host was so terrific and the singles were mostly all great. It was a fun place to go and I would definitely repeat the experience. I was talking with the host about how this was such a great option compared to all the dating apps out there. read more