Matchmaker ordered to refund 150,000-yuan fee

A court in Beijing has upheld a ruling that a matchmaking agency must return a woman's 150,000 yuan ($23,835) service fee because the company failed to provide satisfactory service, Beijing Times reported.

The matchmaking agency signed a service contract with a woman surnamed Bao on March 30, 2011, charging her 186,000 yuan for introducing her to men who met her criteria. The contract specified that it would provide matchmaking services to Bao until she found a companion, even if the three-month service period expired before then.

On Jun 29, 2011, Bao signed a service-termination statement in which Bao said "I am satisfied with Wang, introduced by the agency, and agree to be in a relationship with him. Therefore no further service is needed. I hereby seek to terminate the service".

However, in November 2011, Bao sued the agency for fraud, claiming that the information that the agency provided her about Wang was not accurate.

Bao asked the agency to return the entire service fee.

The matchmaking center argued its innocence by presenting the letter signed by Bao in which she agreed to meet Wang, and also Wang's original documents, including his ID card, divorce certificate, driver's license and property-ownership certificate.

At Bao's request, the court appointed a forensic center to identify the meeting-arrangement letter. The center's analysis found that Bao's signature had been forged.

The court then ruled that the agency should return 150,000 yuan to Bao.

The agency appealed to Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court, which upheld the original judgment on Oct 8.