MADISON — The Department of Justice filed an enforcement action in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against GE-Milwaukee, LLC, d/b/a Great Expectations, and its parent company, JRM Management, LLC, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today. The complaint alleges that the company has committed numerous violations of Wisconsin’s consumer protection laws relating to deceptive marketing practices and dating service contracts.
According to the complaint, Great Expectations uses websites that appear to connect singles in particular Milwaukee area communities, such as milwaukeesingles.com, brookfieldsingles.com, and shorewoodsingles.org, which are registered to a company in India. The websites do not indicate any connection with Great Expectations, but consumers who complete on-line surveys are then called by Great Expectations telemarketers.
Specifically, the complaint alleges that in the course of selling dating services, Great Expectations has made numerous misrepresentations, including:
a. Overstating the number of Great Expectations’ participating members, including the number of Milwaukee-area members;
c. Overstating the number of members in particular age ranges or other categories;
d. Overstating the number of marriages that occur between Great Expectations’ members every month;
e. Misrepresenting Great Expectations’ conduct of criminal background checks and screening out of prospective members with criminal histories; and
f. Misrepresenting the purpose for obtaining prospective members’ credit information.
In addition, many of Great Expectations’ contracts violate the State’s law governing dating service contracts by exceeding the statutory maximum of two years’ duration. Great Expectations has also failed to register with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as a telephone solicitor and has called consumers on the State’s no-call list.
The complaint asks the Court to impose forfeitures and penalties, to require restitution to consumers, and to enjoin the company from future unlawful behavior.
The case was investigated and referred to the Department of Justice by DATCP. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Lara A. Sutherlin and John S. Greene.
If you have been victim of this Company’s practices, please contact the DATCP at (800) 422‑7128.
