Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Valenti International Unveils New Website & Video

This Valenti scheme is a scam. Read this from the Union Tribune: Link: http://www.signons andiego.com/uniont rib/20051009/news_ lz1c09match.html Can't buy me love Some singles' dealings with a high-priced matchmaker end up in court instead of courtship By Jenifer Goodwin STAFF WRITER October 9, 2005 While leafing through an in-flight magazine, Diane Lindamood stopped at an ad for Irene Valenti, an international matchmaker in the "European Tradition."Va lenti, a heavily made up, French-manicured, petite, 59-year-old blonde, promised to help clients find a life partner from her "select worldwide clientele," who range from "comfortable to the extremely wealthy." LAURA EMBRY / Union-Tribune Irene Valenti's advertisements (at right, from Smart Money) show her stepping out of a Ferrari and in upscale settings, including her Rancho Santa Fe house (above). Having no interest in the bar scene, and wanting to meet someone who wasn't after her money, Lindamood thought Valenti might help her. Lindamood, left widowed with three young sons in 1987 when a disgruntled employee brought down the passenger plane her husband was piloting, received a multimillion dollar settlement from the airline. She paid Valenti $30,000 up front, and agreed to pay another $30,000 if she got married, engaged or had an exclusive relationship. "I had tried different ways of meeting people but this one seemed a little more exclusive," Lindamood said. Instead of going to the Chapel of Love, Lindamood wound up in court. In 2003, Lindamood sued Valenti in San Diego Superior Court for fraud and deceit, alleging Valenti introduced her to men who bore no resemblance to the type she said she was looking for. Lindamood, then 56, said she wanted a man her age. Valenti set up her up with a 72-year-old. With divorce rates high and young people waiting longer to marry, the number of singles in the United States is rising – meaning lots of potential business for matchmakers, who market themselves as modern-day yentas helping the lovelorn find that special someone. In its sales pitch, Valenti International promises strict confidentiality. Though it may protect singles from embarrassment, the policy also means prospective clients have little means of checking out the service before forking over fees that resemble the price of a Tiffany engagement ring. And some clients are having serious cases of buyer's remorse. In the last decade, Valenti International has been sued in San Diego courts by about 20 clients, mostly women who claim that Valenti took their money and then failed to deliver anything close to true love. "It's definitely not worth the money," said Elaine Heine, a Del Mar attorney who represented seven men and women in a 2003 suit. "She's catching people in a desperate situation. They desperately want to be with someone who is right for them, and they feel that if they pay enough money for it they'll get it." Valenti declined to be interviewed for this story. But Robert Page, managing director of Valenti International, said business is booming. The company recently moved to a larger office and Valenti has added consultants around the country. "If you were in this business and you didn't have anybody that was upset, that would be very unusual," Page said. "It's a very emotional business."  (Mar 17, 2008 | post #1)

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What do you think about Rancho Santa Fe incorporation?

Some favor and some oppose.  (Mar 4, 2008 | post #1)