Dynamic Accident Lawyers: It’s Just Lunch Matchmaking Site Settles Class Action for $60M in Dates

ijl_logo Last Thursday, a class of users of the popular matchmaking service It’s Just Lunch asked a federal judge in New York to issue preliminary approval of a settlement to resolve claims that the site overcharged customers and matched clients while ignoring their stated dating preferences.

The proposed It’s Just Lunch class action settlement stipulated that the matchmaking company would give $60 million dollars in date vouchers and $4.75 million in cash. Eligible Class Members would receive a voucher from the dating website for a free date (or two, in some cities) valued at $450 each.

It’s Just Lunch also agreed to include a customer pledge on its website and edit the terms of its contracts to reflect the company’s commitment to honor customer-specified dating preferences.

The It’s Just Lunch class action lawsuit has been in progress for eight and a half years, and the dating service is facing potential bankruptcy due to the company’s financial condition. The plaintiffs in the case felt that if the lawsuit would have gone to trial, there may have been no recovery at all.

“Indeed, after trial and potential bankruptcy court proceedings, It’s Just Lunch might go out of business, its employees would lose their jobs, the public would lose the possibility of receiving a service which the classes’ size here shows consumers want and class members would get nothing of value whatsoever after years of litigation,” the plaintiffs said.

According to the It’s Just Lunch class action lawsuit settlement, the $4.5 million class fund was proposed to play a New York subclass of daters $100 each and would also be used to pay administrative costs of the settlement, class representative awards to the lead plaintiffs and attorneys’ fees.

Attorneys’ fees were requested to be $3.6 million and each of the nine plaintiffs acting as class representatives would receive $10,000 under the terms of the settlement. The motion stated that the plaintiffs “have been available to class counsel far longer than ordinary class representatives, and provided many more hours of their time over eight-and-a-half years than typical representatives.”

The It’s Just Lunch class action lawsuit claimed that the attorneys representing the dating class maintain “monthly contact with what is now over 250 potential class members and receives nearly weekly inquiries from wronged IJL customers who believe they qualify as class members.” The motion also stated that more than 2,000 emails and over 100 phone calls have been exchanged with consumers interested in the action.

The original It’s Just Lunch class action lawsuit was filed in October 2007, with claims that the matchmaking website systematically overcharged customers and at the same time disregarded users’ dating preferences that were indicated, including a match’s age, marital status, employment status and criminal history.

According to the plaintiffs’ amended complaint filed in 2008, “In fact, despite promises to the contrary, It’s almost completely ignores the client’s stated preferences. Rather, the company makes matches which are driven entirely by monthly quota requirements, and which wholly and categorically disregard the client’s stated ‘desires, goals [and] motivations.’”

The It’s Just Lunch class action lawsuit also claimed that the matchmaking was not done by professional matchmakers but rather by employees with no background or training in offering matchmaking services to clients.

In addition to claims of misrepresentation for their services, a New York subclass also alleged that It’s Just Lunch violated New York state law that prohibits dating services from requiring payments in excess of $1,000.

More information about the It’s Just Lunch class action settlement was not immediately available. Keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter for the latest updates. You can also mark this article as a “Favorite” using your free Top Class Actions account to receive notifications when this article is updated.

The plaintiffs are represented by John Balestriere and Craig Stuart Lanza of Balestriere Fariello, and the Law Offices of Jon L. Norinsberg.

The It’s Just Lunch Matchmaking Class Action Lawsuit Settlement is Rodriguez, et al. v. It’s Just Lunch International, et al., Case No.1:07-cv-099227, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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