Guidelines for Selecting an International Marriage Agency
Are the Women Profiled Real?
Don’t choose an international marriage agency based on the number of beautiful women profiled on their website. If an agency showcases an unusually high percentage of stunning profiles, be cautious. Beautiful women are rare and the most sought-after. In a legitimate marriage agency, the most attractive profiles turn over quickly; they’re not easy to replace. To mask this, a common practice is to present beautiful women as unattached regardless of their unavailability. Other common practices to inflate the beauty and quantity of women is to steal photos from other sites or buy personal photos from photographers without the woman’s consent. A gallery full of beautiful faces means nothing if those women aren’t actually available and unfortunately this is often the case. Many marriage agencies will do whatever it takes to lure beautiful women to join. Consider this ad once placed in a Colombian newspaper, “Latin Wife Connection invites all ladies interested in meeting American and European gentlemen the opportunity of participating in a visa raffle, enroll and participate in social events, free photographic session.” There is no “visa raffle” in Colombia. This Latin marriage agency, like others, is trying to entice women to join under a false pretense of getting a travel visa. So instead of attracting women looking for love they attract women trying to leave the country. By using a trusted international marriage agency, the beauty you see will be real and available.
A good international marriage agency should readily provide several former clients as referrals. Speak with these men about their experience, how they were treated, timelines, and what they observed of other Americans using the service and the outcomes they saw. If the agency hosts events, ask how many men attended the last one and how many actually met a likely wife. If they say “all,” request contact info for each; a credible agency will share it promptly. If not, ask why and what could have been done better. Ensure answers are consistent and reasonable. A reliable agency can supply ample live referrals to support its claims. Don’t rely on website testimonials; they’re easy to fabricate. That said, we no longer provide referrals, if you’d like to know why, just ask us directly.
Do They Have a Positive Reputation?Years ago, the best way to vet an international marriage agency was through active dating forums. Due to the changing social media climate, those forums are now quiet. One, Planet-Love.com still offers archives showing long-standing agencies and behavior patterns, and you can still post, but it provides limited visibility into today’s landscape. That makes finding verifiable signals about an agency’s reputation a research endeavor. Good agencies don’t hide; they invite scrutiny and provide proof.
Do They Have an Established Office with Experience Support?Using an international marriage agency that lacks a staffed local office means you’ll likely depend on temporary freelancers. Such help will rarely have your long-term best interest in mind. We have seen too many examples of freelance translators taking advantage of Americans through theft, dishonesty and manipulation. Sensitive, private matters require trustworthy professionals with training, screening, and oversight, not whoever happens to speak English. Cross-cultural matchmaking also takes skill. The differences between Latin American and Western norms are best navigated by experienced, full-time matchmakers who can guide expectations, protect your interests, and support both sides respectfully. You’re best served by an established local office with dedicated, vetted staff who are trained, supervised, and available before, during, and after your trip.
Is the Owner Trustworthy?
In Business for Over 23 Years
Talk to the owner. Is he someone you can trust? How long has he been in business, and does he put his name and company details front and center? Ultimately, your assessment of the owner, how he communicates, substantiates claims, and follows through will be your best signal that he does what he says. Can he verify a record of success with verifiable outcomes? Be cautious of any push to get you to sign up “before the next event” or to get a discount. Ask what truly distinguishes their service from others and why you’ll be more successful under their care. Will you be treated as an individual or herded with the crowd? Press for specifics, process, timelines, screening, fees, support, and contingency plans, and look for consistency in every answer. Ask as many questions as needed to scrutinize every aspect of the service you’re considering. Your trip itinerary should be clearly defined. Understand the details that will make your travels and your search for a wife successful.
Are They a Middleman?Many marriage agencies online are resellers or franchises, marketing middlemen who funnel you to a separate local operator. They spin up a second website and reuse another company’s database of women while the real service is delivered elsewhere. Extra layers mean increased delays, miscommunications and problems. Choose a direct, accountable agency and verify that they are not just a commissioned agent with a good tongue for promotion and hype.
Are They an Objective Source of Information?Some marriage agencies masquerade as independent voices, creating phony dating directories, review sites, podcasts, videos, or even dating forums that will mislead you into thinking that they are an objective, independent source for information and advice on foreign brides. They will then recommend particular marriage agencies, that unbeknown to you they profit from. Their objective is to sucker you as a valid resource on introduction services when they are nothing more than advertisements that funnel you to a deceptive marriage agency. These false dating directories and forums are not easy to detect without a knowledgeable eye. While legitimate directories exist, treat them cautiously and confirm claims using the other checks above when evaluating any international marriage agency.
Obviously, you lose time and money, but you also enable the same outfit to keep exploiting the next person. By not scrutinizing the marriage agency´s track record and referrals you allow the dishonest international marriage agencies one more day to profit and prey on the unsuspecting. Many cut-rate marriage agencies have much lower prices than legitimate marriage agencies because their intention is to do very little. It is easy to flout discounted prices for services and promises that will never materialize. Poor screening and weak support can create safety risks, missed introductions, and wasted travel. By following the above precautions in the selection of your agent the international path for finding a quality foreign wife will be well worth the effort.
