Menu
For Business Write a review File a complaint
CB Social Networks Meetup Be very careful which groups you join & scrutinize the intentions of the organizers
Meetup

Meetup review: Be very careful which groups you join & scrutinize the intentions of the organizers 19

L
Author of the review
3:44 am EDT
Review updated:
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Be very careful which groups you join & scrutinize the intentions of the organizers. In general, the organizers exist to serve their own interests. I have first hand knowledge of one organizer who's created various singles clubs to target the age groups of twenties, thirties, fourties, fifties. He also used fake personas of pretty girls as co-organizers, to kickoff invite to meetups. Now approach a venue / restaurant and offer to bring X people if they can give you a kickback. The kickback varied from negotiating a cheap meal (and not passing it on, in effect pocketing the difference). Needless to say, the pretty organizers always found an emergency excuse not to turn up. This happened in Sydney Australia. Thread very carefully if you live in Sydney and see variations of the same theme, do not take anything at face value.

19 comments
Add a comment
C
C
CheatMeOnceShameOnYou
ZA
Apr 29, 2015 2:22 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Found a similar thing in Durban South Africa. Call it reference marketing. Call it using social pressure to sell products. There is something doggy about some of these groups.

A
A
Annone
GB
Feb 15, 2016 4:28 pm EST

I do a search for meetups 'in my area', within 2 miles of my hometown. The list that comes up show events that are often ridiculously far away! I have told them but they always ask for specific details and by then Ive forgotton. They dont seem concerned at all. To them, a hundred miles away for an evening social is fine on the bus! lol
The distance seriously needs extra attention. I live in manchester, and had suggestions 'in my area' of warrington, london yorkshire... you name it

D
D
Daryl Carter
Chicago, US
Feb 27, 2016 8:12 am EST

I am going to this Drinks and Dancing at the Soundbar Every Saturday Night meetup event, at Soundbar 226 w.Ontario Chicago, IL and this meetup Organizer's name I Sarah Emani, she will invite you to do this meetup after you joined and RVSP, but then doesn't want you to comment on her events page, no matter how many times, it could twelve times that you have posted and you missed, because of family obligations, she all of a sudden sends her co-organizer to send me this comment:

View 0 more photos
M
M
Miss Lane
US
Apr 11, 2016 1:41 am EDT

I really want to delete my meetup messages there are far to many there. please can you make this available to us

E
E
Emily Chalmers
US
Jul 15, 2016 7:49 am EDT

I have just learned the importance of carefully scrutinizing to the extent possible organizers of Meetup groups. I joined Women Walkers of Roland Park in Baltimore MD, a group set up by a woman named Debra Diamond. Perhaps the group's name should have tipped me off--Roland Park is a very exclusive area of Baltimore--but the group seemed to be open for greater Baltimore, and I never met anyone at the walks from Roland Park except Debra. The others (except for me--I live close to the inner city) were primarily from suburban areas. Debra made a point of talking to all the women who attended except me. She avoided me, even going so far as to walk around other people to get as far from me as possible. At the last walk I attended (my third or fourth), I asked her a question about the routes we'd been taking, partly in the hope of opening up a conversation. Her response was (these are mostly her words) that she was not a tour guide, that I seemed to have a lot of questions, and that maybe I would be better off in another group, as she was just there for relaxation. She spoke in front of the other attendees, who could clearly see my shock and dismay at being spoken to that way. I subsequently sent her a message stating that I wouldn't be attending any longer, for a number of reasons (including her rudeness). I wish I had spoken up to her when she insulted me but was to shocked to do so. When I went in to cancel my membership in the group, she had already removed me. I have complained to Meetup itself and am posting this warning for others. Some of these organizers have unpleasant agendas--I believe that I was discriminated against because I don't live in the right zip code in Baltimore City--and it is best to try to avoid them. In the future, I will use this experience to talk with other group organizers beforehand.

C
C
CV143
US
Mar 14, 2024 2:52 am EDT

What kind of questions would you recommend I’m terms of screening the organizer before joining a group? I can relate to your experience as well.

K
K
Keir Faulkner
US
Aug 27, 2016 6:32 am EDT

We have one called "Spontaneous Stockport Socilalizers", they are a nasty lot ruled by a bunch of ageist weirdos, i applied and it is "pending", still after a few weeks, I went to one event and a couple of them set out to humiliate me because of my age.
At the end of the day if you cannot chat others up or communicate these clubs are a last resort. Ie the last chance saloon

B
B
basic instinct
US
Aug 03, 2017 7:15 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Party meetup in cologne Germany run by a Danish [censor] called Neil C is similar. My Thai friend got a membership within hours. Mine is still pending. We had the greatest laugh at it. Just showing how sick some people are right now. Mundo Lingo in Cologne is another one. Run by an Argentinian called David Enriquez. Stating to practice a language in fact it is a big dating party. Only for the young. Elderly persons are being humiliated by a group of young Turks. Me and my Thai GF went seperately to test them. I got isolated while she had to leave because of all the stupid efforts of useless [censor] desparate in getting a date. Right now we are monitoring all kind of groups in Germany. Get kicked out means the group is indeed a social risk. David Enriquez and his buddy Fabian Doles ( the worst singer in the world/ check him out on you tube) tried to ridiculize my reports. In the end they got nowhere and the usual blocking started.

E
E
EastMidlander
US
Sep 15, 2016 4:19 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I received an email about a new meetup group in my area (nottingham england) which is obviously a money grabbing scam (or a phishing attempt) as the language is american english and they ask for a fee in dollars!

"brave women travel nottingham

Welcome to brave women travel! we are a travel club for women, and only women, world wide! large, small; black, white; christian, atheist; young, old; gay, straight; singles, couples; no matter! as long as you are a woman! membership fees are $24/year… don't forget to 'join' — please click here to pay — for questions email info@bravewomentravel.com thank you for taking the time to read through this..."

N
N
Noname
US
Nov 22, 2016 7:14 pm EST

I kinda agree with you

R
R
RobertGordon
US
Feb 08, 2017 9:48 am EST

Meetup.com has recently set up site and country-wide meetup groups encouraging social resistance 'for democracy'. The groups are called "#resist". These groups are free and sponsored by the Meetup Community HQ (i.e., 'the board'). They flooded members' feeds the other day with political propaganda encouraging people to join these groups due to "concern over where the government is headed". The original banner, which is now gone, also referenced the current election outcome as a key motivator to organizing these groups. Unlike facebook, you cannot block these banners or these groups from showing up in your feed, and unlike facebook, group organizers are charged a fee for this site. This is absolute political propaganda and pushing a political agenda on a site which is supposed to promote diverse interests of many groups. I asked them to similarly sponsor groups for unification, but they have not replied yet. I will "#resist" Meetup and move my group to Facebook if this propaganda and agenda pushing continues...I cannot support any site that promotes social disharmony or discord through resistance movements!

B
B
barbara sherrill
US
Feb 13, 2017 7:15 pm EST

I agree. I am cancelling my account.

B
B
basic instinct
US
Aug 03, 2017 7:08 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My experiences were similar. In Cologne (Germany)an American model (Unique Love )organized language meetings (Expats in Cologne). I went a few times but more and more her meetups became weird. Almost like a dating party. When I visited with my thai GF the whole group started to ignore us. One member even tried to make a move at her.Asking in German what her phone number was. The biggest joke is that the organizer herself didn't turn up. Occupied in Chicago with modelling? Her co-organizer Samantha (Brazilian Italian golddigger) got very nasty after I put a bad review (describing what happened) on their website. Blocking me and kick us out of the group was the result. The joke is that this lady herself cheated on her BF on a regular basis. Nagging half drunk why one German member(Adri) didn't want to take her home. The same lady calling me and my GF pointless and agressive. Wowwwwwwww. Unique Love later reacted calling me crazy and in need of medication. Unfortunately i work in health care and see Narcist nutcases like her every day. Meetup organizers imo are exhibitionists or narcists People beware. Also they discriminate on older generations ( 30 or up). Meetup is a fake misunderstanding for insecure nutcases like miss Unique. That lady isn't Unique she should change her name into Arrogance Love.

U
U
username july
US
Aug 05, 2021 11:29 pm EDT

I met a racist group in Boston. It was tough to deal with them. I wanted to report - but how would a country like US deals with it?
It’s also a joke that after the incident happened and when I took the video of her racist comment as evidence, the Organizer came around and told me to get rid of the video and leave. The waiter (who failed to do his job in many ways such as examining the vaccine proof for everybody who came in) asked me to leave upon the racist old white person’s request. It was ridiculous how everything goes their way “because they are racist”. Since when the stupid racist mindset get the privileged? According to my knowledge, the racist people are all very stupid and are bad at intelligent subjects.

W
W
wdean111
US
Jan 30, 2018 11:21 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I organized a Meetup, and started to get folks joining the group. Every time I went to welcome a new member, I would get an error message indicating that I was not authorized to send messages to group members. I started getting messages for 'Joe'. My name is Dean. Somehow they got the wires crossed, and I was not able to organize meetings, reply to questions, or use any other organizer functions. I tried calling a customer service number that I found on the internet. It was a recording directing everyone to the website/email support. They do not answer emails directly, but instead send you a list of FAQs as answers. I had my credit card company reverse the charges and disbanded the group.

C
C
Corina777
GB
Jul 15, 2018 11:07 pm EDT

I have receive racist attack on Meetup I would like to complain

U
U
username july
US
Aug 05, 2021 11:18 pm EDT
Replying to comment of Corina777

Me too
And Meetup supports it!

U
U
username july
US
Aug 05, 2021 11:18 pm EDT

They support the racist group

P
P
Print Me
US
Apr 25, 2020 3:51 am EDT

Meetup.com make it very dificult to cancel subscription
Hi, I asked meetup to make adjustment to my subscription payment since it is an outdoor events group that I took over this year. They declined and asked me to do online events (what?), So I decided to cancel, however it was difficult, on the iPhone and web browser no option to cancel subscription (really), you have to send email to support. Even then they will not cancel but send you and offer with a discount on next renewal fee. What I did find (web search) is that the Android app does allow you to cancel within the App very easily (i do have a spare Android phone luckily). So cancelled using Android platform, and stepped down as organizer using the PC web browser (because I wanted to delete grp), however it didn't allow me to delete group, that option appeared and vanished quickly (new owners). I would recommend to all of you to cancel your subscription on this platform with the current situation I feel this platform is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE AND MANAGEMENT HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO ORGANIZERS WITH REAL WORLD SOLUTIONS THEY ARE only after your money, it is not going to spend any money on an new concepts and are definitely not interested in your well being.

  1. Meetup Contacts

  2. Meetup phone numbers
    +1 (212) 255-7327
    +1 (212) 255-7327
    Click up if you have successfully reached Meetup by calling +1 (212) 255-7327 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Meetup by calling +1 (212) 255-7327 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Meetup by calling +1 (212) 255-7327 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Meetup by calling +1 (212) 255-7327 phone number
  3. Meetup emails
  4. Meetup address
    632 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, New York, 10012, United States
  5. Meetup social media
  6. Janet
    Checked and verified by Janet This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn more
    Nov 20, 2024
Meetup Category
Meetup is ranked 8 among 158 companies in the Social Networks category