I am looking for the world's best match maker.  I am recently single,
live in the southwest USA, and have a net worth of over a half billion
dollars.  You might think that for a person in my situation, finding
the right person would be easy, but it isn't, since it can be very
difficult to determine a person's true motivation when you are in my
circumstances.  I am not willing to compromise my privacy, and I am
fairly selective about who I want to spend time with.  I am looking
for a service that is discrete, well respected, and that can minimize
the time commitment I must make to get an initial introduction to the
kind of person I am looking for.

Thanking you in advance for the advice.

Hello  sl7~

You didn't say where in the 'SW' you were located - so I did a search
for matchmakers in the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Looking for the world's "best matchmaker" is, of course, subjective.
In fact, a search in Google for "world's best matchmaker" gave me, at
best, a list of the world's 100 best matchmakers. Apparently, no one
wants to either claim to be, or name, the world's best matchmaker.
Personally, I would answer that the world's best matchmaker is my
sister-in-law, Patti, who lives in Arlington, Texas. To her credit
over 60 "introductions" over the last 40 years have led to marriage
(and untold others which have been serious relationships but did not
end in marriage). She just can't stand to see someone single or
unattached.

She must have learned form my own mother (now deceased) who I would
say was the world's best, but I'm sure that is not what you were
looking for! ;)

I therefore searched for matchmakers in the southwest United States.
There was a bit of a shock to learn there are more very discrete
matchmaker services in the New England States than there are in the
southwest. The southwest and California seem in a more
"internet-based" mode and utilize either an online "dating service" or
just "jump in" sites dedicated to singles.

There is not a lot of discretion in those free online services. I
certainly wouldn't want my own information and photo on those sites,
which would later be archived for posterity, but it was certainly an
interesting experience to poke through them.

Searching for complaints about services (before I listed those below)
- I found this information on the Better Business Bureau site about
matchmaking services:
 - http://www.bbbsilicon.org/topic053.html

The list meets your criteria. Subjectively, based only on the
experience of a friend who used their service, I would recommend The
Right One (my friend says it matched her very precise and confidential
criteria). On the assumption that her tastes may not match your own, I
listed additional sites to consider. These sies did not have any
complaints lodged against them for questionable business practices
that I could find, and seemed to have high standards.

Please note:
The resources are matchmaking services, although some may also be
connected in some manner with "dating services". A thorough discussion
of the difference between a matchmaking or introduction service and a
dating service can be found here:
 - http://www.solosingles.com/singleshouston/matchmakingdatingservices.htm

The following matchmaking/introduction services  either had physical
locations in the southwest or had clientele in the southwest,
regardless of an office location.

1. Great Expectations:

One of the most 'popular' with a good reputation is Great Expectations
 - http://www.great-expectations.com/

With locations in:
  * Phoenix
  * Orange County, California
  * San Diego, CA
  * Sacramento, CA
  * other California locations
  * Las Vegas (okay, that *might* be stretching it)
  * Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
  * Houston TX

Great Expectations locations are listed here:
 - http://www.great-expectations.com/locations.html


2. Elite Matchmaker (national)
 - http://www.elitematchmaker.com/

Extremely confidential and discrete services.


3. Introductions by Sage (California)
 - http://www.sagedating.com/main.html

Has a good reputation, and the manager is most discreet.


4. The Right One (many US offices)
 - http://www.therightone.com/

A friend of mine in Boston (an heiress) met her husband through this
service and heartily recommends it for its discretion and help.

Right One locations:
  * California
  * Colorado
  * Texas
  * Nevada
http://www.therightone.com/locations.htm


5. Carol Shaw's A World of Singles - international in scope.
 - http://www.worldofsingles.com/

The World of Singles in the Jerusalem Post said about Carol's Service,
"Among the professional matchmakers Carol Shaw of A World of Singles
is the best."
 - http://www.worldofsingles.com/worldofsingles/news.html


6. Together Dating
 - http://www.togetherdating.com/

A very discreet matchmaking service with national locations.

Southwestern Locations:
  * California
  * Nevada
  * Utah
  * Arizona
  * New Mexico
  * Texas
 - http://www.togetherdating.com/souw.html


7. Bonnie The Matchmaker - nationwide introductions
 - http://www.bonniethematchmaker.com/ 

Very discrete and includes background checks in its checks.
 - http://www.bonniethematchmaker.com/faq.htm#Q12 discreet


8. Solo Singles Matchmaking Services - (Dallas and Tarrant County, TX)
 - http://www.solosingles.com/connections/

A one-on-one introduction service for those living in the vicinity.
Also has excellent advice and information about using matchmaking
services.

9. Lisa Bentson's Singles Search (global matchmaking services) 
 - http://www.singlesearch.com/

Discretely arranges meetings with those you approve based on your
preferences and information.

Southwestern US locations
  * Arizona
  * California
  * Colorado
  * Nevada
  * New Mexico
 - http://www.singlesearch.com/usapacific.asp


10. Christine O'Keefe - The Original Beverly Hills Matchmaker
 - http://www.beverlyhillsmatchmaker.com/

Extremely discreet and very professional. In business for a long time.


11. Executive Singles El Paso - a video matchmaking service
 - http://www.singleselpaso.com/

In business for several years with an emphasis toward executives.


12. Meet A Mate (Los Angeles and Orange County, CA)
 - http://www.meetamate.com/ 

A mother and daughter matchmaking team for those in the Los Angeles
and Orange Count areas.


13. Colorado Single Professional Introduction Service
 - http://www.coloradosinglessource.com/Pages/Single_Professionals_Dating_in_Denver_Colorado.htm

A discrete and professional introduction service for professionals.


14. E-Harmony Matchmaking Services
 - http://www.eharmony.com/

 Arranges introductions through sophisticated software matching and
discrete "secure" online registration.


Search terms (and various combinations of those below):
 - world's best matchmaker (which only gave me a listing of "world's
best 100 ... no one wants to take a stand on the best?)
 - profesional introduction services
 - professional matchmaking services
 - matchmakers
 - discrete matchmakers
 - personals > matchmakers 
 - matchmaking

In addition, a search for Matchmaking on DMOZ
 - http://dmoz.org/Society/Relationships/Dating/Personals/Matchmaking/

A search of classified ads > personals > "introduction" or
"matchmaking services" in the following newspapers:

Arizona -
* Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
  - http://www.azcentral.com/ 
* Arizona Starnet (Tucson)
  - http://www.azstarnet.com/

California - 
* Los Angeles Daily News
  - http://www.dailynews.com/
* Los Angeles Times
  - http://www.latimes.com/
* San Francisco Chronicle
  - http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
* San Francisco Examiner
  - http://www.examiner.com/
* San Jose Mercury News
  - http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/

Colorado - 
* Denver Post
  - http://www.denverpost.com/
* Rocky Mountain News
  - http://www.insidedenver.com/

Nevada -
* Las Vegas Sun
  - http://www.lasvegassun.com/

New Mexico -
* Albuquerque Tribune
  - http://newsdirectory.com/go/?f=&r=nm&u=www.abqtrib.com

Texas -
* Dallas Morning News
  - http://www.dallasnews.com/
* Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
  - http://star-telegram.com/
* Houston Chronicle
  - http://www.chron.com/
* Austin American Statesman
  - http://www.austin360.com/aas/

Utah -
* Salt Lake Tribune
  - http://www.sltrib.com/


In conclusion I will agains state that my subjective opinion of The
Right One is based on a friend's experience, never having used such a
service myself. The additional listings seem to meet the same criteria
and might be of help if you don't like the "best" I have chosen.

I hope this helps with your search for a matchmaking service and that
you find your perfect match!

Yours ever so,
Serenata

---

Clarification of Answer by serenata-ga on 18 Mar 2003 16:01 PST

Hello again, Sl7 ~

Thank you for both the rating and the most generous tip. It is greatly
appreciated.

I'm using this Clarification spact to give you the information for the
New England matchmakers that I mentioned in my answers.

The premier Matchmaker service is in Maine - "The Matchmaker", and
from everything I have heard, they really do it right. There is a
great deal of positive feedback and customer satisfaction. Their site
is at -
  - http://www.thematchmakerofmaine.com/

There is Matchmaker, International, who started out in Pennsylvania
(not "quite" New England, but certainly not the southwestern U.S.,
either. They have expanded down the Atlantic seaboard and are slowly
moving westward with some of their offices, but they have a good
reputation for discretion and their methods of really working on
introducing a 'good match'. Their site is at -
 - http://www.matchmakerintl.com/

There is M. Chatfield, Ltd "social agents" ...
They are absolutely stunning in their results, and are in New Jersey,
New York, and Philadelphia. Their aim are well educated professionals
and their standards are exemplary, they won't take "just anyone".
Their site is at -
 - http://www.mchatfield.com/who.html

Right Choice Dating of New Jersey (that is, Monmouth, Ocean and
Middlesex counties) -
Also have the right idea, arranging introductions based on an
interview and a questionaire of preferences, etc. They combine it with
offers to just register and come to certain planned social events,
which is an extremely safe way to meet others.
 - http://www.rightchoicedating.com/

Finally, there is The Singles Network in New York and Connecticut.
They've been around for 20 years and maintain the same hight degree of
discretion and privacy.
 - http://www.singlenetwork.com/

Thank you again for your kind rating and generosity. I enjoyed digging
into this, and it has been a learning experience for me as well.

Yours,
Serenata

Thank you. I appreciate the range of sources you provided.  You
mentioned that some of the most discrete services are in New England.
If you could provide me with those references as well, I would
appreciate it.

My business partner paid $7000 to a dating service in California,
Kelleher & Associates.  The first few dates were disastrous, as the
firm set him up with businesswomen (who had also paid a fee), but did
not have the personal characteristics for which he was searching.

He then complained (in a nice way), and the firm started sending women
who had not paid a fee but did, in fact, match his requests.  (To this
day, he does not know why some women paid the dating fee and some did
not.)  In any event, this second series of dates was exponentially
more successful than the first.  No marriage yet, but he's been with
his girlfriend for 2+ years.  He now clearly believes the high price
was a good value.  Good luck!  ron

There is a new option for those willing to spend a fair amount of
money for an unbelievably thourough researched matchmaking service.

There is a company called Coincidence Design. For a charge of
approximately $80,000 they will do a complete analysis of women to
find your perfect match.

You can check it out at: http://www.coincidencedesign.com

The site is fascinating, even if it is beyond what you are wanting to
pay.

Have Fun,

Gabe

Hello S17!

Your question seemed familiar so I found the following link for you...

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=212620&s=AHGTWgG5ESk

Somebody else asked a similar question and got a very long answer.  It
looks like some of the services listed above are not recommended by
others - TOGETHER DATING, for example.

I have been living in the San Diego area for 4 years and my personal
experiences with dating services have not been great.  I guess that's
why I'm still single!

If you have any luck with any of these, I would sure love to hear
about it.  Perhaps you'll have better luck meeting a nice lady right
here.  ;)

May I suggest this, I am in Southwest USA, I have a single friend I'd
like to introduce someone of the equivalent too...  My friend buys and
sells business's and therefore is very well like u. Live's reclusive,
in a Castle, when I visit, I am asked to stay on and on... and
cannot...

musichorses@msn.com

I have signed up with Kelleher & Associates. I do NOT recommend them.
I paid $5000 to join (I am female). The men have told me their fee is
$10,000. In 8 months I have been set up on only 7 dates. Not one of
them match the criteria I set forth. (Basically, I do not want
children & do not want to date someone with children. All the men I
was sent out on dates with want children or have children.)The staff
is changing frequently and none of them know me. Beware!