Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking Reviews 2025: Pros, Cons, and More!
If you’re considering Matchmaking and you’re in the Northeast US, I’d bet that you’ve come across Janis Spindel’s Serious Matchmaking. Janis and her daughter, Carly, have been major players in the New York City Matchmaking scene for two decades now, and their work has built them a solid reputation in the industry. But despite their Matchmaking acclaim, how can you be sure their services are the right fit for you?
As leaders in the industry with a passion for love, LUMA is dedicated to helping every single person find a real, lasting relationship. Part of that mission is to restore accountability in the Matchmaking industry. According to a 2023 Business Wire report, there are over 2,000 professional matchmakers in the United States alone, and the US has the largest share of the global Matchmaking market.
With such a demand for Matchmakers in the US, more and more firms pop up every week. Of course, not all of these firms are legitimate; tons of Matchmakers simply lack the resources to find the best match candidates for their clients. We’re taking the time to review all major Matchmakers in the US to determine which ones are the best and which you should steer clear of.
If you’re interested in joining Serious Matchmaking, we’ve gathered all the information you need to make a decision. Our Serious Matchmaking review covers everything from membership cost, real client testimonials and reviews, what’s included, success rate, and how their model works!
What is Serious Matchmaking?
Founded by former fashion executive Janis Spindel, Serious Matchmaking is an elite dating service based in New York City that caters to executives, entrepreneurs, and other successful, high-profile men. Serious Matchmaking only accepts men as clients and has a passive database option for women interested in receiving matches.
Serious Matchmaking is focused on curating connections between men and women who are looking for marriage and a lasting relationship. Their known throughout the industry for being extremely selective about who joins their member base and their database, and have one of the most rigorous vetting processes for each membership type.
Based on their website, it’s fairly clear that they cater to heterosexual relationships and do not offer services for the LGBTQ+ community and don’t have specific packages for preference-based Matchmaking like religious affiliation.
Who Owns Serious Matchmaking?
Serious Matchmaking is still founder owned and operated, unlike most major firms. Their founder, Janis Spindel, launched Serious Matchmaking in 1993, and her daughter, Carly, is now the acting president after having served as a Matchmaker for many years under her mother.
Before starting her Matchmaking business, Janis most notably owned 9 retail locations of the fashion brand “Mommy and Me”. She’s considered to be influential in the fashion industry and it seems that at one point, she was an executive at a major fashion brand. However, we can’t find specific information about which brand she was an executive at.
According to their website, Janis got the idea to launch her Matchmaking company after successfully matchmaking 14 couples over the course of a year. As she had influence in New York City’s high-brow socialites, she was able to gain traction with Serious Matchmaking quite quickly.
She has since went on to publish a serious of books about love, dating, and relationships, including “Get Serious About Getting Married” and “How to Date Men.” When she originally launched her firm, she served both men and women. However, she now only takes on men as clients.
How Does Serious Matchmaking Work?
If you’re a man looking into joining Serious Matchmaking, you’ll first need to schedule a call with their team. If all goes well and they think you are a good membership candidate, you’ll be invited to an in-person interview with either Janis or Carly. They typically meet or lunch or dinner to simulate an actual date. It’s unclear how many lunch and/or dinner dates you’ll need to attend before moving forward in the process.
After completing the simulated dates, either Janis or Carly will want to inspect your home to ensure that you’re marriage-material. Yes, Serious Matchmaking does have a serious vetting process! If the mother-daughter duo feel your home is ready, you’ll finally be involved to join one of their membership tiers. They do have defined membership packages, but also allow some customization.
Unlike other major Matchmaking services, Serious Matchmaking requires that all men pay the entire membership fee up-front instead of offering payment plans. Interestingly, clients are also asked to pay a “success fee” if they marry one of their matches. They do have a few unique membership perks, like their year-long pause option in case you want to see one match exclusively for a while. They also offer a complete refund if you cancel in the first three days of your membership.
For women, the application process is much different. Women can only join their Love Sphere database, in which you’ll be passively matched with their paying male clients whom you’re compatible with. There is no direct match search conducted on your behalf.
If you’re interested, you’ll need to complete an application and describe how you look, your educational background, relationship goals, and life experiences. There’s another, long interview afterward, which you’ll need to pay a hefty sum for. If they accept you, you’ll receive access to Janis’s relationship teachings and have your information saved in their passive database.
Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking Reviews 2025
Serious Matchmaking Reviews on Yelp
Currently, Serious Matchmaking is rated 3 out of 5 stars on Yelp with over 66 total reviews. Unfortunately, though, most of the reviews are from women who joined their match database and there aren’t many reviews from male clients.
The most positive reviews say that the Matchmaking team made an effort to educate clients about how to prepare for a healthy relationship and that waiting for the right match is worth it. The most negative reviews talk about being harassed by the founder, Janis Spindel, and say that they had a horrible experience as a match candidate.
Serious Matchmaking Reviews on Reddit
Serious Matchmaking has been featured in two posts on Reddit, both of which detail specific experiences about meeting Janis Spindel in person. These posts are necessarily reviews, but they’re worth a look if you’re considering joining Serious Matchmaking.
Users in the oldest Reddit post talk about never being setup on a date as a database member, which again is the only option for women. They also make it clear that they did not enjoy the book she published, and other users go as far to say that Janis and her daughter Carly are “insufferable”.
In the more recent post, one Reddit user makes some intense allegations against Serious Matchmaking. The user claims that Janis and her team don’t care about what happens to the women in their database and will knowingly set them up with married men and even predators. Other commentors echo the original poster’s allegations and share stories of their own.
Serious Matchmaking Reviews on the BBB
Unfortunately, Serious Matchmaking doesn’t have any reviews listed on the BBB. However, we can see from their profile that they’ve been accredited since 2014, so it’s a bit odd that they lack reviews. Serious Matchmaking has an A+ rating on the BBB, but with no reviews, it’s impossible to tell how their customers really feel about their experience.
Serious Matchmaking Reviews on TrustAnalytica
Serious Matchmaking has average reviews on TrustAnalytica with a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars and 26 total reviews. Interestingly, TrustAnalytica shows how a brand’s reputation changes over time, and we can see that Serious Matchmaking tends to yo-yo between great averages ratings and horrible average ratings.
The most positive reviews talk about feeling supported by Janis and Carly, and that they were even invited to private events hosted by Janis. The most negative reviews say they feel scammed and that they never received a single match. Most upset reviewers also say that Janis lacks integrity and has humiliated clients in the past.
Serious Matchmaking Reviews on Google
Serious Matchmaking boasts its best reviews over on their Google page. They currently have a 4 out of 5-star rating with 36 total reviews.
The most positive reviews say that Janis regularly hosts retreats at her Hamptons home, and that they are a ton of fun. They also say that they learned how to become the best version of themself through Jani’s teachings. The most negative reviews say that Janis’s advice feels very dated in the current dating scene and even say that her teachings are misogynistic. Others also say that they never received a match.
Serious Matchmaking Complaints and Lawsuits
Serious Matchmaking might be one of the premiere New York Matchmakers, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been immune to public scrutiny, complaints, and lawsuits. As of 2025, Serious Matchmaking has received 2 complaints on the BBB and have dealt with two major lawsuits. On their Better Business Bureau company profile page, it’s listed that 2 complaints against them have been closed in last 3 years, however, only one complaint is currently visible.
The complaint details their experience as a Love Sphere database member. The women claims that although she paid for and was accepted into the database, she did not receive a single match in her first two years of membership, and her refund request was denied. A representative for Serious Matchmaking did respond, but only to say that they sent the client an email detailing their membership terms. The complaint is still unresolved.
Their first major lawsuit was filed in 2001 by their client, Paul Dantzig. According to Dantzig, he was “preyed upon” by Serious Matchmaking because of his deep desire to find true love. He paid Serious Matchmaking $50,000 for his membership after he sent out a personal ad in New York magazine offering anyone $200,000 if they could find him a good partner. In the lawsuit, he claims that Serious Matchmaking broke the law by charging him so much and breached his contract by sending him women who weren’t looking for marriage.
Dantzig also alleges that every woman he was matched with were hired actors and had no real intention of getting to know him personally. Janis also commented in the article and called Dantzig a “deeply troubled man”. She asserts that she introduced him to over 10 eligible, marriage-minded women, and he refused each of them. She then countersued Dantzig for defamation. Unfortunately, details about the official outcome of this lengthy legal battle aren’t available to the public, so we can’t determine how the case was resolved.
The most recent lawsuit against Serious Matchmaking was filed in 2008 by a previous Love Sphere database client who claims that Janis Spindel posted an add online claiming she was a “sugar momma”. According to the article, Janis posted an image of her database member on The National Enquirer and said the woman was unemployed, won $9 million in a divorce, and looking for a younger man to spoil.
Janis actually did ask permission to post in The National Enquirer, but the woman claims that she swiftly turned down the idea. Again, the outcome of this case is not public knowledge, so we can’t find any information about who won the case.
Is Serious Matchmaking Legit or a Scam?
Based on their client reviews, brand reputation, complaints, lawsuits, and success data, Serious Matchmaking is a legitimate Matchmaking firm, at least, for men. As their model is entirely geared toward men, most negative reviews about Serious Matchmaking come from women who felt being a passive database member just worth worth the price.
However, very few of their previous male clients left negative reviews. Their lawsuits are evenly split between male and female clients, though. We also find the allegations against Serious Matchmaking on Reddit concerning, especially for women. There is no proof that Serious Matchmaking directly sets women up with predators, but the allegation alone sets off alarm bells.
Serious Matchmaking Cost
For men, The cost of a Serious Matchmaking membership ranges between $25,000 to $1,000,000 depending on which Matchmaker you’d like to work with and the scope of your search. They currently offer 5 membership options: Basic, Preferred, Elite, VIP, and Global VIP. No matter which option you choose, each membership is a year long.
With Basic membership, you’ll have the option to work with Carly or both Carly and Janis, but you’ll be limited in your match search scope to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. All of their other membership packages involve Carly and Janis, but with each tier, the scope of the match search increases.
Again, Serious Matchmaking only takes on men as clients, and women have the option to join their Love Sphere database. You’ll need to pay a $25 initial application fee, and if asked to move forward, you’ll be charged another $250 to $3,700 for an in-person consultation.
Serious Matchmaking Success Rate
Unfortunately, Janis Spindel doesn’t list the success rate for Serious Matchmaking anywhere on the website. However, she does say that her and her daughter, Carly, combined have are responsible for over 5,000 marriages since 1993. That number is impressive, however, Serious Matchmaking does not explain how they determined that figure or provide any client testimonials that back up their claims.
Interestingly, the numbers aren’t adding up on her LinkedIn Profile: In her bio, she claims that 3,500 of those marriages can be directly attributed to her efforts and only 110 marriages are because of Carly. That leaves out 1,390 of the 5,000 marriage matches she claims on her website, so there’s no real way to know if any of these figures are accurate.
Is Serious Matchmaking Worth It?
In our previous blogs in this series, we haven’t shared specific advice about if each Matchmaking firm is actually worth it. We’re breaking that tradition in this edition simply because we find the practice of only allowing men to be clients outdated. If you’re a wealthy gentlemen who’s looking for an elite, upscale dating experience, Serious Matchmaking could be a good option for you. Ladies, it’s best that you look elsewhere.
if you are a successful, discerning lady who’s ready to invest in her love life, there are more suitable Matchmakers available. As a Love Sphere database member, there will be no personal, customized match search done on your behalf. Receiving matches entirely hinges on you being compatible with one of their male clients. For a more supportive, bespoke, and modern Matchmaking experience, you consider other luxury dating services.
Not Sure Which Matchmaker to Choose?
Serious Matchmaking is established as a prominent player in the Matchmaking industry and has a track record that spans decades. They are known for their sole focus on elite male clients and commitment to find matches that lead to marriage. While they boast average reviews overall, their mismatched information about client success and past legal battles do raise some concerns.
Affluent men looking for an upscale dating experience are a good fit for Serious Matchmaking membership, however, women ready to invest in their love life probably won’t have a great experience. If you’re a successful lady, it’s really best to consider all of your options before joining their Love Sphere.
At LUMA, we offer customized memberships options for men, women, LGBTQ+, and many more communities and affiliations. Our LUMA Love Method is personalized, hands-on, and designed to help you find a real, lasting love. If you’re ready for commitment and are looking for an expert to guide you on your journey, LUMA is ready to help.
Complete your LUMA profile and connect with one of our Matchmakers today to learn more about how we’ve helped hundreds of clients just like you find their perfect relationship.
