RealRoots: Make new friends

I signed up for a dinner weeks ago — a date and location I picked myself, from the options their own quiz gave me. The day before the event, I got an email saying their "predicted compatibility score" had found me a better group: three weeks later, in a completely different part of the city. An area I only marked because I could swing it on a weekend, not as a workweek rush-hour commute. They didn't ask if any of this worked for me. They just moved me, told me to "do nothing" if it was fine, and left the new location for me to discover in the confirmation email. I would not have minded if they had asked. They didn't ask. They did it without my consent — and as a woman, consent is very important to me. For a company built around intentional, thoughtful connection, doing things TO your customers instead of with them is a wild choice. The best part: their own cancellation policy charges ME $25 if I cancel less than a day out. They moved my entire event with 24 hours' notice and a heart emoji. By their own terms they owe me a refund plus $25. I don't get mad easily and I have never written a bad review in my life. I am flabbergasted by the audacity. If I could give zero stars I would.

I signed up for a series that was cancelled after two events where the guide was a no-show. Rather than offering a refund or resolution, they moved me into a different series without my consent — and then had the nerve to charge me a cancellation fee when I tried to leave. This is a new company that clearly hasn’t figured out how to treat customers. I would have tried another series in the future, but this experience has made that impossible. Save yourself the frustration.