Client sues Beverly Hills matchmakers after shelling out $20,000 on an alleged promised marriage

A matchmaking service founded by two sisters who have appeared in the media promoting their approach to helping single people find love is being sued by a client who says she was promised marriage in exchange for a $20,000 fee.Gena Wang is the plaintiff in the case, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The defendants are Matchmakers in the City, the Beverly Hills service, and its two sibling creators, Alessandra Conti and Cristina Conti Pineda. On Tuesday, Judge William Highberger denied a joint motion to seal the settlement amount reached to resolve the dispute.The judge's clerk cited a section of the California Rules of Court in a minute order. The clerk wrote that Wang's attorney "needs to disclose the terms ... under oath in public filing." Because the settlement includes dismissal of the lawsuit's never-certified class-action allegations, the court must approve the resolution under a section of the California Rules of Court. (AFP/Getty)In their joint court papers, the attorneys stated that the Los Angeles matchmaking market is "small and competitive" and that a published settlement figure would signal to prospective clients and competitors what the company will pay to resolve disputes before trial. In June, the judge granted a defense motion to compel arbitration of Wang's claims. Wang abandoned her appeal after the parties settled. In her suit filed last Dec. 17, Wang sought unspecified compensatory damages and injunctive relief to stop both further alleged advertising and promises of guaranteed marriage/matches. She also sought to bar the enforcement of the service's alleged no-refund provisions. An MITC representative previously issued a statement regarding the lawsuit. "For over 13 years, our family-run matchmaking company has been rooted in old-school values, genuine care and a deep mission for helping people find meaningful connections," the statement said. "The allegations in this lawsuit are false, unfounded, and not supported by any evidence." Alessandra Conti appears on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and she and her sister have been featured in Forbes, CBS, The New York Times, the CW Network, Fox News, and more, according to the MITC website. According to Wang's suit, she met with the Conti sisters over Zoom before signing her contract and explained her criteria for a partner, including cultural, religious, and racial preferences tied to the memory of her late husband. The Contis assured Wang that they had a vast network and database of highly qualified, suitable candidates; that they could guarantee a marriage match if Wang signed up; and that their relationship coaches were equivalent to licensed psychologists or therapists, the suit alleged. However, MITC failed to deliver the alleged promised guaranteed dates or marriage match, leaving Wang "financially devastated and emotionally traumatized," the suit further stated. Wang alleged in her lawsuit that the marriage guarantee was false. The complaint alleged fraud. It also alleged violations of the Dating Services Act and the state Business and Professions Code, as well as breach of contract.