met a woman on Anastasia last June. We corresponded up until I left to visit her in the Ukraine in October. We spent a week dating there and then I returned home. We continue our correspondence through Anastasia and privately. I have her apartment address, cell phone, private email, her work number and address and even know where her parents live. I will be meeting her again in a couple of months.
We continue to use Anastasia, though not exclusively, because of their decent translation services. We have tried using translation software in private emails, but for important letters, a professional translator is a better way to go and Anastasia's cost per letter is much cheaper than hiring someone independently for this purpose. Occasionally we speak on the phone using an interpreter I found a woman to do this for us here in the states. The cost for this type of service is usually more than what Anastasia charges for using one of their interpreters but I like to use an interpreter that I know.
Agencies are not the enemy here. I have found that if you are really serious about finding a Russian or Ukrainian woman to marry, then you are usually your own worst enemy. Reading articles and finding websites dedicated to dissing certain agencies or practices is fine and you should educate yourself, but use your common sense and don't become too caught up in the hype. Many of these anti-agency sites are run by competing agencies or guys who have been burned and are looking to get even. You will eventually find that the bullshit and hype associated with the sites that criticize agencies is equal to the bullshit and hype associated with the agencies themselves. Who gives a rats ass if these women get paid to chat and write letters? I don't blame them one bit and if I were in there shoes I would do the same exact thing. The woman I have been dating is a professional, she has an advanced degree and earns less than $400.00 per month! Her apartment costs $500.00 a month, and trust me, if she spent any less for a place to live she'd be living in a cardboard box. She is very proud though and has not directly admitted to me that she earns money chatting and writing letters. I'm sure that in her mind, if she admitted this it would be a huge insult to me, so she does not offer any information and I don't ask for any.
It's common knowledge that only about 10% of the women you correspond with or chat with are seriously looking for a man. The rest are either doing it for extra income, are curious or are simply acting like a typical woman and chatting it up. At least 95% of the men that chat and exchange letters with these women will never leave the safety of their living room. These women know this and to most they see no harm in leading guys on, especially when they get paid for it. I have known woman who were serious and joined agencies only to quit after they learned the agencies guidelines for attracting and keeping guys on the hook.
A young woman from Kiev once wrote me to say she was quitting the agency because she found that there really was no dividing line between virtual and reality when it comes to dealing with real people and real emotions. I think most agencies tend to hype that it's only for fun, it's virtual dating, not real and therefore no one gets hurt, so have fun and make some money! This is the type of attitude that has and is ruining international dating for anyone who may be serious. Some do have factory installed morality meters.
It's been my experience that most single and attractive Ukrainian woman are cautious and can be very aloof when communicating with a foreign man. Who can blame them? If you find one that is all over you from the get go, say adios because chances are she's either scamming you or looking for a quick ticket out. Regardless of how an agency may present it's services, and most look like a Sears catalog of women, it is not simply a process of picking one out and placing your order.
If your serious about dating and maybe even marrying a woman from the Ukraine or Russia, you must have an enormous amount of patience, understanding and resources. Trust me, finding the right woman is hard enough, but this is only the very beginning. The costs for courting, visiting, dating and eventually marrying a woman from the Ukraine or Russia can easily run well over $25K, and this does not include any wedding costs of course. Personally, I've spend well over $15K and have really nothing to show for it except an upcoming date with someone where things may or may not work out. It's a crap shoot. I advise extreme caution for those of you seeking an instant hook up with any of these insanely beautiful woman. Sure it's possible, but the chances of getting badly burned are very high.
Having been to the Ukraine and having dated a few women there, my advise is to skip the agencies entirely and just go there...but be prepared, be very prepared. It has been my experience that these women have incredibly keen bullshit radar. They can instantly spot flaws in your personality and character that you never even knew existed. Also, forget about trying to impress them with material or macho bullshit. Huge turn off to most of them.
If you are really committed to finding a woman in the Ukraine or Russia, the best and I mean the very best thing you can do is spend a few months learning Russian before you leave. Don't worry, these women are not going anywhere and you have plenty of time to do this. My biggest mistake was being in a hurry to get there and find someone. Once there I realized I was completely lost. I did not know the language, the culture, the food...I knew nothing! Fortunately I managed to salvage the trip somewhat, but knowing the language would have made my experience completely different.
It seemed to me that almost 99.99% of the residents in the city I visited did not speak any
BobGotTaken there is no violence in Kharkov. You should have done your research. The only thing happening in Kharkov is a few small demonstrations. No violence.
Your story is what could be a scam, but you need details if you are going to help anyone here. If she lied to you to send her money, I would call that a scam. But, you told of no lies by her.
Why did you send her money? What did she say she was going to use the money for? Have you met her before? So what if she sent you less extravagant pictures? How do you know they were fake relatives?
What I know about this agency (Anastasia) is that they place help wanted ads on the internet "Get paid for chat". So the girls are real enough, have a makeup session but they may not necessarily be looking for a foreign partner. They may have a boyfriend or husband already and probably do. But everyone needs to earn money...
I think I read a comment from a guy who said that you can get a woman from Anastasia but you will have to win her away from her boyfriend or husband (with your money?).
It's possible to do but too much work. Why not just choose a legit agency with real women looking for foreign partners. They do exist. Why mess with this agency when there are so many negative reports written about them?
You'd have better luck just approaching random women on the streets of Ukraine plus that would be free.
Anastasia admitted to me in writing that the letters that get sent out are computer generated. That is, the letters match a profile that the man is looking for. Since that is the case, then any correspondence from a "woman" who writes first has to be seriously doubted as real. The entire site has to be one of most bogus o the internet.