I’m a male member who joined less than a year ago. If there’s a significant difference between a female member’s photos and how she actually looks when you meet her, does the club offer any compensation, such as a refund of points? I understand there are various ways to measure the difference, but for now, I’m referring to changes in weight. Women whose photos haven’t been updated may be more likely than usual to have experienced changes during the COVID self-restraint period. Also, when staff contact a woman about an offer from a male member, do they ask about any changes in her body shape or weight? Whether she answers honestly is another matter. This question came up because there have occasionally been discussions about “dating-type fraud,” and I’ve even seen comments saying that, in the worst cases, the club would provide compensation. This may have been discussed before, but I’d appreciate your input.

I’m Meg, a female member. Bye-bye! > Big brother Joe, you’re wonderful (*´-`)

I’m Marika, a female member. I worked really hard on dieting and strength training during the stay-at-home period, and I’m looking pretty good now. If I look better in person than in my photos, would you pay the club an extra fee for making the offer? If you’re willing to pay the club extra, though, I’d rather you add that amount to my allowance for all my hard work（笑）

I’m Joe, a columnist. What I’m about to say is pretty harsh, but please understand that I’m not trying to mock you. If anything, I’m including a fair bit of self-reflection here. You use the word “compensation.” Translated into Joe-speak, that means, “Give me my money back!” or “Do you have any idea who’s paying here?” And that kind of attitude tends to show up not only toward the club, but in all sorts of situations. For example, when you take a wonderful woman you’ve been introduced to at a restaurant and don’t receive the service you expected, you might end up saying to the staff, “I’m the one paying here!” You often see this mentioned in women’s profiles, but the least popular kind of man is one who treats restaurant staff arrogantly. There may certainly be times when you need to make a complaint, but the moment you bring “money” into it, women will pick up on it without fail. Even things that might otherwise go well won’t go well. Unless you’re planning to leave the club, “Give me my money back” is the one thing you should never say here. I’m Joe, with just under three years of experience at the club and plenty of flaws as a person myself—but when a senior gives you advice, it’s best to listen quietly. I hope your future relationships are peaceful and fulfilling.

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well. Wait, were you the member from a few years ago who said, “Give me back the setting fee, or I’ll post about this online”? You may be someone else, but the conversation at that time went something like this: **(Man)** There are falsehoods in her profile, so give me back the setting fee. What was false? It says her weight is 56 kg, but she told me she actually weighs 53 kg. Is that so? I’ll confirm with the woman, so please wait. **(Me)** The man has complained that you lied about your weight… **(Woman)** Huh? Is he talking about the man I met recently? He’s saying that? He took me out for sushi, but I’m dieting and didn’t really want to eat much. Still, he kept ordering more and more. He also kept asking about my weight. He was so persistent that I told him, “I ate so much, I might have gained 3 kg.” But I don’t see how that can be called a falsehood… I see. And if he’s going to bring that up, then I have something to say too. He reached through the gap in my clothes and touched my chest, and my clothes made a ripping sound. They were slightly torn. I put up with it without saying anything. If he’s going to complain like that, I’d almost like to charge him for the clothing. Also, it was difficult because he was reluctant to give me the 5,000–10,000 yen transportation allowance. He even said, “You came from the station next door, so why would transportation cost that much?” **(Me)** I understand. Thank you. **(Me)** I confirmed with the woman, and she said she discussed the transportation allowance with you at the time… **(Man)** Exactly. That woman said she lived near the next station, but she still demanded 5,000 yen. She said it was the club’s rule. There’s no way that’s true. What an awful woman. **(Me)** Um, weren’t you given an explanation of that rule when you joined? The 5,000–10,000 yen is a gratuity provided under the name of transportation expenses, so it must be given. It isn’t determined by whether the woman actually incurred transportation costs based on how close she lives. **(Man)** ……… Forget that. What happened with the weight issue? You said she had lied about it, didn’t you? **(Me)** She said that she told you she might have gained weight because she had eaten so much. **(Man)** Exactly. She lied about her weight. So I was right, wasn’t I? Give me back the setting fee. **(Me)** I’m afraid we can’t issue a refund… **(Man)** Your club can’t even manage its women properly, can it? You charge people even though you can’t manage them? We had a member with whom the conversation went more or less like that. (That was quite a long flashback, haha.) I understand that, from the man’s perspective, he wants the club to manage things properly. However, I have to say that managing matters to that extent is difficult. That said, we received many requests regarding weight, so we have installed scales at all of our branches nationwide. Whether a woman chooses to use one is entirely up to her, but if she does, her profile states that the weight is an actual measurement. Of course, she may gain weight afterward. Managing every change would be difficult and unrealistic. If someone who weighed 50 kg had gained 100 kg, we would certainly feel apologetic. But if the difference is only a few kilograms—up to around 5 kg—and those kinds of details are going to bother you that much, Universe will not be able to accommodate you. I think you would be better off joining a dating club that can. Clubs with fewer female members may be able to offer that kind of service. Every club has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you can overlook Universe’s disadvantages and feel that its advantages are worthwhile, then you should enjoy using Universe without focusing on every little detail. If not, I think you should look for a better club. > Will the club provide any financial compensation? No. This should have been properly explained when you joined. > Does the club ever ask about changes in a woman’s figure or weight? No. However, we do respond to requests, so if you let us know when making an offer, we may be able to accommodate you. That said, it would be phrased something like: “The man would like us to ask about your current weight. If there has been any increase or decrease, could you please let us know?” So the man would probably make a bad impression before you even met him. (In the worst case, the woman might refuse the offer altogether.)

I’m Rin, a female member. Well, of course I can understand why you’d be disappointed. Even at my age—the oldest among the women who already have a papa (a male supporter)—I’m careful not to gain weight and work hard at skincare. But there’s no way the staff can keep track of all that, and they can’t exactly ask during an offer, “Has your weight changed?”

I’m Kamihikoki, a male member. The time and effort you’re spending just writing this question are a waste. When you think about it that way, there’s no such thing as wasted investment in women—only experience. Try to see your frustration as experience, too.