Dating firm ordered to refund Chinese man seeking partner

A court in China on Thursday ordered a dating firm to refund 4 million yuan ($644,800) to a man after the agency failed to find him an ideal partner, a media report said.

The man in his 40s, surnamed Zhang, signed a contract with the agency in December, 2009, for a matchmaking service. But despite romantic parades and press conferences in seven cities, an ideal partner as specified in the contract could not be found, the Shanghai Daily reported.

The Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court ordered the matchmaking firm to pay Zhang 4 million yuan after the millionaire appealed against the ruling of a lower court that ordered the agency to pay him 1.3 million yuan ($209,614).

The man had paid 7 million yuan ($11,28,695) to the dating firm to find him an ideal partner. According to the contract, the service provider was required to refund him part of the payments.

But after Zhang could not find his ideal partner among all the eight women the firm had arranged for him to date, he demanded a refund which was refused by the service provider.

A report issued by an accounting firm proved in the court of first instance that the agnecy used nearly 5 million yuan (806,211) to find a match for the man.

The women Zhang wanted to date "should be pure and sweet young ladies aged between 20 and 28, with a height of 165 to 173 cms", the Chinese daily said.