NEW YORK — Internet dating wasn’t an option for Jordan Stevens. The 38-year old financial consultant says he doesn’t keep a computer at home because his work days are spent at a personal computer, and he doesn’t want to conduct personal business on the job. After having been out of the dating scene during his seven-year marriage, Stevens says he wants more insight into the singles scene than the Internet could provide. Last year, he hired matchmaker Lisa Ronis. Stevens and other baby boomers are seeking help in their search for a mate. “It’s nice to have someone to help you through the dating process,” said Stevens, who has had relationships with three women whom he met through Ronis. Ronis said about 75 percent of her clients are baby boomers — adults ages 38 to 56. Other matchmakers are reporting similar statistics. “There are a lot of boomers out there who just didn’t pay enough attention to their social lives,” Ronis said. The assistance of a matchmaker, however, doesn’t come cheap. Boomers, who are well established in their careers, make up the bulk of adults using matchmakers and traditional dating services. Many younger adults can’t afford matchmaker fees — between $4,000 and $25,000 — and costs of up to $4,000 for traditional dating services. Generations X and Y prefer Internet dating services that cost up to $600 a year. Together and The Right One — two matchmaking services run by the same firm — say that baby boomers comprise 57 percent of the 100,000 clients. Great Expectations, another matchmaker, says about 80 percent of its 175,000 clients are boomers. By contrast, people between ages of 35 and 54 represent 43 percent of the 26.6 million visitors to personals Web sites last December, according to research firm comScore Media Metrix. Older singles say their social circles and pools of potential mates have shrunk as they have aged and as their friends and colleagues have married. Baby boomers using traditional dating services say they seek the discretion and commitment-minded upscale singles whom they believe such companies offer. Anne Morgan has many accomplished, cultured friends whom met through her 20-year marriage to a lawyer. When they divorced last year, Morgan realized she didn’t know any single people of the same caliber, so she hired Chicago-based matchmaker Barbie Adler for $4,000. “Barbie knows single people like my married friends,” said Morgan, a 47-year old living in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook. Morgan said she tried the Internet briefly but found the amount of responses too overwhelming. “It was entertaining for a while, but it was also a waste of time,” Morgan said. “When Barbie calls, I know she put some thought into the match.” Matchmakers and dating services say they conduct extensive interviews with clients to determine suitable matches. Some say they conduct criminal and credit checks to ensure the quality of their memberships. Lovelorn boomers seeking a short-cut to romance should conduct a thorough investigation of any matchmaking or dating service before paying any fees, say experts. Matchmaking is a $917 million industry, according to Marketdata Enterprise, and it is no stranger to fraud and lawsuits. “These are businesses that prey on people’s emotions. Some complaints have tear stains on them,” said Dan Parsons, head of the Better Business Bureau in Houston. “A lot of the sales reps at these companies have hard-core sales experience. They’ve gone from selling cars to selling flesh.” Great Expectations President Mitchell A. Brandt concedes that some clients may have some justifiable problems with his firm, but he said e believes they are a small minority. He said that in dealing with matters of the heart, some people inevitably will be hurt, get angry and seek to blame someone for their unhappiness. “If you meet someone, we are the heroes. If you don’t, we are bums,” said Brandt, who claims the key to using a dating service successfully is realistic expectations. Great Expectations client John Parker, in his mid-50s, said he has met several nice women through the service, although he hasn’t found anyone particularly special just yet. “It is just another tool to meet people,” said the North Palm Beach, Fla. resident. Parker said he also uses the Internet but has found that people fudge the truth. He said one woman he met on the Internet led him to believe she was a lawyer, but she turned out to be a police officer. Dating services say they cut down on the lying that can go on Web sites, although they concede nothing is foolproof. “If people are going to come down here, sign up, pay money, you figure they really want to meet someone,” said Brandt. Of course, some boomers successfully have logged on for love on the Internet. On Valentine’s Day next week, Troy Smith will marry a woman whom he met through Match.Com six months ago. Smith, a 47-year-old facilities coordinator, said he realized that using the Internet could be time-consuming, but he really wanted to meet someone and couldn’t afford a more traditional dating service. “They are just way too expensive,” said Troy.

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