Meetup

I too have major issues with privacy on meetup.com. I had set all my account info, groups and photo to private. One day I happened to do google search my name and location and to my horror it returned ALL my meetup.com information, including my groups (which I seriously wanted to stay private). It also showed up the messages sent to me in meetup.com. Furthermore, it showed my photo (and groups) as the first result in google image search. I had uploaded my photo on my meetup.com account only for a few days and then had removed it. Moreover, all the settings were private. The info. And pic still kept showing up. Then, I left the groups one by one and waited for a few days, it was still showing. Finally, I closed my meetup.com account 4 days back but the whole info is still showing up. I tried to resolve this with google.com but their response was that meetup.com has put this info publicly and google crawlers catch all public info. They advised me to contact webmaster of meetup.com and get the info removed. I had been sending emails to quite a few meetup.com contacts including webmaster since last 4 days to remove me completely, no response so far. I am very upset. This is a very serious breach of my privacy. I hope that there is a legal recourse available in case there is no action on their part. Any advice please...

I complained about assault and unresponsive organizer and they wiped out all my messages and groups and ignoring my emails. Its Only about $ for this company.

Love the meetups, and have made many real friends.

The website has a big problem with scammers, however. Whenever I join a new meetup group, I get several messages from men who are using meetup as a pool of new targets for their scam. The language/phrasing is often the same, as if they cut/paste the bait message.

Beware if you get a message from a man whose profile shows messages from several other women saying "Thank you for the compliment but I don't remember you, where'd we meet again?"

Beware if you get a message from a man whose english is poor, using phrases like:

Hello dear
If you don't mind
I will like to know more about
Hope to read from you soon
Looking for a serious minded woman for a serious relationship
I am new here
Please no games
I will like to meet a serious minded woman for a serious relationship
God bless and please to hear from you soon
Thank you for the information's

If you do get a message like this, click Report - and also send an email to *******@meetup.com include links to the message you got and to his profile.

If they get enough complaints, maybe they'll be able to adjust the software to filter out certain phrases.

Great potential that I want to recommend but a disappointment in UK practice.

Look at the number of foul-mouthed people trolling INTERNET and you must expect some foul-mouthed, weirdoes. They just want to make others feel how they feel as rejected social dregs. Give them a hug. If they don't change - tell them where to go.

There was a time when Meetup.com told you all people in your area interested in the same topic or activity as you. For some reason Meetup, stopped giving that information. Why? Feel a con coming?

Now Meetup.com tells you there are 64 people near you interested in the same topic. What does 'interested' mean? Something vaguely similar.

What does 'near' mean? Up to 100 miles.

Now either Meetup.com are out to con all new organisers or they are just plain dumb. They are Americans. From the other side of the Atlantic, they look at a map and see that Dover is near London. But Dover is up to three hours by public transport and a near 2 hour car journey that few in the UK would undertake lightly. And not for a regular social event.

What started as a great idea with potential is now degenerating into a con. Let me plaguerise Boomtown Rats: Its a rat trap - don't be conned!

Hi, S
I have been an organizer of several SUCCESSFUL singles and hiking groups for a decade. Through the years, Meetup has "changed hands" and the new administration has made decisions that were financially favorable to them but not favorable to the organizers that pay their salary.
Today, April 10th, 2021, I was trying to create an event for my group and I was unable to to do so because I was getting the wheel thingy AFTER spending more that an hour researching and creating the hike.
Our house IS wired with fast internet because my husband's company pays for fast Internet due to his job.
I am a high school teacher teaching online from home and NEVER had an internet isssue... WHICH means that MEETUP.COM sucks and is taking our money but not delivering good service
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - DELIVER OR WE ARE OUT
WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN GROUPS IN FACEBOOK OR PRIVETELY
FIX THE ISSUES!

By far, the worst Experience that I have ever had with a Meetup Group in Columbus, Ohio was with a Group called, "CBUS Social Professionals 21-45," headed by Organizers, Mark Kido, Ross and Maurice. No one practiced COVID-19 Social Distancing Suggestions, people were extremely rude (Including the Organizers) and the Events were poorly coordinated. The entire Atmosphere was very Immature and Juvenile. I guess it's more a Casual Group for very young people in their early twenties but not one that can be taken seriously as a Legitimate Networking Group.

Some groups are okay, have weekly regulars, and no ulterior motives.
On the other hand I am disappointed in those that are clearly for businesses. Well actually they are not clear about that until the first meetup you go to and then tell you about classes they have and how much it cost. Over 300 dollars for the last one I went to. Had I know this I would never have attended. It's basically advertising their classes without really letting you know that until you're already at the meetup. So then it's a disappointment and a big waste of my time.
I do think there are some good honest meetups. I found some meditation groups that are free or they ask for a minimal donation if you care to make one. I paid the suggested fee of a dollar at one, To help them with the cost of the meetup site.
I've also attended a book group and a general meetup for coffee, and a gamers group. There were plenty of others there. And all of the groups have been running a long time.

To some people that are saying it is for losers and the people are weird. Maybe some of them are odd (to you. Whose to say what's odd. Maybe you are), but to say they all are is wrong.
I've met a lot of intelligent likable and fun people. These people are not losers, they are people that want to get together and share their knowledge and interests with like minded people. In this way meetup is a great idea.

My complaint is not political.

I thought I might find some useful comments here about the on-going changes that have made Meetup a huge headache: Changes in how people can/can't pay (dumping user-friendly PayPal for weird and pricey WePay, inc. actual manipulation to drive users toward WePay), we can no longer require payment to RSVP (which means lots of no-shows), add pictures, etc. EVERYTHING seems redesigned ONLY with concern for how it looks on a smart-phone, even if function and ease-of-use are lost. And it's IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone like Customer Service even though I'm paying to do business with Meetup (and have been for over 10 years). I can email questions. MAYBE someone will respond. Eventually. This is unreachability is unique in ANY on-line company I do business with.

All I'm seeing here are complaints about a political stance #Resist that has NEVER showed up on any of my stuff.

Whatever they're about politically, Meetup has become deaf to its customers, remote and out of reach, making changes based on what? That serve who?

I used to feel like I was really connecting and getting my money's worth as an organizer. The site made sense and was easy to use. Now, every new event posting I add reveals another goofy new glitch. What the heck happened?

This site is a huge scam. Once you sign up you'll be harassed with endless e-mails, and changing your e-mail preferences is a major pain if you sign up to any of the groups. If you complain about the e-mail volume on their suggestion forum your account will be banned. If you say ANYTHING even slightly criticizing them on that forum your ENTIRE account will be banned. And if you paid money? Too bad, so sad, you voicing your opinions apparently means you're no longer entitled to the money you spent.

Not to mention the fact that if you don't give in at first and don't pay them to create a group, a few days later they'll send you a 50% off coupon. You have to be a pretty disgusting company to run your business like that. Trick people into paying full price but offer the reluctant ones HALF OFF. I mean, wow.

Aside from the unethical business practices the membership base itself if FULL of fake profiles. 90% of your members won't attend a meetup, won't respond to messages, aren't active in any way, and have stock photos on their profiles. Digging a it deeper you'll be hard pressed to find any of them are real.

AVOID THIS SCAM SITE AT ALL COSTS!