Entre-Nous, the same-sex matchmaking company sued last year by a former client for not delivering on its promises, is back in court.
Representatives of both Entre-Nous Consulting Inc and the province’s Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services appeared in Provincial Offences Court in Scarborough on Jan. 19. This was the first hearing in connection with charges filed by the province last November. Under Ontario’s 2002 Consumer Protection Act the ministry laid six charges each against Entre-Nous and employee Patricia Salib as a result of two consumer complaints, according to Sue Carroll, the ministry’s issues and media relations analyst.
The ministry charged Entre-Nous with two counts of failing to deliver on a valid contract, two counts of failing to deliver a refund within 15 days and two counts of false, misleading and unfair practices. Salib was also charged with the same six counts.
The Jan 19 court appearance was a short preliminary hearing at which time the charges were officially read in court. The case was continued until the next court date, scheduled for Apr 20.
Salib and an attorney for Entre-Nous did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Although Patricia Salib is named in the ministry’s charges it is Carolyn Salib who has acted as the face of the company in court and in public since its legal troubles began. When interviewed last year by Xtra, Carolyn Salib would not say what role Patricia Salib plays in the company nor if the two are related. When asked if Entre-Nous is a family-owned business, Carolyn Salib would say only, “I can’t comment on that. The ownership of the company is kept private.”
In June of last year Terry Wong of Toronto was awarded a refund representing half of the almost $7,700 he paid to Entre-Nous for matchmaking services. In 2006 Wong sued the company in small claims court, alleging Entre-Nous misrepresented itself and did not live up to its contractual obligations. In a decision reached in November 2008 deputy judge Richard Priddle wrote, “In this case there can be no doubt that [Entre-Nous’] form of contract is, at least in some aspects, one-sided as alleged by the plaintiff.”
Another former client sued Entre-Nous in 2006, but that case was settled out of court.
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