ZALANDO IPO? 7 fresh articles written 14 FEB 2014

  I had to compile all that information to send to local police (Argentinean Federal Police, Cybercrimes division)

Article at Financial Times 14 FEB 2014
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f198c9c-9553-11e3-8371-00144feab7de.html#axzz2tKfSXFUC
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9f198c9c-9553-11e3-8371-00144feab7de.html#axzz2tKfSXFUC
says "The company is still not profitable. Operating margin was minus 7 per cent last year, against minus 8 per cent in 2012. But that is not as big an improvement as executives would like to see."


Article at The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304434104579382501020779582?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304434104579382501020779582.html
"Last year, it had a negative margin of slightly below 7% on earnings before interest and tax, translating into a loss of around €120 million. A year earlier, Zalando posted a negative EBIT margin of 7.2%."

other articles
http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2014/02/14/zalando-waechst-auf-18-milliarden-euro-umsatz/
says NET LOSS 2013: 127 million euros

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/zalando-umsatz-2013
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/cristina-stenbeck-zalando
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/zalando-geschichte-chronik
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/zalando-geschichte-chronik/2
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/zalando-geschichte-chronik/3
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/home24-umsatz-2013-kinnevik-lazada

Please see also:
Secret papers: How the Samwer bros. woo investors.  "For the Brazilian Amazon clone Linio the Samwers offer a return of 12 percent in 2017. The model Amazon generates 1.1 percent."
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/secret-papers-how-samwer-bros-woo.html
BIG LOSSES from Rocket Internet clone empire
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/big-losses-from-rocket-internet-clone.html
PUBLIC balance Affinitas GmbH. fiscal year 2012 and others
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/public-balance-affinitas-gmbh-fiscal.html
Für Oliver Samwer schmissen die Edarling-Gründer ihre gutbezahlten Jobs
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/fur-oliver-samwer-schmissen-die.html



I hope someone can investigate further Samwer Brothers, Rocket Internet GmbH. and all cloned companies of them. It seems nobody can post a negative opinion of them, nobody can say they could be behaving badly, because they send lawyers with legal letters accusing of slander and defamation.

I suspect some Journalists have a legal muzzle, they can not investigate or write articles any more, they had been threatened by Samwers' lawyers.

I also suspect no one of the cloned companies by Samwer Bros. are really profitable or sustainable for the next 5 years, to until 2019 at least; and as they will not be able to sell to the original company they had copycatted, as they failed to sell Affinitas GmbH. to eHarmony Inc. last March 2012 and as the Management Team can not innovate in nothing because they are not entrepreneurs, they will collapse. All cloned companies seem like bubbles.

Some Journalists suggest now all Rocket Internet clone empire is only a big PONZI schema.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-02-29/the-germany-website-copy-machine#p1

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-18/germanys-copycat-kings-launch-a-venture-fund
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-30/empire-of-startup-knockoffs-wins-backing-from-the-world-bank
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-17/germanys-clone-kings-raise-nearly-2-billion

http://moneyweek.com/profile-of-the-samwer-brothers-59631/

BIG LOSSES from Rocket Internet clone empire

LOSSES in Euros / Ergebnis (negative results)

Zalando GmbH    -56.515.598,78

Wimdu GmbH    -15.068.337,74

Affinitas GmbH    -9.223.493,95
Home 24 GmbH   -9.525.828,45
Billpay GmbH     -8.092.290,19
fashion4home GmbH     -1.247.500,78
Toptarif Internet GmbH     -1.827.066,30
fashion4home GmbH    -1.247.500,78
Netzoptiker GmbH    -809.428,33
Pinspire GmbH     -452.110,71


Please see from
https://www.bundesanzeiger.de/ebanzwww/wexsservlet
search for rocket internet and then open the file
Rocket Internet GmbH
Berlin           Rechnungslegung/
Finanzberichte     »Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2011 bis zum 31.12.2011
Ergänzung der Veröffentlichung vom 28.08.2013     08.10.2013


See if this link opens the balance sheet directly in your computer / mobile device:
https://www.bundesanzeiger.de/ebanzwww/wexsservlet?session.sessionid=1aa65166f73fbc66a5e7585eb2353c4e&page.navid=detailsearchlisttodetailsearchdetail&fts_search_list.selected=08274ea8f2e69c75&fts_search_list.destHistoryId=35554


Please read also:
Secret papers: How the Samwer bros. woo investors.  "For the Brazilian Amazon clone Linio the Samwers offer a return of 12 percent in 2017. The model Amazon generates 1.1 percent."

Für Oliver Samwer schmissen die Edarling-Gründer ihre gutbezahlten Jobs "With eDarling growing rapidly, it gradually became a serious competition for the long-established players such as ElitePartner or eHarmony. In January 2010, the U.S. based company eHarmony Inc. secured a 30% of Affinitas GmbH. The plan: "We were clearly focused on an exit to eHarmony", said Khalil.
But that did not happen. In May, 2013, exactly four years after the launchment, Affinitas GmbH. bought itself back for an estimated amount of USD30 million"
PUBLIC balance Affinitas GmbH. fiscal year 2012 and others

PUBLIC balance Affinitas GmbH. fiscal year 2012 and others

PUBLIC balance Affinitas GmbH. fiscal year 2012

Up to 31 Dec 2012, -5.851.971 Euros (Net loss = Jahresfehlbetrag)
signed
Oliver Samwer from Rocket Internet GmbH.
and
Armen Avedissian & Greg Steiner from eHarmony Inc.
Up to 31 Dec 2011, -9.223.494 Euros (Net loss)
Up to 31 Dec 2010, -13.607.040,22 Euros (Net loss)
Up to 31 Dec 2009, -6.347.373,25 Euros (Net loss)
Up to 31 Dec 2008, -82.399,41      Euros (Net loss)

They had been operating at a loss since 2008, since they were established!

obtained from this link
https://www.bundesanzeiger.de/ebanzwww/wexsservlet

then search (Suchen) Affinitas.

Affinitas GmbH. will launch in Canada and South Africa soon ?

http://www.praktikumsanzeigen.info/aktuell/stellen/praktikum-medien-information-berlin-15816.html

See this job posting
http://www.edarling.de/jobs_english#CA_SA

Remember:
Affinitas GmbH. has impressive patterns of anomalies consistent with fraudulent practices, like:

#1 Affinitas GmbH. using the Big Five normative test to assess/measure personality of daters at EliteSingles and eDarling sites.
The Big Five normative test had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons. Now replaced by HEXACO or Big Six test.

".. the Big Five's Agreeableness and HEXACO's Agreeableness are not identical. The Big Five factors do not include an Honesty-Humility factor, but some of the characteristics belonging to Honesty-Humility are incorporated into the Big Five's Agreeableness factor. Although earlier investigations found only the Big Five factors, more recent studies conducted in various languages (including English) with larger sets of adjectives recovered six factors. "

I think, legally, online dating sites using the Big Five model of personality could be considered a FRAUD because they are using an incomplete model of personality. They are assessing 5 scales and not 6 scales.

#2 Misuse of Big Five normative test by Affinitas GmbH.
The Big Five normative test to assess/measure personality should be used with the correct norm. e.g:
* for EliteSingles UK: English for the United Kingdom and the Norm for the United Kingdom (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of the United Kingdom).
* for EliteSingles Ireland: English for Ireland and the Norm for Ireland (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of Ireland).
* for EliteSingles Australia: English for Australia and the Norm for Australia (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of Australia).
* for EliteSingles New Zealand: English for New Zealand and the Norm for New Zealand (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of New Zealand)
* for EliteSingles Canada: English for Canada and the Norm for Canada (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of Canada).
* for EliteSingles South Africa: English for South Africa and the Norm forSouth Africa  (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of South Africa).
* if they accept subscribers from USA: English for United States and the Norm for United States  (sample of individuals with the same demographic characteristics of United States)
and at EliteSingles sites, Affinitas GmbH. WRONGLY uses the Big Five normative test whose Values are referred to "The ELITESINGLES member average".
- French for France and the Norm for France.
- German for Germany and the Norm for Germany.
- Spanish for Spain and the Norm for Spain.
- Italian for Italy and the Norm for Italy.

etc, etc

To clarify better that situation (a comparison with drivers):
Suppose you are citizen of country "A" where speed limit is 70 mph and the population drives at 65 mph average with 2 mph standard deviation (some persons always surpass the speed limit) in a normal distribution,
and you are tested driving at 67 mph so you are OVER the average in 1 standard deviation, you are at 84.1344% over the whole population.
You will score 8 or 9 in a sten scale depending on how it was constructed.
You will be seen as VERY HIGH in that scale.

If you drive in country "B" where speed limit is 75 mph and the population drives at
71 mph average with 2 mph standard deviation (some persons always surpass the speed limit) in a normal distribution,
and you are tested  again driving at 67 mph,  you are UNDER the average in 2 standard deviation, you are at 02.2751% under the whole population.
You will score 1 in a sten scale.
You will be seen as VERY LOW in that scale.

That is why normative tests can not simply be translated, because they need the norm for that test, and that norm is actualized each and every time Census Figures are released.

#3 The personality of every suggested member is quite different from the personality of the dummy profile created for test purposes. Instead of showing you suggested matches with nearly the same personality pattern as the dummy profile created for test purposes, EliteSingles and eDarling' sites send matches with a different personality pattern than the dummy profile.

#4 See what Alexa shows at these sites:
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/edarling.mx
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/edarling.cl
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/edarling.net
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/edarling.it
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/elitesingles.com.au
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/elitesingles.co.nz
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/elitesingles.co.uk
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/elitesingles.ie
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/eliterencontre.fr
http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/prestigesingles.de

Please read:

Just received new legal letter from Affinitas GmbH. via local lawyers!
A 210cm height Astronaut at EliteSingles UK
Some forums with comments saying fake profiles at eDarling Spain
Four of them are from Tehran, Iran
EliteSingles Uk, tallest men in the world
Some articles about Rocket Internet GmbH. and Affinitas GmbH.
Serious patterns of anomalies at a 6 months old site

Für Oliver Samwer schmissen die Edarling-Gründer ihre gutbezahlten Jobs

Just read the article (using Google translate) "Für Oliver Samwer schmissen die Edarling-Gründer ihre gutbezahlten Jobs"
http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/edarling-lukas-brosseder-david-khalil-oliver-samwer
"Edarling wächst schnell, wird nach und nach zu einer ernstzunehmenden Konkurrenz für die alteingesessenen Player wie ElitePartner oder Parship. Im Januar 2010 sichert sich die US-Größe Eharmony 30 Prozent an Affinitas. Der Plan: „Wir waren ganz klar auf einen Exit an Eharmony ausgerichtet“, sagt Khalil.

Doch dazu kommt es nicht. Im Mai 2013, genau vier Jahre nach dem Launch, kauft sich Affinitas für geschätzte 30 Millionen US-Dollar los."

translated as (using Google translate)

"With eDarling growing rapidly, it gradually became a serious competition for the long-established players such as ElitePartner or eHarmony. In January 2010, the U.S. based company eHarmony Inc. secured a 30% of Affinitas GmbH. The plan: "We were clearly focused on an exit to eHarmony", said Khalil.
But that did not happen. In May, 2013, exactly four years after the launchment, Affinitas GmbH. bought itself back for an estimated amount of USD30 million"

If any of the readers can translate the whole article from German to English, would be appreciated. Also if anyone can call eHarmony Inc. and ask why they had refused to acquire the whole of Affinitas GmbH.

Remember: EliteSinglesUK has impressive patterns of anomalies!
and
Big Five normative test had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons. Now replaced by HEXACO or Big Six test.

Please read also:
Some articles about Rocket Internet GmbH. and Affinitas GmbH.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/some-articles-about-rocket-internet.html
eDarling Managing Director Steps Down
http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2013/05/edarling-managing-director-steps-down.html
eDarling Buys Itself Back From eHarmony
http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2013/05/edarling-buys-itself-back-from-eharmony.html
eDarling Infographic: 50 Million Euro In Revenue In 2012
http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2012/05/edarling-infographic-50-million-eur-in-revenue-in-2012.html

NEW PAPER: "The relations between actual similarity and experienced similarity"

NEW PAPER: "The relations between actual similarity and experienced similarity"

Abstract: What does it mean when one person has an experience of being similar to another, and what is the relation to actual similarity in personality? We used several indices of personality similarity and tested their relations with a perceiver’s experience of similarity. Similarity in the perceiver’s and target’s self-ratings of personality was related to experienced similarity. However, distinctive similarity (beyond the level of similarity expected between randomly paired individuals) in personality showed negligible associations with experienced similarity. Experienced similarity was strongly related to similarity in perceiver’s self-ratings and their ratings of a target, and especially when that target has a personality profile that was normative or desirable. Exploratory analyses provided some indications that similarity in aspects of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness might be particularly important to the experience of being similar. The findings thus suggest that a perceiver’s experience of being similar to a target person is particularly associated with seeing the other person positively, but does not particularly indicate that one is actually much more similar to this person than chance in most circumstances unless the perceiver and target are very well-acquainted.

Please remember: Big Five normative test had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons. Now replaced by HEXACO or Big Six test.


Please read also:
PAPER "On the similarity between exchangeable profiles: A psychometric model, analytic strategy, and empirical illustration"
paper "The many faces of assumed similarity in perceptions of personality"

Similarity is a word that has different meanings for different persons or companies, it exactly depends on how mathematically is defined. I calculate similarity in personality patterns with (a proprietary) pattern recognition by correlation method. It takes into account the score and the trend to score of any pattern. Also it takes into account women under hormonal treatment because several studies showed contraceptive pills users make different mate choices, on average, compared to non-users. "Only short-term but not long-term partner preferences tend to vary with the menstrual cycle".

The Online Dating Industry needs Innovations, but the innovations the Online Dating Industry needs will come from only one source: the latest discoveries in theories of romantic relationships development with commitment.
Do you want to innovate in the Online Dating Industry?
Read: The 8 tips to innovate in the Online Dating Industry 2014!   

UPDATE Match BIG lawsuit 2014

 UPDATE 2, 31st March 2014, here:
http://nypost.com/2014/03/31/match-com-lawsuit-loses-second-lead-plaintiff/

http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2014/03/matchcom-lawsuit-loses-second-lead-plaintiff.html
--------------------------
 Evan Spencer, says that despite the fact that anti-scammer technology is available, Match fail to use such things as face-recognition software – which would have discovered that her pictures were being used hundreds of times.

--------------------------
"A variety of new laws, or new interpretations of existing laws, could subject dating sites to claims or otherwise harm their business". (extracted from IAC SEC filing)

Free/Freemium online dating sites like OKCupid and PlentyOfFish (POF) are going to be inviable if Legislation applies to them.  Even Badoo, Tinder, Twoo and others.
When I was interviewed last January 2011 by "Caras y Caretas" (summer in Argentina) I thought there were going to be a big scandal, because former CEO of Match LATAM Countries recognized 75% inactive profiles at Match Argentina, but nothing happened.
Now  ALL Online Dating Industry companies operating Worldwide, are under the scrutiny of consumers and lawyers now.

Please read also:
article "IAC Will Turn Match Dating Service Into a Separate Business" / part 2
IAC Reorganizes, newly-created Match Group
lawyer points out use of celebrity pics in Match fake profiles lawsuit
Match under fire, more info about lawsuit Yuliana Avalos