“That should be determined by a free market like everything else in our society. Why have we decided that a token hakaras hatov (which by the way even that almost never comes) is sufficient.
Truth be told the shadchanim do it to themselves. If they weren’t so nice and kind they wouldn’t be taken advantage of. By and large they are very nice and bashful and don’t have it in them to ask for fair compensation, therefore they are abused.”
The free market is determined solely by what people are willing to shell out. Law of supply and demand, you know. If people would stop paying such exhorbitant amounts, which apparently they can afford, then perhaps those others who cannot afford it would be able to benefit from those services as well at far lower costs. I would love to see a truly GREAT shadchan refuse to take mroe than $500 for the shidduch. I am betting that she would get more people coming to her, and the others would be forced to lower their fees. Of course, if she got that busy, she probably would start RAISING her fees. It’s a vicious cycle,what can I say? And “nice and kind” are not the terms I would use to describe many shadchanim in my circles. With one exception, they are pushy, too businesslike (brusk) argumentative, and berating of the girls primarily, who are not interested in the boys they push on them.