In a pre-Valentine's Day warning, Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox said in 2014 the average reported loss from those who complained about online and physical introduction agencies was $848, down on previous years.

"The majority of the complaints were about refunds, unsatisfactory performance of a service and pricing," he said.

"We are reminding consumers looking for love to closely read all the terms and conditions of a contract before signing up to these types of services."

In one case, a man paid $3000 to an introduction agency for a matchmaking package that did not lead to dates. His repeated requests for a refund were ignored.

The agency took $500 from his account each month. Fair Trading was able to stop the direct debits and have the trade agree to refund the money.

In another case, a woman paid for a 12-month subscription that was renewed without notification. She only realised when she saw the charges on her credit card bill.

After Fair Trading intervened, the agency agreed to give a refund.

Samantha Jayne, who started matchmaking agency Blue Label Life in 2005, welcomed the minister's warnings.

She said dodgy service providers and scammers did "huge damage" to an industry dealing with people involved in a "sensitive and emotional" process.

"Do your research and read the fine print. If it's been around for a long time, it's not a fly-by-nighter. And understand how the matchmaking process works," she said.

"Sometimes their expectations are huge. It's a sensitive area and matchmaking may not be for everyone."

Under Australian consumer law, consumers can seek a refund or claim compensation when a service is not delivered as promised.

Mr Mason-Cox said consumers should be wary of paying additional monies to receive further or more suitable introductions or other services.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chairwoman Delia Rickard warned that "free trial" offers could have ongoing payment clauses hidden in the fine print.

She said there were also services in the "booming" dating industry signing people up to long-term fixed contracts with onerous or restrictive cancellation clauses.

In September, the ACCC "swept" dating websites for misleading offers, hidden costs and inadequate protection against scammers, as part of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network. It will release the results on Friday.

Ms Rickard said between January and September last year, more than $16 million was reported lost through dating and romance scams.

Mr Mason-Cox said Fair Trading resolved more than 93 per cent of the introduction agency-related complaints last year, eliminating the need for further investigation and legal action.