Classmates.Com

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
 
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] regarding her claim that Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) automatically renewed her membership and charged her credit card without her...

permission.
 
Classmates provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notified Ms. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program.
 
Ms. [redacted] purchased a 1 year auto-renewing paid membership on July 11, 2015. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. [redacted] was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable and that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her credit or debit card would be charged $48.00 for each renewal and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change her automatic renewal status at any time. Ms. [redacted] was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, she agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A copy of the checkout page Ms. [redacted] saw when purchasing her membership is attached for your review.
 
The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”
 
Shortly thereafter, Ms. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. [redacted]'s membership registration number, the amount Ms. [redacted] paid for her paid membership, her renewal date, and a reminder that her paid subscription would renew unless she chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website.
 
The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage. When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page. Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link.
 
According to our records, Ms. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program nor contact Classmates prior to her renewal date. Therefore, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her PayPal account was charged $48.00 on her membership anniversary date in 2016 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
 
According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have authorized a refund to Ms. [redacted] on July 20, 2016 in the amount of $48.00. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her PaylPal account within the next 30 days depending on PayPal’s refund policy. Her Classmates membership is now a free, basic membership. If she would like to cancel her free membership she can use the following link to remove herself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
 
This information has successfully resolved Ms. [redacted]'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. [redacted] have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
 
Sincerely,
 
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
Classmates, Inc.
www.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Mr. [redacted] regarding his claim that Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) charged his credit card without his knowledge and consent.  According to our records, Mr. [redacted]...

account (registration #[redacted]) is a free basic account.  His last paid membership expired on May 15, 2012 and no new fees have been charged to the credit card ending in [redacted] which is the card associated with his account. A copy of his membership record is attached for his review.   However, while researching this matter, I discovered that another member who has the same last name and zip code as Mr. [redacted] purchased a 3 month auto-renewing membership on May 27, 2015.  This paid membership used a different credit card than the one associated to Mr. [redacted] account and it remained in the automatic renewal program and subsequently renewed on August 27, 2015. Due to Classmates Privacy Policy, I am unable to share specifics with Mr. [redacted] regarding the registrant of this account. However, it would appear that another member of Mr. [redacted] household may have purchased this paid membership and the fees identified in his complaint are related to that account.  I hope this information has successfully resolved Mr. [redacted] complaint. Should your office or Mr. [redacted] have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Sincerely, Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager Classmates, Inc.  www.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
 
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Mr. [redacted].
 
According to our records, Mr. [redacted] has two accounts on the Classmates website using two different email addresses. One of the memberships is...

a paid membership and the other is a free account:
 
Registration Number [redacted]: This membership was created on January 22, 2017 using the email address [redacted].*.[redacted]@gmail.com. This membership is a free basic account and Mr. [redacted] last accessed this account on January 29, 2017 at 10:38 pm.
 
Registration Number [redacted]: This membership was created on January 25, 2017, with the email address [redacted].[redacted]@gmail.com. On January 25, 2017, Mr. [redacted] purchased a 2-year membership on this account. It appears that Mr. [redacted] last accessed this account on January 25, 2017.
 
I have attached a copy of these two membership records for your review.
 
When Mr. [redacted] purchased his 2-year paid membership, he was specifically notified on the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process that all membership fees are non-refundable. I have attached a sample copy of the 2-year membership purchase process for your review.
 
Members can find information on how to unsubscribe from any of Classmates’ optional email subscriptions in Item 9 of the Frequently Asked Questions section in the Classmates Help Center:
At the top right corner of any Classmates page, click the gear icon and select Account.
Click Email Subscriptions.
Check or uncheck the Subscribe box below any subscription.
Click Save my settings at the bottom of the page.
Alternatively, members can also find a link to update their email preferences at the bottom of each email they receive from Classmates, with the exception of customary emails which Classmates members are required to receive in connection with updates to their account or to announce improvements to the Classmates site.
For Mr. [redacted]’s convenience, I have unsubscribed him from optional summary and weekly emails as well as any special offers or promotional emails. Additionally, I have deleted Mr. [redacted]’s free duplicate account and removed his paid membership from the automatic renewal program.
 
I hope this information has successfully resolved Mr. [redacted]’s complaint. Should your office or Mr. [redacted] have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
www.classmates.com

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  The consideration that classmates.com has made is very much appreciated and shows their good will and value towards their customers.    Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
 
This appears to be a standard ploy of this company and NO, their policies are NOT CLEARLY stated on EVERY page. Frankly, I rejoined this scam as a result of a "message" that I could not read unless I joined. Bottom line, I will do everything I can to be sure the many students/friends/ etc, that I have access to know to get away from this website.Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:Thank you for your quick response. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. It looks like I did register for this site, although I believe it was unclear that I was actually registering. I thought it was a free promotion and the credit card information was just for verification purposes.  I have just gone into my account and requested to have the registration removed. Hopefully, I won't get anymore of their annoying emails.Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
This does not resolve the issue.  I did NOT receive the email reminding me about the automatic renewal. If I HAD received the email I would have immediately CANCELLED the subscription and all of this would have been avoided. The only acceptable resolution is a refund of my $59. 
Sincerely,[redacted] 
[redacted]

Case number: [redacted] Consumer: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com complaint filed by Mr. [redacted].   In researching this complaint, I located two account under Mr. [redacted]’s email address [redacted]:   Registration Number [redacted]: This free account...

was created on January 20, 2003. Per Mr. [redacted]’s request, I have deleted this membership. He may continue to receive residual emails over the next 10 business days.  Residual emails are emails that were already scheduled to be sent to our members in our email delivery system.   Registration Number [redacted]: This free account was created on September 4, 2006 and was deleted shortly sometime thereafter.   Using the information Mr. [redacted] provided in the complaint, I was unable to locate any paid memberships associated with his information. However, If Mr. [redacted] has a paid membership, he will need to provide me with the following information in order for me to locate the account: * A registration or account number associated with Mr. [redacted]’s membership. * The email address used to register with the website. * The last four digits of Mr. [redacted]’s debit or credit card that he states was charged. Mr. [redacted] should also check to see if there is another member of his household that may have a paid account located in their name.   Should your office or Mr. [redacted] have any questions regarding the information needed to respond to this complaint, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Sincerely,   Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager www.classmates.com

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
I just received an email my complaint has been resolved and the year book is on it's way.Thanks,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
I had unchecked the auto renew because I knew that I no longer wanted the service. I am not alone here, Classmates Facebook page as well as Consumer Affairs web site is full of recent complaints for Classmates improper billing. There are literally thousands of complaints and all for poor and unauthorized billing practices and zero customer service. Just a canned message just as was received here. Classmates has also already had 2 class action lawsuits in which they lost for these reasons also. Classmates business operations have no morals or concern for customer complaints or service.Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
 
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] regarding her claim that Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) automatically renewed her membership and charged her credit card without providing her...

prior notices.
 
Classmates provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notified Ms. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program.
 
Ms. [redacted] purchased 1 year auto-renewing paid membership on July 26, 2015 using the same email address she supplied in her complaint. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. [redacted] was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable and that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her credit or debit card would be charged $48.00 for each renewal, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time. Ms. [redacted] was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, she agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A copy of the 1 year membership purchase page is attached for your review.
 
The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”
 
Shortly thereafter, Ms. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. Stephenson's membership registration number, the amount Ms. [redacted] paid for her paid membership, her renewal date, and a reminder that her paid subscription would renew unless she chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website.
 
The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage. When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page. Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link.
 
According to our records, an automatic renewal reminder was sent to Ms. [redacted] on June 16, 2016. Ms. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program nor contact the Classmates Member Care Department and, as a result, her membership was subsequently renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $48.00 on July 26, 2016 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
 
Ms. [redacted] subsequently contacted the Classmates Member Care Department via telephone on August 3, 2016.  The representative explained the automatic renewal and no refund policy to Ms. [redacted] and offered her a half price discounted 1 year membership in exchange for the full price renewal fee.  Once Ms. [redacted] accepted this offer, the representative explained that the renewal fee of $48.00 would be refunded to her credit card and a new charge of $24.00 would be charged for the discounted membership. A copy of Ms. Stephenson’s membership record is attached for your review.
 
Ms. Stephenson’s exchanged paid membership term will expire on August 3, 2017 without requiring any action on the behalf of Ms. [redacted] and her membership will revert to a free, basic membership at that time.
This information should resolve Ms. Stephenson’s complaint.  If your office or Ms. [redacted] have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
 
Sincerely,
 
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
Classmates, Inc.
www.classmates.com

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
 
Classmates.com has issued me a refund.
Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Mr. [redacted] regarding his claim that Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) automatically renewed his membership and charged his credit card without his permission.
Classmates...

provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notified Mr. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program.Mr. [redacted] purchased a 1 year auto-renewing paid membership on March 3, 2015.  On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing his purchase, Mr. [redacted] was specifically notified that his membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless he chose to cancel, that his credit or debit card would be charged the then-current full price for each renewal, and that he could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time.  Mr. [redacted] was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, he agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A copy of the purchase page is attached for your review. The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”
Shortly thereafter, Mr. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. [redacted]'s membership registration number, the amount Mr. [redacted] paid for his paid membership, his renewal date, and a reminder that his paid subscription would renew unless he chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website.
The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage.  When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page.  Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link.
According to our records, Mr. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and his membership was renewed for an additional term and his credit card was charged $39.00 on March 3, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase.
Mr. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department on March 3, 2016 whereby the Member Care Representative changed his automatic renewal status to manual on his behalf and explained the no refund policy as stated in the Classmates Terms of Service. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have refunded Mr. [redacted]'s membership in the amount of $39.00 on March 8, 2016. Mr. [redacted] should note this refund on his account within the next 30 to 60 days depending on his financial institution's billing cycle. His Classmates membership is now a free, basic membership.  If he would like to cancel his free membership he can use the following link to remove himself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.I hope this information has successfully resolved Mr. [redacted]'s complaint. Should your office or Mr. [redacted] have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
Classmates, Inc.
www.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Mr. [redacted].   According to our records, Mr. [redacted] created his Classmates account on January 30, 2000 under the name “[redacted]” with the email address...

[redacted].    On November 26, 2006 Mr. [redacted] purchased a 2-year membership which lapsed in 2008. Mr. [redacted] purchased a 1-year paid membership on April 5, 2009 which lapsed in 2010. Mr. [redacted] purchased an additional 1-year membership on May 12, 2010 which subsequently lapsed in 2011. Mr. [redacted] purchased his current 2-year membership on December 5, 2016. Mr. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department on or about December 8, 2016 and a representative confirmed his account was in a manual renewing state and provided him information regarding the no refund policy per the Terms of Service which Mr. [redacted] agreed to upon the purchase of each of his memberships.   Since his December 2016 membership purchase, Mr. [redacted] has used his membership to send and receive approximately 9 Classmates Emails and has viewed his profile visitors list (also known as the Guestbook feature) upwards of 30 times, both of these items are paid membership features.   Per the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy and since Mr. [redacted] has utilized his paid membership benefits, I am unable to offer him a courtesy refund. I can remove his membership from the website, however, he should note that this will result in the forfeiture of his remaining paid membership benefits and fees.  Otherwise, Mr. [redacted]’s paid membership will lapse and revert to a free membership on December 5, 2018.   If Mr. [redacted] would like his membership removed from the Classmates website, please have him confirm and acknowledge the forfeiture of his paid membership fees and benefits.  In the meantime, if Mr. [redacted] or your office should have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Sincerely,   Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager www.classmates.com

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the consumer rebuttal from Mr. [redacted]   As noted in our previous response, Classmates provides clear information in several locations on its website and within the paid membership purchase process that fee-based memberships will automatically renew. The processes and various places in which Classmates notified Mr. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program were specifically outlined in our first response. Additionally, Mr. [redacted] is aware of the Classmates Automatic Renewal Policy from his various membership purchases and has already received one courtesy refund.   Classmates does not currently have any plans to change its business rules or terms related to the Automatic Renewal Program, which is similar to many other online subscription based services.   This information should successfully resolve this complaint and Classmates now considers this matter closed.   Sincerely,   Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] in connection with Classmates’ Automatic Renewal Program.   Classmates provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships...

will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notifies its members of the Automatic Renewal Program. Ms. [redacted] purchased a 3-month auto-renewing membership on October 20, 2017. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. [redacted] was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable and that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her credit or debit card would be charged $15.00 for each renewal, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time.  Ms. [redacted] was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, she agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A representative copy of the 3-month membership purchase page is attached for your review. The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states:   “Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by completing the following steps: ·         Classmates - logging onto the Account portion of the Classmates Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual." Please note that completing these steps will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date that you completed these steps.”   Shortly thereafter, Ms. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. [redacted]’ membership registration number, the amount Ms. [redacted] paid for her paid membership, her renewal date, and a reminder that her paid subscription would renew unless she chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website. The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage.  When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page.  Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link. According to the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided a Ms. [redacted] a refund in the amount of $7.50. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her account within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institution's billing cycle and internal refund policies. Her Classmates account has reverted to a free basic membership. This information should successfully resolve Ms. [redacted]’ complaint. If your office or Ms. [redacted] has any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [redacted]@classmates.com. Sincerely,     Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager www.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] regarding her claim that Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) automatically renewed her membership and charged her credit card without her permission.
Classmates...

provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notified Ms. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program.
Ms. [redacted] purchased a 1 year auto-renewing paid membership on April 13, 2015. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. [redacted] was specifically notified that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her credit or debit card would be charged $39.00 for each renewal and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change her automatic renewal status at any time. Ms. [redacted] was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, she agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A copy of the checkout page Ms. [redacted] saw when purchasing her membership is attached for your review.
The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”
Shortly thereafter, Ms. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. [redacted]'s membership registration number, the amount Ms. [redacted] paid for her paid membership, her renewal date, and a reminder that her paid subscription would renew unless she chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website.
The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage. When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page. Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link.
According to our records, Ms. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program nor contact Classmates prior to her renewal date. Therefore, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $39.00 on April 13, 2016 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, a Member Care Representative provided Ms. [redacted] with a $39.00 refund on April 19, 2016. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her account within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institution's billing cycle. Her Classmates membership is now a free, basic membership. If she would like to cancel her free membership she can use the following link to remove herself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
This information should successfully resolve Ms. [redacted]'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. [redacted] have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
 
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
Classmates, Inc.
www.classmates.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
Hello. I started up a free account with classmates several months ago. For some reason they started three free accounts with my email address. Then I paid $7.50 for a three month trial paid subscription promising better and more complete contacts with fellow classmates. This paid service offered no more than the free ones did. I called them several times and all they could tell me is that because I had the free accounts their system would not let me use their paid system and to "wait a few weeks and try again". I did this day after day and nothing. The best it would let me do is start over again in in two or three weeks. I did so and ever since then. Now I received voice mails. They NEVER called me back. I did get through once to cancel it all and I was told it would cost me $35.00 to unsubscribe. I tried again today and the agent did some lying to me. He told me that it would cost me nothing to unsubscribe. He then told me that my subscription ran out yesterday, 17 FEB 2015. Apparently the first being a lie and the second, who knows?? I looked them up on Revdex.com complaints today and found literally thousands of complaints about them ripping off people nationwide. Why can these people not be stopped?? They say that the Revdex.com gives them a C plus rating. How is this possible??Sincerely,[redacted]