Classmates.Com

Case number:  [redacted] Consumer:  [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com complaint filed by Ms. [redacted].  I am unable to locate a paid membership matching the information Ms. [redacted] supplied in her complaint.  If she can provide me with the last 4 digits of the...

debit/credit card she claims was used to purchase our services, I will research this matter further.  In the meantime, should your office or Ms. [redacted] have any questions regarding the information needed to respond to this complaint, please feel free to contact me at [redacted]@classmates.com.Sincerely,  [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 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 2007. 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 the then full price 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). 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 automaticrenewals 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] 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 and her membership was renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $39.00 on July 22, 2008 and every year thereafter in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.  On July 26, 2015 Ms. [redacted] emailed the Classmates Member Care Department and requested a cancelation and refund of her most recent membership fees.  A Classmates representative responded to Ms. [redacted] email explaining the no refund policy and with directions on how to remove herself from the automatic renewal program.  Upon reviewing Ms. [redacted] membership record in response to this complaint, it does not appear that Ms. [redacted] has removed herself from the automatic renewal program and her account was still set to renew upon her next membership renewal date. Per 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] last membership fee on September 8, 2015 in the amount of $39.00.  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 toremove herself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.   I hope this information has successfully resolved Ms. [redacted] complaint. Should your office or Ms. [redacted] have 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 Classmates, Inc.  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 March 9, 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 March 9, 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 pro-rated refund to Ms. [redacted] on April 11, 2016 in the amount of $35.47. 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 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: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The membership in 2015 was a free trial and I cancelled within the time allotted, so why would I still be held to a 2 year renewal? Also, I have attached documents. One is a copy of an email I received from Classmates regarding this matter, which shows they stated they issued an email 30 days prior to the auto renewal taking place and when I requested a copy of this email, they cannot produce such.  The other document is a copy of a Web page where many other consumers state they received this charge after the PeopleConnect change. Lastly, to compound my reasoning, here is a copy of the link to the "Updated" TOS, which clearly states immediately on the page that this updated policy did not apply to current members until September 1, 2017. They renewed me on August 17, 2017.
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 previously paid membership purchases.   Lastly, the customer service notes in his account state: “PHONE: Member requested cancellation/refund. Changed renewal option to manual. Explained fees are non-refundable.”   This information should successfully resolve this complaint and Classmates now considers this matter closed.   Sincerely,   Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager

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]

Case number:  [redacted]
Consumer:  [redacted]
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com complaint filed by Ms. [redacted].  I am unable to locate any paid membership matching the email and physical address Ms. [redacted] supplied in her complaint.  The only record I can find...

is a free, basic membership.  That record is attached for your review.
It may be possible that Ms. [redacted]’s Discover card was used by another member of her household. If Ms. [redacted] could supply me with the last 4 digits of her credit card and the dates the charges appeared on her billing statement, we can try to locate the records via a search. 
Otherwise, Ms. [redacted] can find information on how to cancel her membership under the “Termination/Cancellation” heading located in Section 9 of the Classmates Terms of Service which provides instructions and a link to the Classmates Member Care Department for members to cancel their account. Additional information on how to cancel memberships can be found on the Classmates Help page under the FAQ #10 “How do I cancel my membership”.
I look forward to receiving this additional information and addressing Ms. [redacted]’s complaint. In the meantime, should your office or Ms. [redacted] have any questions regarding the information needed to respond to this complaint, please feel free to contact me at [email protected],  Tara M[redacted]Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance ManagerClassmates, Inc. 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 July 14, 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 credit card was charged $48.00 on July 14, 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 Classmates Member Care Representative provided a refund of $48.00 on July 18, 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 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 Ms. [redacted] regarding Classmates, Inc. (“Classmates”) Automatic Renewal Policy.
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 3-month auto-renewing membership on August 25, 2016. 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 standard copy of the three 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 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 and, as a reulst, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $15.00 on November 25, 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 provided a pro-rated refund in the amount of $14.02 on December 1, 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 account has reverted to a free, basic membership. However, 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. If your office or Ms. [redacted] has 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”) automatically renewed his membership and charged his [redacted] account 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] registered on the Classmates website on August 24, 2007.  Since his initial registration, Mr. [redacted] has purchased several fee based memberships.  His last purchase was a 3 month auto-renewing paid membership on May 2, 2015 using his [redacted] account. 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 US $15.00 for each renewal period, 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). 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, forthe 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 toclick 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 [redacted] account was charged US $15.00 on August 2, 2015 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase.On August 3, 2015 Mr. [redacted] disputed his renewal fee directly with [redacted].  His membership fee was refunded and $15.00 was returned to his [redacted] account.  Mr. [redacted] should note this refund in his [redacted] account. Mr. [redacted]'s Classmates membership has reverted to a free, basic membership. However, 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 [redacted]@classmates.com. Sincerely, Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager Classmates, Inc.  www.classmates.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: 
Classmates contacted me after they were contacted by your organization regarding my complaint. Before I contacted you with my complaint they had informed me that they would not issue a refund for the current bill because I was beyond the renewal date by a few weeks. I told them that I had just become aware of their charge to me so it was as timely as I could respond, they still insisted there would be no refund. So I contacted your organization.
Thanks to your communication with them they have changed their mind and will offer me a refund. That is better than nothing but I am still greatly annoyed. I conclude that internet services like Classmates use the renewal policy to take advantage of advanced seniors and secure financial returns at the seniors expense because of the lack of consumer protection provided in the renewal policies. This does not just relate to Classmates but I am certain it would include a host of similar offerings. It is well established that we advanced age citizens have slower than normal response ability. This includes memory, short term and even long term. It seems to me that some responsible service, perhaps yours should push for new regulations regarding senior enrollments. Perhaps it would include a requirement that a service like Classmates should not automatically bill at renewal time but rather contact the client beforehand to make them aware of the billing coming due and request an agreement with the client for extension of the service. This way the seniors are protected if they lose their mental alertness and the company does not have to endure complaints like I am presenting.
I am 81 but I am willing to pursue this matter to a resolution that favors the interests of seniors so they are not subject to unnecessary and unwanted charges for services they may have not even known they had enrolled for. Please inform me of just what I might do to further this effort. Let me remind you again,  I am willing to do what ever it takes to change the current industry wide abusive enrolment arrangements with senior citizens.
Thank you
[redacted]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 (“Classmates”) automatically renewed a Classmates membership and charged his credit card.   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. On February 21, 2016 Mr. [redacted] purchased a 2-year paid automatically renewing membership.  On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, the member 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 payment method would be charged $72.00 for each renewal, and that the member could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change his renewal status at any time. The member 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 representative copy of the standard 2-year 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, the member would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained the member’s registration number, the amount the member 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. On or about January 13, 2018, Classmates emailed the member at [redacted]@yahoo.com  to remind him that his membership would renew.  According to our records, the member did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his payment method was charged the standard, full 2-year membership fee of $72.00 on February 21, 2018 per the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase. A representative copy of the automatic renewal email notification is attached for your review.   On February 22, 2018, Mr. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department regarding his membership. The Member Care Representative explained the automatic renewal program and the Classmates no refund policy. At his request, the representative changed Mr. [redacted]’ automatic renewal status to manual. His paid membership will expire on February 21, 2020 at which time his account will revert to a free membership. This information should successfully resolve Mr. [redacted]’ complaint. 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 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 2 year auto-renewing paid membership on August 16, 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 fees were non-refundable, that his membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless he chose to cancel, that his [redacted] account 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 2-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, 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.   Mr. [redacted] received an email renewal notification reminder on July 7, 2017 to the email address associated to his account reminding his that his membership would automatically in August. According to our records, Mr. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his [redacted] account was charged $59.00 on August 16, 2017, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase.   On August 21, 2017 Mr. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department via email. The Member Care Representative explained the automatic renewal program and the Classmates no refund policy and changed his automatic renewal status to manual.   As stated above, per the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. Additionally, Mr. [redacted] has been notified of the automatic renewal policy and the ways in which to remove himself from automatic renewal program. As such, Classmates is unable to offer him a refund. Mr. [redacted]’s membership has been placed in a manual renewal state and his paid membership benefits will expire on August 16, 2019 at which time his account will revert to a free basic account. A copy of his membership record is attached for your review.   This information should successfully resolve 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

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:   I have NOT had a membership FOR YEARS!!!!     This is FALSE!!!!  I only went in to look at emails they sent to my email here at work, and was unable to access anything due to never having signed up for full membership or renewing anything with them!!!    I want this refunded NOW!!!Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] regarding her Classmates.com membership.
In addition to the instructions provided in the Terms of Service, information on how to cancel paid memberships can be...

found under “10. How do I cancel my membership” in the FAQ section of the main Classmates Help page. By clicking on this link, free and paid Classmates members are provided with information on how to cancel their membership based on their membership type. Once a paid member clicks on the hyperlink they are taken to an email text box with the topic and subject lines pre-selected to “Billing” and “Cancel my membership” along with a free form text field to provide additional information. Classmates does not permit paid members to delete their accounts in the middle of a paid membership term without Member Care assistance since cancelling a paid membership forfeits the remainder of the membership fee as well as access to the paid membership benefits. 
Based upon research for this complaint, it appears that Ms. [redacted] has two Classmates account: One a free account created on January 5, 2010 under registration number [redacted] using the address [redacted]@aol.com and another account created on April 17, 2016 using the email address [redacted]@aol.com with the registration number [redacted]. It is this second, and most recent, account that Ms. [redacted] purchased a paid membership on in the amount of $36.00. 
As noted in the paid membership purchase process and within the Terms of Service, which Ms. [redacted] agreed to prior to purchasing her membership, all membership fees are non-refundable. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided a refund to Ms. Foley’s membership in the amount of $36.00 on April 21, 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. This account has now reverted to a free, basic membership.  If she would like to remove this membership or the duplicate membership listed above, she can use the following link to remove herself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember. Conversely, if she would like me to remove one of the memberships on her behalf, she should email me which account she would like removed or follow the steps outlined above to delete one of her memberships on her own.
Lastly, Ms. [redacted] noted in her complaint that her main interest in creating a Classmates account was to review our yearbook collection for genealogical purposes. While Classmates does connect the member’s specific school and class years to their profile, members can search other schools and yearbooks by following the below information as outlined in the “Yearbook Collection” under “Site Features” in the Classmates Help Section:
How can I search the yearbook collection for a specific yearbook, person, or other content? To search for a specific yearbook, a certain person, or other content (such as clubs or teams) within a yearbook, look for the Search option in the upper right of any Classmates page, and select All Yearbooks from the drop-down search options. Type your search terms in the search box and click the search icon. You can narrow your results using the options under Narrow by on the left side of the results page.
You'll also see a Search box at the top right of each yearbook page when you're viewing a yearbook. From here, you can search for people or content within the specific yearbook you're viewing.
Keep in mind that you can also go directly to a school page to see if we have yearbooks for that school (they'll be featured at the top of the page if we do). If you still don't find results, we may not have what you're looking for. Try searching for something else or check back again later. We're constantly adding more yearbooks and content to our site!
I hope this information has successfully resolved Ms. [redacted] 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

As stated in our previous response, Mr. [redacted] has utilized his paid membership benefits to send and receive Classmates Email as well as view the list of individuals who have visited his profile. As noted in the Terms of Service, all membership fees are non-refundable. Per his request, I have deleted Mr. [redacted]’s profile from the Classmates website. This should resolve Mr. [redacted]’s complaint and Classmates now considers this matter closed.  Sincerely, Tara M[redacted] Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager

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. BUT NO I DID NOT RENEW!!! TO BE CLEAR, but thank you for removing all my info.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 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.According to our records, Ms. [redacted] has two memberships:
 
Registration Number [redacted]: Ms. [redacted] created this account on October 24, 2004 using the email address [redacted]@aol.com.  Ms. [redacted] purchased a 3-month automatically renewing membership on this membership on December 8, 2005.  However, this membership lapsed on October 12, 2007 and is now a free membership.
 
Registration Number [redacted]: Ms. [redacted] created this membership on March 22, 2012 using the email address [redacted]@gmail.com. On March 22, 2012 Ms. [redacted] purchased a 3-month auto-renewing paid membership. 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). 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 and, as a result, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $15.00 on June 22, 2012 and every three months thereafter in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
Per the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Ms. [redacted] with a refund in the amount of $15.00 on October 18, 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. In the meantime, the membership under registration number [redacted] has also converted to a free, basic membership. If she would like to delete either free membership from the Classmates.com website, she can use the following link to remove her memberships: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
 
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 Ms. [redacted] regarding her Classmates.com membership.
 
The “Termination/Cancellation” located in Section 9 of the Classmates Terms of Service, provides...

instructions and a link to the Classmates Member Care Department for members to cancel their account. Additionally, information on how to cancel memberships can be found on the Classmates Help page under the FAQ #10 “How do I cancel my membership”. Classmates members can choose which portions of their profile they wish to share with others, however, we do not have a “hide complete profile” feature.
 
According to our records, Classmates has not received any prior communication from Ms. [redacted] in connection with the status of her membership. Per her request, I have deleted her membership from the Classmates website. She may continue to see residual emails in her personal inbox. Residual emails are emails already scheduled to be delivered to our members in our automated email delivery system. She should feel free to disregard these emails.
 
This information has 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

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]