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 any membership matching the email and physical address Ms. [redacted] supplied in her complaint. In order to remove Ms. [redacted]’s...

membership, I will need her to provide me with at least one of the following pieces of information:
 
-          The email address she used to register on the Classmates website,
-          The registration number associated to her Classmates account; or
-          Her maiden name, school affiliation and graduating class.
 
If Ms. [redacted] is able to login to her Classmates account, she can use the following link to remove her free membership from the Classmates website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
 
Additionally, Classmates is unable to remove cookies from individual user’s computers or devices. Ms. [redacted] can find information on how to remove cookies from her devices by querying various search engines for this information based on her browser type (Chrome, Firefox, IE, etc.).
 
I look forward to receiving Ms. [redacted]’s additional information.
Sincerely,  Tara M[redacted]Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance ManagerClassmates, Inc. www.classmates.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: I clearly got tricked into this membership! I also did not receive an email stating they were going to charge my account. As far as I'm concerned you people are nothing but crooks. When I investigated your company I noticed there were many complaints against classmates.com  for doing the same thing. I will not be satisfied until my account has been credited.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.
 
Ms. [redacted] purchased a 2 year auto-renewing paid membership on July 15, 2014. 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 $59.00 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]' 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 $59.00 on July 15, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase. Additionally, there is no record to Ms. [redacted] contacting Classmates regarding this paid membership term prior to July 15, 2016 either by phone or email.
 
According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have refunded Ms. [redacted]' membership in the amount of $59.00 on August 8, 2016. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her account within the next 30 depending on her financial institution’s refund policy. Ms. [redacted]’ Classmates membership 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]' 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]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
It does nothing to resolve my complaint. They have simply restated their original argument. If I agreed with that argument in the first place, I obviously would not have filed a complaint here. Their argument amounts to, "He didn't say no." A lack of protest should not constitute consent, in my opinion. That is first and foremost what I find unethical about this.
They also try to argue that their auto-renewal policy and automatic opting in to that policy is quite clear and obvious to everyone signing up. I don't remember what the signup forms from over 2 years ago looked like so I won't make claims about the truthfulness of that. However, I might be more inclined to believe it if I were the only person complaining about this. They have over 250 complaints about essentially the same exact issue I'm complaining about. That's just how many people officially filed complaints here. I can only imagine how many have had the same experience. It's obviously NOT that clear and obvious to those signing up that they are automatically consenting to auto-renewal of their accounts.
The other thing I find very unethical and quite troubling is their charging an expired credit card, which they didn't address to my satisfaction whatsoever. They state that they charged my card, "with the updated account information provided by his credit card company." I wasn't aware that that was even possible, and again, regardless of it being legal or not, I find it wholly improper. In my opinion, there is no honest reason you would go behind the customer's back to get updated payment information rather than request it from your customer. No other company I do business with does this. If my credit card expires with Netflix, my cable provider, cell phone provider, or anyone else I've ever kept a card on file with, they stop my service or simply don't process a payment, making me late on my payment. Also, I question their statement about obtaining updated account information, considering Classmates.com's own records when I logged in on 2/6/2016 showed that credit card to have an expiration date in 2014. If they obtained updated account information, why wasn't it updated in their system?
What it all comes back to is this, No means No, silence does not mean Yes. 
Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
1)  The links that Ms. M[redacted] refers to on the classmates.com website do not work.  Period.  Obviously, I went through all of the required steps, and when I reached the "delete account" button after completing all the required steps, it does not respond.  Consumers should know this and Classmates.com should fix it.  Period.
2)  The instructions to cancel are, indeed, on the website--they just don't work.  Consumers should also know this.
3)  The response does not address the inability of a a victim of classmates.com unscrupulous pratices to change their information.  Consumers should also note this.
4)  My personal information is still on the website, which is unacceptable.  Classmates.com needs to purge the content and purge search results associated with same.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.
 
Ms. [redacted] created a free Classmates membership on May 13, 2013 using the email address [redacted]@wildblue.net, under registration number [redacted]. On June 1, 2014, Ms. [redacted] upgraded her membership and purchased a 2 year 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 $59.00 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 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, 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 $59.00 on June 1, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase. Additionally, there is no record to Ms. [redacted] contacting Classmates prior to June 1, 2016 either by phone or email.
 
Since Classmates is an online business, our preferable means of communication with our members is through email, which is available 24/7.  Additional links to contact the Member Care Department can be found throughout the Classmates Help section, the Privacy Policy, as well as in the Terms of Service. In addition, we do assist customers over the phone, however, our telephone hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Pacific Standard Time.
 
According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have refunded Ms. [redacted]'s membership in the amount of $59.00 on July 12, 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. Ms. [redacted]’s Classmates membership 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.
 
If Ms. [redacted] has forgotten her password, she can click on the Forgot your password? link on the login page and follow the instructions provided. She should receive an email with a link to reset her password within 15 minutes.
If she hasn’t received her password reset email within 15 minutes, she should try these steps:
Check the spam or bulk email folder. Email from Classmates may have accidentally arrived in her "spam" or "bulk" email folder instead of her inbox, depending on her AOL settings.
Add Classmates to the address book/contact list or email "safe list." She should check with AOL to see what steps she can take to make sure Classmates is added to her address book/contact list or her "safe list." Her password email will be sent from [email protected]. She should adjust her settings as needed to make sure incoming messages from this specific email address are not blocked.
Once Ms. [redacted]’s adjusted her email settings, she may need to submit her password request again.
 
 
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 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 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. Copies of both membership records are attached for your review.   Registration Number [redacted]: This membership was created on December 12, 2016, using the email address [redacted]@gmail.com. This membership has always been a free account and was last accessed on May 7, 1017.   Registration Number [redacted]: This membership was created on December 21, 2015, with the email address [redacted]@outlook.com. Ms. [redacted] purchased a 3-month automatic renewing membership on this account on September 30, 2016.   When Ms. [redacted] purchased her 3 month auto-renewing membership, she was specifically notified on the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, 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 card would be charged $15.00 US 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 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 fromautomaticto 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 this account: [redacted]@outlook.com. 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 upper right 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 January 29, 2017 and every three months thereafter in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.   According to the 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 US on May 8, 2017. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her credit card within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institutions' internal billing and refund schedule. Both of Ms. [redacted]'s accounts are now free Classmates memberships. If she would like me to delete one of these memberships, please have her indicate which account she would like me to remove.   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 Ms. [redacted]   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 August 4, 2015 in the amount of $35.80.  Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her account within the next several days depending on [redacted]’s internal refund policy. Her Classmates membership has now reverted to a free, basic membership.    We apologize for the delay in responding to Ms. [redacted] and we hope she continues being a valued member of the Classmates community. I hope this information has successfully resolved Ms. [redacted]er's 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 3-month auto-renewing membership on January 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 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 result, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her credit card was charged $15.00 on April 25, 2016 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
 
Contrary to Ms. [redacted]’s claims, she spoke to three different Member Care Representatives via the telephone on October 26, 2016, the last being a supervisor.  Despite the stated no-refund policy, one of the representatives she spoke to provided Ms. [redacted] with a courtesy refund of her last membership fee.  A copy of Ms. [redacted]’s membership record is attached for your review.
 
Ms. [redacted] should note the refund of $15.00 on her account within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institution's billing cycle. Her Classmates account was deleted on October 26, 2016 per her request.
 
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 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.
 
On September 15, 2015, Mr. [redacted] purchased a 1-year auto-renewing paid membership for either a second party or under the name [redacted] using the email address [redacted]. 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 and 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 $39.00 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 one year membership purchase process 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] has not contacted regarding his membership nor did opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his credit card was charged $39.00 on September 15, 2016 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase. Additionally, Classmates sent Mr. [redacted] an email renewal notification reminder to [redacted] on August 6, 2016 to the email address associated to his account reminding him that his membership would automatically renew in September 2016 unless he changed his automatic renewal status.
 
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 refunded Mr. [redacted]’s membership in the amount of $39.00 on September 16, 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. Mr. [redacted]’s Classmates membership to has converted to a free basic membership. However, if he would like to cancel this membership he can use the following link to remove himself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
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
Classmates, Inc.
www.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
 
I have been unable to replicate Ms. [redacted]’s experience using IE 11; however, I have opened a ticket so that we can test the cancellation process in IE 10, the version Ms. [redacted] indicated her computer was using when she was unable to complete the cancellation process via her computer.
 
Per Ms. [redacted]’s request, we have removed her membership and information from the Classmates.com website. If Ms. [redacted] is still seeing her name appear on search engine results pages, it means that while Ms. [redacted]’s membership was active various search engines, such as Google, indexed the public pages of our website.  Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to remove this information from search engines’ results pages. 
 
In order for this information to be removed, the search engines will need to re-index these webpages and update the information they have cached.  When and how often our webpages are re-indexed is beyond our control and is based on the individual search engines internal policies and algorithms. 
 
Although Ms. [redacted]’s name may still appear in external search engine results for a short time, please note that clicking on it will no longer link to a profile or any information on Classmates regarding Ms. [redacted].
 
For further assistance with removing her name from an external search engine, Ms. [redacted] should contact the search engine directly to find out when their data will be updated, and if the process can be expedited. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Tara M[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.
 
Ms. [redacted] purchased a 2 year auto-renewing paid membership on June 5, 2014. 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 $59.00 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 $59.00 on June 5, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase. Additionally, there is no record of Ms. [redacted] contacting Classmates regarding her membership prior to June 30, 2016 either by phone or email.
 
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 of Ms. [redacted]'s membership in the amount of $56.90 on July 1, 2016. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund on her account within the next 30 depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle. In the meantime, Ms. [redacted]’s Classmates membership 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. 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. falsely misled him regarding the number of alumni registered from his school.
Classmates is an online alumni...

directory website. Users register on the website under their personal name, the name of the school they attended and for the years in which they attended their school. Additional personal information, such as photos, biographies and other profile content are at the discretion of the user to provide and share.
There are two types of Classmates memberships: a free, basic account and a paid Classmates+ subscription membership. Free members are allowed to view members of their school, their specific class list, reunion information and other members’ profiles as well as yearbooks. A Classmates+ membership provides additional benefits that a free member will not be able to access, such as viewing who has visited their profile and the ability to send and receive Classmates Email that any member, even if they are not a paid member, can review and respond to.
According to our records, Mr. [redacted] created a free registration on the Classmates website on March 21, 2016 using the attached registration form. This page specifically stated that Mr. [redacted]’ school affiliation[redacted], had 79 other alumni registered. On the same day Mr. [redacted] created his free membership, he purchased a 1 year non-refundable Classmates+ membership.
On March 22, 2016 a Classmates Member Care Representative responded to Mr. [redacted]’ email request for a cancellation and refund of his paid membership, notifying him of the no-refund policy as outlined in the Classmates Terms of Service which he agreed to upon purchasing his paid membership.  After additional correspondence, a Member Care Representative made an exception to the no refund policy and provided a full refund in the amount of $36.00 to Mr. [redacted] on March 25, 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. In the meantime, his Classmates membership has reverted to a free, basic membership. However, if he would like to cancel this free membership he can use the following link to remove himself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
This information should successfully resolve Mr. [redacted]' 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]
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]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
I do not and have not accepted or upgraded anything on Classmates.com.  I don't know how they got my credit card information, as it's a new credit card.  I have also had to replace credit cards in the past (since 2008).  I have no idea how they are doing this.  I don't go to their website or use their website in any way!!  That is a lie!  I don't want anything to do with them.  I tried to remove myself with the link they sent and it doesn't even show me as a member.  I want them to remove me and delete my credit card information without giving it to anyone else.  I don't care what they say they have regarding documentation.  I did NOT sign up for any auto renewal anything with them!!Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted]Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] regarding his claim that Classmates (“Classmates”) automatically renewed her membership and charged her [redacted] account 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. On December 13, 2015 Ms. [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, 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 [redacted] account would be charged $59.00 (plus applicable taxes) for each renewal, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change her 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 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 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. On November 3, 2017, Classmates emailed Ms. [redacted] to remind her that her membership would renew On December 13, 2017.  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 [redacted] account was charged the standard, full price 2-year membership fee of $59.00 (plus applicable taxes) on December 13, 2017 per the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase. A representative copy of the automatic renewal email notification is attached for your review.  Ms. [redacted] then disputed the charge with [redacted] who confirmed that the charge was legitimate and declined to refund her membership fees.  On December 27, 2017, Ms. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department regarding her membership. The Member Care Representative explained the automatic renewal program and the Classmates no refund policy. At her request, the representative changed Ms. [redacted]’s automatic renewal status to manual. Her paid membership will expire on December 13, 2019 at which time her account will revert to a free membership. A copy of Ms. [redacted]’s membership record is attached for your review.  If Ms. [redacted] would still like to cancel her account, I can remove her from the Classmates website, however, she will forfeit the remainder of her paid membership benefits. 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 Managerwww.classmates.com

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the consumer complaint filed by Mr. [redacted]’s in connection with his claim that 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 3-month auto-renewing paid membership on January 19, 2017. 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). A copy of the 3-month purchase process 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, 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 nor contact Classmates prior to his renewal date. As a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his credit card was charged $15.00 on April 19, 2017 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his 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 Mr. [redacted] with a refund in the amount of $15.00 on May 8, 2017. 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.   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 Managerwww.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.
 
Ms. [redacted] created her free Classmates account on May 14, 2012. On April 29, 2016, Ms. [redacted] upgraded...

her membership and purchased a three month 50% discounted membership for $7.50. 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 $15.00 for each renewal, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change her automatic renewal preference 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 three month 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.
 
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 on the 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. If members need additional assistance, a hyperlink to contact the Classmates Member Care Department is provided.  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.
 
Since Classmates is an online business, our preferable means of communication with our members is through email. Links to contact the Member Care Department can be found throughout the Classmates Help section, the Privacy Policy, as well as in the Terms of Service. In addition, our phone number is listed on credit card billing statements and publicly in the phone book, the Revdex.com website, a Google search and on the public whois information for Classmates.com. Our normal telephone hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PST. Phone calls received after our standard business hours or at times when Member Care is otherwise unavailable to answer customer calls are directed to our voicemail recording system.
 
According to our records, Classmates has not received any prior communication from Ms. [redacted] in connection with the status of her membership. For her convenience, I have changed her automatic renewal status to manual and her paid membership will expire on July 29, 2016. Her credit card will not be charged for any future renewal fees and her paid account will then revert to a free, basic account.
 
I hope 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 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 5, 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 $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 July 5, 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 12, 2016 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 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