Classmates.Com

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

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
We are in receipt of the 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] has purchased three separate paid memberships. The first paid membership was a 2 year automatically renewing membership purchased on June 11, 2007. The automatic renewal status was changed from automatic to manual and the membership reverted to a free membership on June 11, 2009. The second paid membership was a discounted one year auto renewing membership on December 15, 2009. The automatic renewal status was changed from automatic to manual and the membership reverted to a free membership on December 15, 2010. The third paid membership was a 1 year automatically renewing membership on April 15, 2015. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing his purchase, Mr. [redacted] was specifically notified that his membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless he chose to cancel, that his PayPal account would be charged $39.00 for each renewal, and that he could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change his automatic renewal status 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 1 year membership payment page is attached for your review.
The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”
Shortly thereafter, Mr. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. [redacted]'s membership registration number, the amount Mr. [redacted] paid for his paid membership, his renewal date, and a reminder that his paid subscription would renew unless he chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website.
The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage.  When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page.  Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link.
According to our records, Mr. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his PayPal account was charged $39.00 on April 15, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase.
Per the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided a refund to Mr. [redacted]'s in the amount of $39.00 on April 21, 2016. Mr. [redacted] should note this refund on his account within the next several days depending on [redacted] internal refund procedures. His Classmates membership is now a free, basic membership; however his profile is currently hidden on the website until he updates his profile to reflect his legitimate name. Alternative, he can cancel his free membership by using 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: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
 
Classmates.com has certainly had lots of practice responding to these types of complaints about their auto-renewal program.  I'm sure they can just copy and paste their responses.  I'm obviously not the only one who didn't read the fine print, since there are tons of similar complaints against this company.  They are taking the legal high-road, and their "fine print" backs up their position.  Not much we "little" people can do other than to continue to file complaints so that our voice is heard, and will maybe help others not to fall into their entrapment policies.
 
Obviously, I am not accepting their response and will continue to do all that I can in hopes of forcing them to change either their auto-renewal program or their refund policy.
Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint number: [redacted]
Consumer name: [redacted]
We are in receipt of the consumer rebuttal from Mr. [redacted]. 
As explained in Classmates’ original response, Mr. [redacted] had 4 Classmates memberships utilizing four separate email addresses. The three free accounts were removed on November 18, 2015 during a telephone call with a Classmates Member Care Representative.  A copy of our original response is attached for your review.
According to our records, Mr. [redacted] spoke to a Classmates Member Care Representative on three separate occasions. At least twice a representative explained the multiple memberships issue and was notified that there wasn’t any charge to cancel his membership.  On the last occasion Mr. [redacted] abruptly ended the call with the customer care representative.
Lastly, Mr. [redacted]’s membership record indicates that he actively used his paid membership benefits to send and receive email and see the list of member’s who have visited his profile.  A copy of this membership record and communication history is attached for additional review.
Since it’s clear that Mr. [redacted] is unhappy with the Classmates service, he can use the following link to remove himself from the website: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember.
This should resolve Mr. [redacted]’s complaint and Classmates now considers this matter closed.
Sincerely,
Tara M[redacted]
Sr. IP & Marketing Compliance Manager
Classmates, Inc.

Complaint number: [redacted] Consumer name: [redacted] We are in receipt of the Revdex.com Complaint filed by Mr. [redacted] regarding his claim that Classmates paid membership.   Classmates provides clear disclosures within the paid membership process that fee-based memberships...

will automatically renew. Below, I have outlined the process and the various places in which Classmates notified Mr. [redacted] of the Automatic Renewal Program. Mr. [redacted] purchased a 1-year auto-renewing paid membership on June 14, 2010 using the email address [redacted] on account number 369189211. 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 the then-current 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). The "Automatic Renewal Program" section located under the "Paid Services" portion of the Terms of Service states: "Upon your acceptance of an offer for the purchase of any subscription-based Paid Services, you will be enrolled in our automatic renewal program to help ensure that there is no interruption in your access to such Paid Services. Under this program, you authorize us to automatically renew your subscription at the end of the term of the subscription you purchased, and each subsequent term, for the same term length of the subscription you initially purchased (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted). Unless you change your renewal status as described below, at the time of each such renewal you authorize us to charge your designated Payment Method at the then-current, non-promotional price (unless otherwise stated in the offer you accepted) for the renewal of your subscription. If you no longer want to be enrolled in our automatic renewal program, you can change your renewal status at any time by logging onto the Account portion of the Website, clicking on "Account & Billing" and changing your renewal option from "automatic" to "manual". Please note that changing your renewal option in this way will only stop future automatic renewals of your subscription and will not impact any automatic renewals that occurred prior to the date of your status change.”   Shortly thereafter, Mr. [redacted] would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. [redacted]’s membership registration number, the amount Mr. [redacted] paid for his paid membership, his renewal date, and a reminder that his paid subscription would renew unless he chose to cancel by visiting the “Account” portion of the website. The "Account" section is accessible from nearly every page of the Classmates website and is located in the top portion of the webpage.  When a member clicks on “Account,” they will see an "Account & Billing" section listed on the page.  Once the member logs into their account, they are presented with information about their paid account, including the length of the term, the expiration date, and their renewal option being listed as “Automatic.” If they wish to switch to manual renewal, they simply have to click on the “Turn off automatic renewal” link. According to our records, Mr. [redacted] did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his credit card was charged $39.00 on June 14, 2011 and every year thereafter, with the updated account information provided by Visa, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase. A Classmates Member Care Representative changed Mr. [redacted]’s renewal status to manual per his request and Mr. [redacted]’s account has been a free basic account since July 2016.   It also appears that Mr. [redacted] has a free basic account under the email address [redacted] under registration numbe[redacted]. If Mr. [redacted] would like to remove one of these accounts, he can use the following link to remove himself or I would be happy to delete the duplicate account on his behalf: https://secure.classmates.com/auth/removemember. This information should resolve Mr. [redacted]’s complaint. If you 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 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 2 year auto-renewing paid membership on March 31, 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 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 her status 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 process Ms. [redacted] completed 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 March 31, 2016, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
Additionally, Ms. [redacted]’s membership record indicates she has purchased several previous automatically renewing memberships with Classmates since first creating her account in 2001. Contrary to Ms. [redacted]’s statement that she closed her account in 2014 and is unable to access the website, her membership records indicate she has been on the website as recently as March 1, 2016 and has continued to view and send email since the date she allegedly cancelled her membership through March 2016. I have attached a copy of her membership record for your review. 
Ms. [redacted] contacted the Classmates Member Care Department on April 18, 2016 via telephone on two separate occasions. All of our customer calls are recorded and monitored and were reviewed while researching this complaint. On the first occasion, Ms. [redacted] requested a cancellation and refund of her recently renewed membership. The Member Care Representative explained the no refund policy and changed her status to manual renewal. Later that afternoon Ms. [redacted] spoke to a second Classmates Representative and stated she wasn’t listed on the site. When the representative attempted to explain that she was listed on the site as “[redacted]”, Ms. [redacted] stated that “this is [redacted]” and the representative then disengaged from the call.
As noted above, Ms. [redacted] is aware from previous purchases, that Classmates has a no refund policy, however, as a one-time courtesy, I have authorized a refund of $59.00. Ms. [redacted] should note this refund in her account within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle. I have also removed all credit card information associated with Ms. [redacted]’s account. In the future, should Ms. [redacted] elect to purchase any additional paid memberships, she should note that no additional exceptions to the refund policy will be made on her behalf.
Her membership has now 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.
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: I want my $15.00 back. I did not have the renew thing marked. When I signed up I made sure it was for only one month and nothing else. Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided that you remove my membership and my name from your site.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

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

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  I do not accept their response absent document signed by me agreeing to the automatic renewal. Unless I receive a refund within 7 days I will be filing a complaint with the FTC and the Attorney General, not only challenging their automatic renewal policy, but also their use of my picture on their website without my consent.  A simple search on the internet provides great detail on lawsuits they have lost, and many that have yet to be filed.  This will not go away without a refund. Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I do believe I am entitled to receive this refund, as I did not receive notification of a renewal as stated by the company.  I frequently get e-mails from them advising me of people who have remembered me on the website, and notices regarding yearbook purchases.  I also check my SPAM daily.  So if this e-mail was received, I would have seen it and not renewed....and certainly not on an automatic renewal basis....and not for 2 years!I am happy that Classmates.com has agreed to partially refund the amount charged as a customer courtesy.  I have advised them that I would like my credit card information removed from their files and my information deleted from their website. I sincerely wanted to resolve this amicably with the Classmates.com prior to my contacting the Revdex.com.I'd also like to thank the Revdex.com for looking into this matter for me.  Sincerely, [redacted]