Realtytrac.com

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I still believe they are being deceptive in the advertising on their website. 
Here is another example: This property was listed as a "HOT OPPORTUNITY" which is defined as:
"Get insight into the best potential foreclosure deals in your area. Sign up now for a 7-day free trial to view our r Hot Opportunity foreclosure listings."  
[redacted] ** [redacted] "get full address with free trial"  "sign up for more details" 
Now, that I have fallen for this deception before, and have been given the disclaimers over the phone and in writing! I am aware of checking for the latest listing dates. Which in this case with the above property, is the top and newest, listing for bank owned homes in Dublin, Ca. The top listing is dated 8/24/2012! Almost three years old. Now looking further down under "Price History" it was sold on 8/6/2012. It was recorded as sold even before RealityTrac even listed it. I feel that I can look at the site all day long and not find one actually still bank owned. 
FORECLOSURE HISTORY
Find out if this property has any current or prior foreclosure actions. Sign up for free or current members may log in.
This is also from the website. And again screaming "Sign UP!"  "Find out if this property has any current or prior foreclosure actions" The average person would look at the word "current" as meaning up to date information. Am I reading to much into the "HOT OPPORTUNITY" stamp at the top of the list?
I do not understand why they are not tied to a multiple listing service or some other way for them to keep track of all these "Properties" instead of just posting a disclaimer. "Sorry, we didn't know it was sold" Where do they get this information? From other websites? This company takes NO RESPONSIBILITY for its own content.
Would you like your real estate agent to drive you around to different properties and then say, "Sorry, I didn't know it was sold" (two years ago!) I would fire him immediately!
 
This is RealityTrac's business to list and sell CURRENT property INFORMATION!
If nothing else they can at least program listings to fall off and get "reviewed" every 30 days. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 9/1/2014. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period, the...

account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. These terms must be agreed to by the registrant prior to continuing with registration. The member’s account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the first monthly subscription fee on 9/8/2014. 
The member called the Sales and Promotions Department on 10/10/2014 to inquire about charges to the account. As it was outside normal business hours the customer was advised to call the Billing Department during the hours of 8am to 5pm Pacific Time. Our records indicate a second call was placed from the customer’s phone number on 10/27/2014 but the call was terminated by the caller within 2 seconds of connecting. The customer called a third time on 11/11/2014. The representative processed her cancellation and advised she would have access to the service until 12/8/2014 at which point the account would terminate. The caller was unable to provide any confirmation as proof of a previous cancellation at the time of their call and informed the representative they would contact RealtyTrac with the confirmation that would have been provided upon successfully cancelling the membership. The representative explained the terms that were agreed to upon signup, which states that charges on accounts are non-refundable.
Although no refund was due, we have processed a credit of $49.95 for the transaction dated 11/8/2014 as that is the only charge that occurred after the customer’s initial call on 10/10/2014.

The member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 9/11/2014. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period,...

the account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. This account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the monthly subscription fee beginning on 9/18/2014. As this account was created online by the customer, it is the responsibility of the member to cancel the account if they do not intend to use the service. All members must agree to the Terms of Use prior to entering payment information and upon successfully activating a trial they are sent an email welcoming them to the service and reminding the customer of the date the trial would need to be cancelled in order to avoid any fees.
The member spoke to a representative on 11/21/2014 to inquire about the charges. A representative explained that the account was active, and RealtyTrac had no record of any cancellation request from the member. The caller was unable to provide any confirmation as proof of a previous cancellation at the time of their call. The representative explained the terms that were agreed to upon signup, which states that charges on accounts are non-refundable.  RealtyTrac was running a special Thanksgiving Holiday promotion of 50% off one month of service. As a courtesy the representative advised the caller a prorated refund request would be submitted for the last charge to the account, the refund request was approved on 11/21/2014 for $25.00.
We regret that we are unable to process any further credits to the account. However, we can accommodate the member with complimentary exclusive website access for up to 3 months. This offer has been noted on the account; please contact our customer service department at 800-550-4802 or [email protected] to take advantage of this offer.

The member requested that RealtyTrac issue a
refund of $149.85 in their original complaint. On 1/2/2014 RTI publishing
issued a refund of $49.95 for the annual Foreclosure News Report subscription
when the member called to request cancellation of their service. RealtyTrac
separately issued a refund of $99.90 on 3/5/2014 for the monthly charges of $49.95 dated
1/29/2014 and 2/28/2014 as a courtesy. The member's account has been
issued credits totaling $149.85 as requested.

The member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 1/19/2014. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period,...

the account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. This account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the monthly subscription fee beginning on 1/26/2014.
The member spoke to a representative on 8/28/2014 to inquire about the charge. The representative explained the terms of use that were agreed to upon signup, which states that charges on accounts are non-refundable. There was no previous record of cancellation or phone calls from the member prior to 8/28/2014. There is no automated method of cancellation as the member claims in the complaint. All members are required to call in and speak to a representative to cancel the service. The representative processed the member’s cancellation request and provided a confirmation number for her records both verbally and automatically via email as all members receive upon requesting cancellation. 
The member called again on 9/22/2014, this time demanding a full refund. The representative explained there had been no calls or emails from the member prior to 8/28/2014 when they requested. The representative explained that although the monthly membership fee is considered nonrefundable, a refund request would be submitted for further review.  The member disconnected the call before the representative could explain the refund request process.
Although no refund was due, RealtyTrac issued a refund of $49.95 on 9/22/2014 as a one-time courtesy.

The Member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 9/10/2014. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period,...

the account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. This account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the monthly subscription fee beginning on 9/17/2014.
 
The Member called in and requested cancellation 10/20/2014, after the trial period had expired. The representative advised the member of the charges and that they would have access until 11/17/2014. The member inquired about a refund and the representative advised the member of the Terms of Use agreed to upon registering the account including that the membership fees are nonrefundable unless the billing was in error. The last charge to the account occurred within a 72 hour grace period and as such RealtyTrac issued a refund for the October payment on 10/20/2014.
 
The Member called in on 10/23/2014 claiming to have been charged after cancelling the membership. The Representative explained the Terms of Use and the charges to the account and offered to submit a refund request on the September charge for further review. The second refund request was initially denied due to the terms of use. There were no previous attempts to cancel the membership during the trial and therefore the account was charged correctly. During this conversation the member located the email sent by RealtyTrac on 9/10/2014 welcoming them to the service and explaining when the trial would convert into a paid monthly membership as well as the directions to cancel the membership should they choose not to continue.
 
Although no further refund was due, RealtyTrac issued an additional credit of $49.95 on 10/24/2014 as a one-time courtesy.

Member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 12/26/2014. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period,...

the account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. These terms must be agreed to by the registrant prior to continuing with registration. The member’s account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the first monthly subscription fee on 1/2/2015.
Although phone and email support were closed for the holiday, customers were able to cancel their memberships online through the Account Details page in order to avoid any fees. Our records indicate the customer sent several emails requesting cancellation beginning on 1/1/2015. Upon returning to the office on 1/5/2015 the customer’s cancellation request was processed and a refund of $49.95 was issued.

Member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 11/20/2015.
The terms of...

the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to
submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state
that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period, the account
automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95
will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. These
terms must be agreed to by the registrant prior to continuing with
registration. The member’s account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial
period, and the account was to be charged
the first monthly subscription fee on 11/27/2015 but was declined due to insufficient funds by
[redacted]. Because there had still been no request for cancellation
on 11/30/2015, the charge was attempted once more and processed successfully.
A billing agreement cancellation request was received from
[redacted] on 12/1/2015 at 9:43am on behalf of the customer. The customer also sent
an email to the Online Support team on 12/1/2015 threatening to file complaints
online if a refund was not issued despite agreeing to the Terms of Use before
completing the registration process. The customer was advised by the online support
team that they do not have access to the account billing information and would
need to call the Membership Services team. As of 12/4/2015 the customer had
still made no attempt to call in to discuss the account or properly request a
refund.  
Although no refund was due, we have processed
a credit of $49.95 in an attempt to resolve this complaint.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This is the rate $29.95 Realtytrac emailed me and not what you secretly billed me until I discovered and stopped it.  Realtytrac failed not only refund the billed funds in  excess to what they promote and tell pubklic, but FAILED TO DISCLOSED WHERE THEY GOT WRONG INFORMATION ABOUT MY HOME AND ME. FOR ACCESSING TO SEE WHAT FRAUD CIRCULATES ON PUBLIC RECORDS ABOUT ME AND FROM WHERE REALTYTRAC GOT IT CHARGING $250.00 IS WRONG. I stress that  INFORMATION I was charged 250.00 was only related to my identity and home and hence full refund rather than claiming that I needed your subscription for many months to view what is claimed about my identity and home. Realtytrac failed to explain where they got what they published about me and may even still circulate the [redacted] lended [redacted] against my home to previous homeowner. I sent the lender at address on realtytrac site request for information and my mail and envelope came back unopened. If Realtytrac publishes information on their site they must backup it with facts and not to charge $250.00 for inspecting what they claim about me and my home. L. [redacted]. Hi [redacted], It’s nice to hear that you are still interested in using RealtyTrac.com as your primary source for finding foreclosure properties. To help make your decision a little easier, below are the promotions available. Option 1 (Buy 2 months get 4 months FREE= 6 months for $99.95)      Savings of $199 Option 2 (Monthly at $29.95)        Once you have reviewed your options, please contact me at 1-800-306-5877 or email me at[redacted] with the promotion of your choice since these deals are subject to change and are time sensitive. Thank you and looking forward to your call or email.

Member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 11/20/2015.
The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to
submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state
that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period, the...

account
automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95
will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. These
terms must be agreed to by the registrant prior to continuing with
registration. The member’s account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial
period, and the account was to be charged
the first monthly subscription fee on 11/27/2015 but was declined due to insufficient funds by
[redacted]. Because there had still been no request for cancellation
on 11/30/2015, the charge was attempted once more and processed successfully.
A billing agreement cancellation request was received from
[redacted] on 12/1/2015 at 9:43am on behalf of the customer. The customer also sent
an email to the Online Support team on 12/1/2015 threatening to file complaints
online if a refund was not issued despite agreeing to the Terms of Use before
completing the registration process. The customer was advised by the online support
team that they do not have access to the account billing information and would
need to call the Membership Services team. As of 12/4/2015 the customer had
still made no attempt to call in to discuss the account or properly request a
refund.  
Although no refund was due, we have processed
a credit of $49.95 in an attempt to resolve this complaint.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.This offer does not have any value to me because, as I stated, I am not interested in the service that this company provides. I tried the service and after one try I realized that I did not want the service, however I forgot to cancel the membership. In order to try the service I had to give my credit card number, so then I was charged in though I did not use the service. I am asking for a good faith refund for something I didn't use. Your analogy is not a good one because cable service is pretty much a commodity. You know what you get with a cable service. The service that realtytrac.com provides is a niche service that only a very small percentage of the population can make use of.
Regards,
[redacted]

On 6/16/2016, member contacted RealtyTrac by phone for assistance accessing their account. Our records indicate the customer chose to upgrade from the $49.95 monthly subscription to a 6 month prepaid subscription for the cost of one additional month. The customer acknowledged that she understood...

promotional rates are non-refundable per the Terms of Use.Our records indicate the customer contacted online support via email on 6/30/2016 demanding refunds and threatening to contact the Revdex.com should the outcome be unfavorable. The customer claimed properties were erroneously marked as available but unwilling to provide examples.RealtyTrac is a foreclosure listing service, and as such, we do not take part in the sale or purchase of foreclosure property. The lists of distressed properties on the website are intended to be leads on homes that may be available for purchase, either from the current owner, or from the foreclosing lender who has repossessed the property. However, the posting of a property on RealtyTrac’s website is not a guarantee of availabilityIt is important to be aware that many of these foreclosure properties are not “on the market”, posted on the MLS or being advertised as for sale. However, many investors successfully purchase foreclosure property by contacting the current owners directly, and making an offer on the property. We include the following disclaimer on all property pages:The information at this site is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer to sell, rent, or advertise real estate outside the state in which the owner of the site is licensed. The owner is not making any warranties or representations concerning any of these properties including their availability. Information at this site and its property ratings are deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.RealtyTrac always recommends that customers sort the data by the most recent date to ensure they are viewing the freshest data available as the market can fluctuate. The membership is cancelled, and no further charges will be assessed unless the member chooses to reactivate her subscription again.  The customer may access the service until 12/15/2016 at which time the prepaid membership plan will expire.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be PARTIALLY satisfactory to me.  The business has already refunded me 1/3rd of what I paid them.  Had RealtyTrac simply sent me a billing statement every month I would not be writing this email now.  Whatever influence you have over business practices I encourage you to make every effort to make it a law that businesses notify the consumer via email or mail every time the business withdraws from the consumers account - the consumers bank account statement does not qualify for notifications.  If realty trac refunds me $400 total then I will consider this completely resolved.  As of now, it's only partial.
Regards,
[redacted] *

RealtyTrac clearly displays the Terms of Use on the registration page and a link to these same terms is readily available on every page of the site. All users must agree to these terms before they may enter any billing information or activate an account. As this account was created online by the user, it is the responsibility of the user to terminate the account in a timely manner if they did not wish to continue the service. When a member registers for a free Trial Membership, member agrees to be enrolled into a pre-paid month-to-month membership at the end of the free trial period if Member has not canceled the Trial Membership prior to the expiration thereof. The membership fee, when paid, is non-refundable and accrues on the first day of each term or successive renewal term until canceled, regardless of whether or not the Member actually uses the Site, the Services or the Content. Member acknowledges and agrees that NO refund, offset or credit will be given for any cancellation of a special introductory promotional offer membership or for subscription downgrades. 
In addition to the terms being displayed on the registration page, the member was sent an email on 9/11/2014 which included the following information regarding the trial account:
About Your 7-Day Free Trial
During your trial period you will have complete access to our premium plan at no cost. You may cancel your trial by calling us at 800-913-0902 during the business hours of 7am to 6:30pm Pacific Time, Monday – Friday and 8am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Cancel before 9/18/2014 and you will not be billed. If you choose not to cancel your account before 9/18/2014, you will be billed $49.95 for uninterrupted access to your membership. This subscription recurs every month at $49.95 until you cancel.

The Member registered for a 7-day free trial of
RealtyTrac on 10/9/2015....

The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration
page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee.
The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial
period, the account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the
monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by
the new member. This account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged
the monthly subscription fee beginning on 10/16/2015.
The member called to inquire about the
charges on 1/7/2016. The Representative explained that there was no previous
record of cancellation made. The Representative proceeded to cancel the
membership and sent an email confirming the cancellation to the email address
provided by the member during registration which also included the confirmation
number [redacted]. The member threatened to harass the call center unless
all funds were returned. The representative explained the Terms of Use agreed
upon at the time of registration and offered to submit a refund request for
further review.
Although no refund was due,
RealtyTrac issued a refund of $49.95 on 1/7/2016 as a one-time courtesy. Based
on the Terms of Use, the charges are considered valid and no further refund is
due at this time.

In order to cancel trial you must CALL during their business hours. Even if you remember to cancel before the 7 days you might still be out of luck if they are closed. If you can sign up online you should be able to cancel online. This shows that their trial isn't meant to hook you on their product but rather take your first months payment. They obviously don't think anyone would want to use their product long term or they might be a little more honest with you.

The member registered for a 7-day free
trial of RealtyTrac on 3/28/2015. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on
the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly
subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled
during the trial period,...

the account automatically converts to a monthly
subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account
information supplied by the new member. This account was not cancelled within
the 7 day trial period, and
the account was charged the monthly subscription fee beginning on
4/4/2015.
The member spoke to a representative on
5/5/2015 to inquire about the charge. The representative explained the terms of
use that were agreed to upon signup, which states that charges on accounts are
non-refundable. The representative advised the caller a refund request would be
submitted for review. As a courtesy, the refund request was approved on 5/5/2015
for the last charge of $49.95, prior to filing this complaint.
Although no additional
refunds were due, we have processed an additional credit of $49.95 on 5/11/2015,
for a total credit of $99.90.

The member registered for a 7-day free trial of RealtyTrac on 2/25/2015. The terms of the trial are clearly stated on the registration page prior to submitting a form of payment for the monthly subscription fee. The terms state that if the trial account is not cancelled during the trial period, the...

account automatically converts to a monthly subscription and the monthly fee of $49.95 will be charged to the account information supplied by the new member. All members receive an email welcoming them to the service and explain the date the trial will convert to a monthly subscription as well as cancellation directions should the member choose not to continue past the 7 day trial period. This account was not cancelled within the 7 day trial period, and the account was charged the monthly subscription fee beginning on 3/4/2015. The first call record from the customer’s phone number is dated 5/5/2016. All phone calls are logged and recorded regardless of speaking to a representative. Listening the recorded greeting will create a record of the call attempt. We have also thoroughly reviewed the [email protected] address and found no emails have been received from [email protected]. We invite the customer to provide copies of the messages they claim to have sent or phone records showing attempted calls for further review of the accusations made in the complaint. When the customer called in to inquire about the account on 5/5/2016 a representative explained that there is no record of cancellation and no correspondence had been received by the support email address. The representative explained the Terms of Use agreed to by the customer including the refund policy which states that the monthly fees are nonrefundable. RealtyTrac clearly labels the monthly subscription charge including the customer service phone number on the customer’s credit card statement but unfortunately the customer explained to the representative that they do not check their statement. The representative explained that they had cancelled the account, sent an email containing a confirmation number, and submitted a refund request for further review. Although no refund was due, RealtyTrac issued a refund in the amount of $49.95 on 5/5/2016 as a courtesy.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
First of all, realtytrac is clearly trying to make you (the Revdex.com) think I have been and am still actively using their membership services.  And they have only told you pieces of the story to try and support this false claim.  Let me feel you in on a few details they failed to mention or emphasize.  I would like realty trac to provide you and me a complete history of the times I logged in to their site since I signed up and for how long.  You will see the last time I logged in to their site (besides August 11th, was sometime back in 2013.  Knowing that, it makes sense why I suddenly logged on to their website 8 months later to verify my membership.  It was on Aug 11 2014 that I realized they had charged my CC.  And look at the time I logged in - midnight!  Of course I had to wait 12 hours - or at least 8 hours until they were open before I could contact them.  I waited until my lunch break to call them the very next day because I work from 8am-5pm and take my lunch break at noon.  Again, the only reason I logged on to their site on Aug 11th was to verify I did or did not have membership with them still.  
 
And the reason I did not call them back like I said I would is because I asked the representative this question: "What if I find that you guys have been charging my CC $50 for the last 8 months?  Will you still refund me even though I have not used your membership those 8 months?"  And his response was NO.  If they want me to call back and complain - I will gladly do so if it means getting my $400 refund.
 
And one more thing I will point out.  Realtytrac is so consistent in sending me daily advertisements via email, but refuse and will not and have not sent me a monthly email stating something like "We have just billed your CC for $50.  Thank you for your membership" - like any honest business would do.  It is obvious this is how they make their money by silently withdrawing $50 from someone's bank account without a single peep about the transaction.  In my opinion, this should be illegal for any business to do.  Any periodic automatic withdrawal from a persons bank account should immediately result in an email or letter to the person regarding the transaction.  Any honest and customer friendly business would do this.
 
So no, I will not accept their offer of 2 free months membership - that's the last thing I want from them.
 
Please have them refund me the $400 that they know and I know they owe me as an honest business would do.  I will also note, that I'm not requesting the full refund which would amount to about $500 if my calculations are correct.  I am willing to give them $100 even though I didn't really use or benefit from their services at all.  We did not find one home or property on their website that we were interested in or used in any way.  When realtytrac gives us the log history of every time I logged on to their site and for how long as well as every search I performed - this will prove just how "useful" and how often I used their services  - which I didn't use over the last 8 months. 
Regards,
[redacted] *

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The reply from Realty Trac contains several false statements. Each year in 2013 and 2014 I called to cancel the service and was told by their representatives that it has been cancelled. In fact during my discussion with them last week one of their agents acknowledged it was noted in May 2014 that I spoke to Israel my account rep and that Israel noted in the account that  I wanted to extend my account another year. Which was false because I called to complain that they had not cancelled it in 2013 when they said they would. The agent stated they would  listen to the 2014 recorded call and reply to me in 24-48 hours.Over the next several days I received numerous calls from Realty Trac but rather than listening to the recorded call they were trying to get me to renew. I realized this year that the Realty Trac agents are challenged to be honest so I recorded this years call and if you wish to listen to it you will hear that they do actually have notes on my call last year when I called to cancel for the second year contrary to their statement to the Revdex.com that I had not called previously. Realty Trac and I both have a recording of this years call. If you would like a copy I will be happy to send it to you so you can see that they have lied to the Revdex.com about the call history.I demand a refund of the 2013 and 2014 charges for which I received no service and was lied to by their agents when they told me they had cancelled my renewals.
 
Regards,
[redacted]