Classmates.com Members File Class Action Lawsuit Against Classmates.com Over Privacy Concerns
Classmates.com members have filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington (Seattle) against the owners and/or operators of the social networking website Classmates.com, Classmates Online, Inc. and Classmates Media Corporation, according to a class action news report.
The Classmates.com class action lawsuit complaint reportedly alleges that Classmates.com exposed Classmates.com members’ personal information to potentially millions of other persons through an alleged improper email waiver and without giving adequate warning.
The class action lawsuit against Classmates.com reportedly seeks damages and injuntive relief and alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment, violations of the Electronic Data Privacy Act and violation of the Washington consumer protection act.
If You Have Thoughts On The Classmates.com Class Action Lawsuit, Share Your Class Action Comments Below.
I can’t believe classmates is getting away with these bogus charges! I don’t even have access to their site, and they billed my credit card 59.00. I called and they told me it was non-refundable. The worst part is, it is for services not yet used. It is for April 2010 until April 2011. How can they not refund something I haven’t even used? I wish I could get some help getting a refund. I cancelled my credit card so they won’t be able to do it again. This is the biggest scam I’ve ever seen.
They did the same to me. $39.00 for a year automatically put on my credit card. I was thinking of canceling my card also. Have you found out anything new about this company? I agree with you that it’s a scam. I’m looking for a class action lawsuit to join.
Put a complaint on them at BBB.org and also call your credit card company and tell them that you did not auth the charges on your card from classmates.
Holly…you must have signed up with the site in order for them to have your credit card number in the first place. I was a member for many years before Facebook was up and going good. It was great for getting everyone together for our 20 year reunion. I didn’t mind paying the $15 every three months.
Yes, I must have, too bad they didn’t charge me every three months so that I could have cancelled before it reached 59.00.
It’s been 2 years, and my email address has changed, so even if I wanted to get on, they say my email does not match. I tried my old one, but I don’t have my password. They can’t send me my password, because my new email is not on file. It is difficult to get a phone number for them. You would think they would list a number on their site. I’ve read the reviews for classmates and from what I can tell, very few if any were happy with them. I learned my lesson with these sites………RIP OFFS!
classmates.com phone number is 206-301-5900 good luck, They did me the same way…
After not realizing Classmates had defaulted my renewal to ” auto ” without my knowledge, and no email notice for the upcoming renewal was sent to me. I tried to stop payment for my $39 for a new year at Classmates through email, at their site, only to be ignored. This transaction was still pending at my bank at the time. I called my bank for advise. My bank gave me a phone # for classmates and I got a hold of them. They said no refunds and very snobbish at that. This renewal transaction had not even cleared my bank at the time. This business practice needs to be stopped.
Amen, just had the same thing happen to me. Tell you what we can do. Contact the state attorney general for Washington state and ask them to investigate. (that is where they are based) then contact the state attorney general in YOUR state and lodge a complaint. Post a complaint about them on the Better Business Bureau Website post on any consumers affairs site you can find… And then post on Facebook to all your friends. Join any class action suit you can fund related to their unfair business practices. If we all take the time to do this, they will be stopped. Creepy business practice. Oh and if they are a public company they have public filings with the SEC.. Google it and find the board of directors and write them directly!!!
I agree I found a 39.00 charge on my bank account and it has been over a year. I never approved this charge but they said it was a automatic renewal. The email addres they even had was no lomger being used. I called and they would not refund my money. Classmates is a scam and they rip people off. I asked to have me removed. If there is a class action law suit sign me up. I get tried of these companies ripping people off.
They were very arrogant and snobbish with me too Mark. I got ripped off for 59.00. It’s like HaHa, we took your money, and your not getting it back. I am fortunate that I did not give them my checking account number. I gave them a credit card number and have since cancelled the card. It is ridiculous. I’ve warned everybody I know to cancel their card if they ever signed up for classmates.
Classmates.com had no problem selling my credit card info. to Shopping Essential’s and they rang up a $486. charge on my card.
my credit card # was stolen and ended up in england, i closed classmates down and changed my password, i bet they sold our credit card info and is getting by with it, they have made millions
I got the e-mail, but I had no intention of ordering Gold Membership. I was wondering if I can still act on the lawsuit and appear in court this October?
I cancelled my charge against my credit card for $39 that wasn’t authorized. It is suppose to be June 1 2010 for a year. I deleted my credit card info & cancelled mine & my husbands accounts. They refused the cancellation & the credit card company has rebilled us for the $39. As far as I am concerned the lawsuit is a fraud also. There is a propossed settlement $3.00 or $2.00 off the purchase or renewal of Gold membership
i want to join the class action suit….
I too was charged a $39.00 renewal fee without notice for a renewal of a membership I was planning to cancel when it came due. As I have just gone back to work part time after many months of unemployment, the balance of my life is hanging by a cash flow shoestring and this charge has cost me, not only $30.00 in overdraft fees, but also food and gas to commute to my job this week. There are other issues that extend far beyond this incident that they just compromised with credit at my bank. Good credit that I have carefully developed over the last couple of years is now compromised. I am fuming. We need another class action suite! I want my money back! I am and urging you to contact you local news stations consumer complaint department. Someone will, no must help with this! It is wrong. They send out enough other junk mail! They are a complete SCAM!
I must
ALSO CONTACT THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND LET”S PUT THE PRESSURE ON. WE KNOW THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BESIDES US…. SPEAK OUT. OUR VOICES ARE OUR MIOST POWERFUL WEAPON.
I have read all over the internet how Classmates.com is charging everyones charge cards annually even if they do not have permission to do so. I am one of those victims. I signed up for classmates.com last year for a discounted amount of $9.95 for a year. I made sure that they would not be able to renew without my permission. Low and behold this year I was automatically charged $39.00. I called to have it removed and they refuse. The representative said I never signed up for manual charges, but I know I did. I believe they are doing this to many people and something has to be done. They should not be allowed to operate a website if they are going to be dishonest.
I just saw that the maximum amount that any one person can get is a whoppin $3.00!!!! Don’t spend it all in one place!
I would like my name added to the class action lawsuit, I was charged 39.95 on my credit card without my permission! I also asked for my card # be deleted from their records, now I see there are thousands more.
I just received a renewal charge of 39.00. When I called the number that was on my credit card statement I felt like I was talking to a bill collector. He said he could cancel further automatic renewals but would not credit me for the 39.00. I told him I was going to dispute it with the bank and he said it won’t work and he’d make a note of it in my file. I called the bank twice and they will not dispute it because they tell me that when I signed up there was a box checked for automatic renewal and I hadn’t unchecked it. The bank is assuming this. When I had a retail business and a customer disputed a charge I had to provide a copy of a signed receipt. What is going on that we as consumers have no rights in this case? If a lawyer reads this, would you please explain this to me?
I’ve just had the same renewal charged to my credit card – USD$39.00 (AUD $40.26 + foreign transaction fee) without my authorization. I sent an email and was surprised to receive a response suggesting I too check my Renewal Option to manual – and guest what – it already was set on manual!!!!! I am furious and after a day of research, have found thousands of complaints for exactly the same issue. I have since cancelled my credit card as I no longer trust this mob and I would love to have my name added to a class action against this fraudulent practice.
Was your email to Classmates or the bank? Did you try to dispute it through the bank?
My email was to Classmates.com – in fact I sent several threatening emails, adamant that they were ripping me off and the transaction was not authorized – well guess what?? This morning THEY REFUNDED $37.30 plus foreign transaction fee to my credit card – A WIN A LAST!!! Don’t give up people – just keep harassing them.
Congratulations!!!!
RE: Classmates and personal data.
Classmates is allowing personal data to be harvested by PrivacyMatters.com, a bogus credit watching company, who then starts an account and bills the unsuspecting Classmates member to the card on register with Classmate for automatic renewal. The charges from PrivacyMatters.com start on the same month as the Classmate yearly charge. QUIT CLASSMATES IMMEDIATELY, TURN OFF THE AUTOMATIC BILLING, CALL YOUR CREDIT CARD AND ASK THAT A NEW CARD BE ISSUED ON A FRAUDULENT COMPLAINT SUCH THAT THE OLD NUMBER DOES NOT ROLLOVER TO THE NEW CARD.
I got screwed too by Classmates. They pulled the same thing on me. Charged me automatically for the Gold. I never gave them permission for renewal. When I saw it on my charge card, I called and they told me that is is automatic and that they let you know by email and you have three days to tell them that you are not renewing, and if you miss that in the three day period, you are charged. Golly, I was out of the country and didn’t read my email. What a scam.
Classmates charged me today 39.00 for 1 year membership. I was a gold member but had decided that after there new changes I didn’t want to belong anymore. I figured I would just let my membership run out and not renew. When I signed up I didn’t realize they were gonna charge me automatically. I paid 19.00 dollars last Dec 4th and today on the 2nd they charge me 39.00. I sent them an email canceling and request a refund. They responded that they could not refund my money but I could go to the page and change to manual billing and then on Dec 2, 2011 I would not be billed. I called them stating that I cancel in all reality 363 day into the membership so I wanted a refund. They down right refuse. I think it is time for another class action suit against Classmates. Anyone know of any lawyers that may handle it…. sounds like they do this a lot.
put me down in the ranks of the that got srewed by classmates.
same deal billed my cc after trial period. said no refunds!!
something shoulfd be done to all these co’s
Same thing just happened to me .. even after deleting my credit card from my settings and unchecking automatic renewal. They STILL charged my credit card. This company is awful and they play dirty.
I wrote them an email saying I will campaign against their dirty business practices on every blog site, news site and anywhere else I can find.
Everyone that reads this or has experienced being a victim of Classmates should do the same thing to spread the word.
I am in complete agreement with all the e-mails on this subject.Classmates.com should be required to send an opt out message before renewing the membership.I will pay this $39.00 charge to avoid problems with my credit card company, but do so uber protest.
I have unsubscribed close to daily to Classmates who keep sending me so-called seekers who never could have known me — from early 1950s and beyond! My class was in ’41 — all scattered/killed by WWII! I have never head of the people they list as seekers — as they are 10-20 years younger than I and I had left Galveston by 1949!
Married, moved away. I have repeatedly responded with UNSUBSCRIBE, but they persist in sending their emails. They advertise ‘free’ then charge for their service! False advertising, refusal to stop sending junk emails, etc., etc., etc. is not just annoying — it is, I believe, scam in capital letters!
Patricia
I have unsubscribed close to daily to Classmates who keep sending me so-called seekers who never could have known me — from early 1950s and beyond! My class was in ’41 — all scattered/killed by WWII! I have never head of the people they list as seekers — as they are 10-20 years younger than I and I had left Galveston by 1949!
Married, moved away. I have repeatedly responded with UNSUBSCRIBE, but they persist in sending their emails. They advertise ‘free’ then charge for their service! False advertising, refusal to stop sending junk emails, etc., etc., etc. is not just annoying — it is, I believe, scam in capital letters! Du;lication?
Another shim-sham? My you lose the suit and be stricken from the web and all its waves!
Patricia
same thing to me. 39 bucks & I KNOW I did not authorize a recharge. I spoke to them same rhetoric. I will however mean mouth them to ANYONE I can. In fact it will be my new signature for awhile on all outgoing e-mails
The date is 1-3-2011 and I’m sitting here reconsiling my check book and found a automatic withdrawal from my account, so i went back in my records and found where they withdrew 9.95 in Dec of 2009 and i called them and was told the same, that they could not credit back my account,so i told them then to cancel my membership as of that date. They have a deceiving home page that claims the membership is free, and as you continue you find out there’s a fee, so i dropped the site and they charged my account anyway. they need to be stopped from there deceiving way.
Put these guy’s out of business and add my name to the law suite
I see I am in good company with classmates.com. I wish I would have researched the practices of unauthorized charges. I signed up a year ago for 9.99 and went on the website once. I did’nt know renewal was automatic and I was charged 40.00 renewal fee yesterday on my credit card. I found out at the grocery store, I have been unemployeed for six months and was unable to buy groceries for my kids because of this abuse. I have contacted my back and e-mailed them several times. I also have contacted the BBB. Can’t belive they are allowed to do this to us!
I too am a victim of this SCAM from classmates.com. I reported them to the Attorney General’s office of Washington State and put in a dispute with my Bank to try to get my $39.00 unauthorized fee back. I am a ‘disabled widowed Grandma’ trying to help raise my grandson, and this was money for my groceries. I joined the “free” site a year ago thinking I could find some ‘old classmates’ from years ago, and never went back on. Please, someone help us with this scam that is hurting many, many ‘common people’ who are struggling to make it through this recession!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I understand it I’m not in the minority on having my bank account charged without agreeing to or notification of said action. I would like to sign up for a nation wide class action suit. Can anyone help me in initiating this action. Thanks: Russell Shissler
As I understand it I’m not in the minority on having my bank account charged without agreeing to or notification of said action. I would like to sign up for a nation wide class action suit. Can anyone help me in initiating this action. Thanks: Russell
Also, I was blindsided by Classmates.com. My A/E was charged
$39.00 and when I called requesting a refund, I was told that
they couldn’t do a refund. I yelled and told them I was going
to bad mouth them to everyone. When I asked to speak with
a supervisor I was told they could refund me for the 10 months
remaining on the year. Time will tell if the refund comes through.
They are getting rich from charging these fees. Don’t give up,
we need to contact news media, BBB, Attorney General’s office
and whoever will listen to us. Let’s go after them.
This website just made an UNAUTHORIZED purchase from my checking account. NO ONE gave them permission to TAKE money from that account..without ANY type of notifications. It constitutes FRAUD. The purchase was for $39.00….the EXACT amount that OTHERS are claiming they took WITHOUT permission. I will be contacting the attorneys representing the class action lawsuit in the morning.
I also just saw where Classmates deducted $39.00 charge from a bank account using my debit card number. I’m so furious because I got no email notice and, of course, didn’t remember the last time I authorized a payment to them or even used their site because it has been so long.
They must be desperate for income since Facebook has virtually taken over the social network media and no one is using their site.
I plan to fight on this one because I hate being blatantly scammed. I plan to:
1) join any class action suit that is organized against them.
2) report this scam to my State Attorney General’s office to put them out of business. Everyone should report them to their State’s AG’s office … they have the clout to make life very difficult for them.
3) write them with a demand to show where I authorized that deduction. If they can’t prove it, then I will contact my local police or the one in WA where their address is and file theft charges against them since they were not authorized to take that money from my account. A theft is a theft.
Good luck to everyone.
Charlien they have done the same to me .They have taking money out of my bank acc. for about a year and I went to my bank and they gave me the # and I called and cussed them out and told them what a rip off they are and they said they would cancel me but what makes me mad is all the money they have taken…
I agree with everything said above. Sneaky company. They lure you in with a greatly reduced rate ($9.95) then provide no privileges of any substance, then blindside you a year later with a $39 debit to your bank account or credit card. Then the “Member Care” team hides behind legal technicalities in holding on to your money. I will keep trying to get my money back, and I’m not taking any chances that this will happen again next year. Even if I have to change my checking account number.
I got screwed by classmates.com also. Cancelled my subscription over a year ago and just got billed $39.00. They say they can’t reverse the charges once they are billed due to auto pay. Big rip off. I do not even go on their site. It is in my spam folder for a reason.
I dropped Classmates back in 2006 when they automatically renewed my membership, which I didn’t authorize. I complained and got nowhere. I had the same experience with the old email account not working and not being able to retrieve the password so I could get into the account and cancel it. After I let it expire (and canceled the card), they started sending me emails that someone was trying to get in touch with me. I didn’t know the person, but I could find out if I paid for the annual subscription!!! I blocked their emails/marked as spam. By that time, MySpace was becoming a better way to network with friends, and Classmates was becoming desperate to keep any revenue they could. I’m really sad to see that they are still employing the same practices and I really hope the lawsuit pays out!
This class action is about lawyers and money. The suit offers you $10. Lawyers get the bulk!
i am def agreeing with ricky! it is offering 10 dollars to each person.. what use is that? they should have to pay to each individual person, double what they took from us! seriously 10 bucks is nothing compared to what they have taken!
So….if only 100 people file with the lawsuit, do we get more than $10? I think they are trying to sway people away from joining with the $10 price point. They didnt take any money from me because i dont put my card number anywhere on the internet…ever. But i do feel for those of you that have been taken advantage of, and i hope that all of you guys band together to take this company for everything they stole. And i do agree with the fact that the lawyers are being greedy, but dont let that stop you.
I am the same as all ya’ll.I sign up and they said it would be 15.00 for three month so I gave them my credit card # like a dumb ass and they have taken out 15.00 a month finally I catch it and go to my bank and they they can stop them for taking it out for 39.00 or I can try and call them so I call and cuss them out and tell them what a rip off they are.They say they will stop payment but we will see..Boy I was hotter than a firecracker.I have twins and putting them thru college and count ever penny…I will post on facebook and say what a rip off they are
I too just recieved a charge for $39.00 on my credit card statement. I was expecting an email to tell me a renewal was due and I was going to tell them what they could do with their membership(it is all a rip off- I never went to school with any of these people). There was no notification to ask if I wanted to renew like other companies do. When contacting them online my box was checked for automatic renewal. I would not have done that. Of course all of their info say there are no refunds. I unchecked the box and the info still says I will continue to recieve their worthless info for the next year. They are ripping people off and should be stopped. Sign me up for the lawsuit.
5 years ago I opened Classmates. I reviewed my C/C bill today and found a 39.00 charge. I called Classmates and they refused to refund this amount that they put on my account on Dec. 10th. I was told they do not give refunds. After 30 min and the girl talking to a Supervisor they agreed they would give me 38.40. I owed for 3 days of service. How ridiculous. I again had the girl talk with her Supervisor and I was told I would get the 39.00 but it would take 30 days. I then called Am/Exp and told them the situation and they put a lock on Classmates. Classmates insisted I signed up for a continued billing. I am not that stupid, to sign up for continous billing. Shame on you Classmates for what is called another one of your rip-offs.
I just found out that Classmates sold my info to Privacy Matters and they have been billing me for 2 years. Does anyone know if there is anyone doing something about this?
I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE CLASS ACTION SUIT AS CLASSMATES.COM HAS TAKEN $39.00 DOLLARS FROM
MY CREDIT CARD WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I HAVE
NOT USED CLASSMATES FOR OVER A YEAR AND DO NOT
BELIEVE AUTOMATIC CHARGES ARE LEGAL. ALSO NO ONE
IN MY CLASS IS ON FILE WITH CLASSMATES.