ComplaintsforClassmates.com

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Used pch classmates.com service sometime well over 1 year ago. Stopped using it also likewise over 1 year ago again. Out of no where got charged 48 bucks recently this year [now year plus later.] I filed charge back with my bank. Scam of a company said i USE their service WHEN I DID NOT. THIS IS pch classmates.com doing pure fraud I DID NOT REVICE OR USE ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE from pch classmates.com in past year + If the company was honest one they would of CLEARLY seen not in any way shape or form am I getting anything from them. This is them openly scamming people money, i did my research and they do this to MANY people. How dare you charge people for a service their not even getting and then have the evil greedy intent of KNOWING someone not receiving your service/product anymore, but you charge them anyway and fight the charge back vs just giving the refund. SCAM Am victim of fraud from this company. Being charged for something I don't even use/receive/etc from them.

  Business response

  07/26/2021

  Complaint #: ********
  Consumer: **** ******
  
  We are in receipt of the complaint filed by Mr. ****** regarding his 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. ****** of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  Mr. ****** purchased a 1-year auto-renewing paid membership on June 23, 2020. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing his purchase, Mr. ****** was specifically notified that his membership fees were non-refundable, that his membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless he chose to cancel, that his credit or debit account would be charged the then-current full price for each renewal, and that he could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change his renewal settings at any time. Mr. ****** was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, he agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A representative copy of the standard 1-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 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. ****** would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. ******'s membership registration number, the amount Mr. ****** 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 under the gear icon 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.
  
  Classmates sends all members in a 1- or 2-year membership an automatic renewal reminder. Mr. ****** would have received this email renewal reminder on or about May 23, 2021 to the email address associated to his account reminding him that his membership would automatically renew in June7. According to our records, Mr. ****** 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 $48.00 on June 23, 2021, 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, a Member Care representative refunded Mr. ****** a full refund in the amount of $48.00 on July 3, 2021. Mr. ****** will note this refund on his physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days (sooner if he banks online) depending on his financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policy. Mr. ******’s Classmates account has reverted to a free basic membership and he will not be charged any additional membership fees unless he proactively purchases a future membership subscription.
  
  This information should successfully resolve Mr. ******'s complaint. Should your office or Mr. ****** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  

  Customer response

  07/27/2021

  Found out issue was they disputed the charge back so I got charged anyway, but in email/reply back from you guys they said they “refunded?” Talked to bank to find out what the **** going on. Seems they refund on their own but disputed the charge that asked for refund in first place. ***. Anyway I got my money back so I guess you can close  “complaint ID ********

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I would like my email address and all other information about me removed from Classmates.com website l put in a request for my email address and information to be removed and I never received a response back from Classmates.com. I am uncomfortable with my information being on the website, because I have read some of the complaints and this website on the BBB website. Can you please help me to get my information removed from Classmates.com website. Thank you

  Business response

  07/16/2021

  Complaint number: ********
  Consumer name: ******* *********
  
  We are in receipt of the Better Business Bureau Complaint filed by Mr. *********.
  
  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 added at the discretion of the user to provide and share.
  
  Per Mr. *********’s request, I have deleted his free Classmates account on July 16, 2021. Mr. ********* may continue to receive residual emails over the course of the next 10 days. Residual emails are emails already scheduled to be sent to our members in our email delivery system. He should feel free to disregard these emails.
  
  This information should successfully resolve Mr. *********’s consumer complaint if you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  $18 was charged to my account with out my consent or knowledge. I was not told i was being charged nor did I want this service. Charged back said automatic enrollment that was not authorized. As soon as I saw this I removed my card from this service. I did a trial months ago, did not approve of this enrollment nor was an email sent out regarding payment or be in enrollment CLASSMATES is the business.

  Business response

  07/13/2021

  Complaint number:  ********
  Consumer name:  ******** ****
  
  We are in receipt of the consumer complaint filed by Ms. **** in connection with her 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 Ms. **** of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  Ms. **** purchased a 50% discounted 3-month auto-renewing paid membership. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. **** was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable, that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her payment method would be charged US $18.00 for each renewal period, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time. Ms. **** 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 3-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 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, Ms. **** would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. ****'s membership registration number, the amount Ms. **** 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 underneath the gear icon. 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. **** did not opt out of the automatic renewal program or contact the Classmates Member Care Department prior to her renewal date. As a result, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her payment method was charged $18.00 on July 12, 2021 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
  
  According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Ms. **** with a refund in the amount of $18.00 on July 13, 2021. Ms. **** should note this refund on her physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days (sooner if she banks online) depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. Ms. ****’s account has reverted to a free basic Classmates membership.
  
  This information should successfully resolve Ms. ****'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. **** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com

   

  ***Attachment redacted by BBB staff***
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have requested to have my Classmates account DELETED - deleted as if it never existed. Classmates has not deleted the account and is still contacting via email about account activity- such as news about those in my graduation year etc.

  Business response

  07/12/2021

  Complaint #********
  Consumer: ***** ******
  
  Per Ms. ******’s request, I have deleted the free Classmates account associated with the email address provided in her complaint.
  
  This email account may continue to receive residual emails over the course of the next 10 days. Residual emails are emails already scheduled to be sent to our members in our email delivery system. She should feel free to disregard these emails.
  
  This information should successfully resolve Ms. ******’s complaint. Should your office or Ms. ****** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  
  

  Customer response

  07/12/2021

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

   

  ***Attachments redacted by BBB staff***

  Business response

  08/10/2021

  We are in receipt of the rebuttal response from Ms. ******. It appears that Ms. ****** has duplicate Classmates accounts. One is a free account, and the other is a paid subscription.
  
  The account that was deleted on July 12, 2021 was a free Classmates membership utilizing the email address Ms. ****** supplied in her complaint, ********************, under registration number *************. I’ve attached the membership record for your review.
  
  Ms. ****** appears to have an additional paid Classmates membership under registration number *************, utilizing the email address [email protected], which did not appear in her initial complaint. On July 2, 2021, a Classmates Member Care Representative requested confirmation that Ms. ****** wanted this paid account cancelled and removed which would forfeit her paid membership benefits and subscription membership fee.
  
  Per her request, I have deleted this account as well. A copy of this membership record is attached as page 2 of her membership record pdf file.  
  
  As noted in our earlier response, she may continue to receive residual emails to the [email protected] email address over the course of the next 10 days. She should feel free to disregard these emails.
  
  This information should resolve Ms. ******’s consumer complaint.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  

  Customer response

  08/11/2021

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

   

  I Accept this issue as Resolved. Of course, I am trusting Classmates to end any residual emails and contacts within the next few days. 

   

  Thank you so much for getting this resolved! 

   

  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  on 7/47/2021 they deducted 18.00 from my credit card i feel it was in error . my phone was messing up and there was a mistake made. i have been trying to contact classmates.com to correct this mistakes from 7/4/2021 i tried to contact them there phone number and there e-mail they do not respond. i would like my 18.00 put back on my credit card.

  Business response

  07/08/2021

  Complaint number: ********
  Consumer name: ******* *****
  
  We are in receipt of the Better Business Bureau Complaint filed by Mr. ***** regarding his Classmates paid membership subscription.
  
  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. ***** of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  On April 4, 2021 Mr. ***** purchased a discounted 50% 3 month auto-renewing paid membership. Prior to completing his purchase, Mr. ***** 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 payment method would be charged $18.00 for each renewal and that he could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change his renewal status at any time. Mr. ***** was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, he agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A representative copy of the standard 3-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 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. ***** would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. *****'s membership registration number, the amount Mr. ***** 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 underneath the gear icon.  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. ***** did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his payment method was charged $18.00 on July 4, 2021 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial membership purchase.
  
  According to the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Mr. ***** a refund in the amount of $18.00 on July 8, 2021. Mr. ***** should note this refund on his physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days depending on his financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. His Classmates account has reverted to a free, basic membership.
  
  Should your office or Mr. ***** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Took unauthorize $18.00 from my account on 7/2/2021.

  Business response

  07/08/2021

  Complaint number:  ********
  Consumer name:  ***** ***
  
  We are in receipt of the consumer complaint filed by Ms. *** in connection with her 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 Ms. *** of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  Ms. *** purchased a deeply discounted 3-month auto-renewing paid membership on April 1, 2021 in the amount of $7.50. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. *** was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable, that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her payment method would be charged US $18.00 for each renewal period, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time. Ms. *** 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 3-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 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, Ms. *** would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with her account. This email contained Ms. ***'s membership registration number, the amount Ms. *** 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 underneath the gear icon. 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. *** did not opt out of the automatic renewal program or contact the Classmates Member Care Department prior to her renewal date. As a result, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her payment method was charged $18.00 on July 1, 2021 in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that she agreed to during her initial purchase.
  
  According to the Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Ms. *** with a refund in the amount of $18.00 on July 8, 2021. Ms. *** should note this refund on her physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days (sooner if she banks online) depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. Ms. ***’s account has reverted to a free basic Classmates membership.
  
  This information should successfully resolve Ms. ***'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. *** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com

   

  ***Attachment redacted by BBB staff***
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am being charged $24.00 for a purchase I did not finalize to classmates. I don’t want this so expect a refund of $24.00 to me. ****** *******

  Business response

  06/30/2021

  Complaint Number: ********
  Consumer Name: ****** *******
  
  We are in receipt of the consumer complaint filed by Ms. *******.
  
  According to our records, Ms. ******* did complete her paid membership subscription and her account was charged for the 50% discounted 1 year membership subscription fee in the amount of $24.00 on June 22, 2021.
  
  Per Ms. *******’s request, a Classmates Member Care Representative refunded Ms. ******* $24.00 on June 29, 2021. Ms. ******* will note this refund on her physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. If Ms. ******* banks online, she will see this refund post to her account sooner. Her Classmates membership has reverted to a free basic membership, and she will not be billed for any additional fees unless she proactively purchases a Classmates product or service in the future.  
  
  This information should successfully resolve Ms. *******’s complaint. Should your office or Ms. ******* have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On April 30, 2021, classmates.com company automatically charge my MasterCard for renewing my membership without my permission or signing any agreement. I was charged $72.00. I sent them an email to credit MasterCard account and unsubscribe. This Request #******* for the first notification to unsubscribe and a refund. They said In a response from classmates, Peggy says on June 23,2021,” no longer enrolled automatic renewal program.” in the top paragraph. Next paragraph says “As a courtesy, we emailed a renewal reminder approximately 30 days prior to billing. Etc... I did not agree to renewal. Automatic renewal are not given permission for the company to say it is good enough reason to say they want to renew there subscription. I was supposed to be billed not charged. Classmates Request # ******* was the number for the second response. Worse off is they may have billed me since 2013. I do not want anything to do with this company. They bill people unknowingly. Thankyou!

  Business response

  06/30/2021

  Complaint number: ********
  Consumer name: ****** ***********
  
  We are in receipt of the Better Business Bureau Complaint filed by Mr. *********** regarding his claim that Classmates automatically renewed his membership and charged his payment method 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. *********** of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  Mr. *********** purchased a 50% discounted 2 year auto-renewing paid membership on April 20, 2019. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing his purchase, Mr. *********** was specifically notified that his membership fees were non-refundable, that his membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless he chose to cancel, that his payment method would be charged $72.00 for each renewal, and that he could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time. Mr. *********** was presented with language on this same page stating that, by clicking the button to purchase, he agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (with hyperlinks to each). A representative copy of the standard 2-year membership purchase page is attached for your review as well as a copy of Mr. *********** membership record.
  
  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. *********** would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email address associated with his account. This email contained Mr. ***********' membership registration number, the amount Mr. *********** 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 using the drop-down gear menu icon located in 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, Mr. *********** did not opt out of the automatic renewal program and, as a result, his membership was renewed for an additional term and his payment method was charged $72.00 on April 20, 2021, in accordance with the disclosures and the Terms of Service that he agreed to during his initial purchase.
  
  Additionally, Classmates sends all members in a 1- and 2-year subscription plan an automatic renewal reminder prior to the renewal of their membership terms. Mr. *********** would have received this renewal reminder to the email address associated with his account on or about March 30, 2021, reminding him that his membership would automatically renew in April unless he updated his renewal status to manual renewal.
  
  As noted above, per the Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. Additionally, according to our login records, Mr. *********** has utilized his membership in May and June 2021 prior to the receipt of his consumer complaint. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Mr. *********** a pro-rated refund of his membership fee in the amount of $65.98 on June 30, 2021. Mr. *********** should note this refund within the next 30 to 60 says on his physical billing statement (he will see the refund post to his account sooner if he banks online) depending on his financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. In the meantime, Mr. ***********’ Classmates account has reverted to a free basic membership and not further charges will be assessed to his account unless he proactively purchases additional paid services from Classmates in the future.  
  
  This information should successfully resolve Mr. ***********' complaint. Should your office or Mr. *********** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com

   

   

  ***Attachment redacted by BBB staff***
  
  

  Business response

  07/07/2021

  Per Mr. ***********' request, I have deleted his Classmates account and removed his membership from the Classmates website. Over the course of the next 10 days, he may still continue to receive residual emails from Classmates. Residual emails are emails that are already scheduled to be delivered to our members in our email delivery system. He should feel free to disregard these emails. 
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Tara M******
  

  Customer response

  07/10/2021

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***********

• Initial Complaint

  06/18/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for a 'trial' session with classmates .com with the option to continue my subscription. Now they keep renewing my subscription every month without my consent.

  Business response

  06/22/2021

  Complaint number: ********
  Consumer name: ****** *******
  
  We are in receipt of the Better Business Bureau Complaint filed by Ms. ******* regarding her paid Classmates membership subscription.
  
  According to our records, Ms. ******* has two accounts on the Classmates website:
  
  Registration Number *************: This membership was created on July 9, 2020. The email address associated with this account is *********************. This account has been a free account since its creation date and was last accessed on June 21, 2021.
  
  Registration Number *************:  This membership was created on June 10, 2016, using the email address ****************************. On September 17, 2020, Ms. ******* purchased a 3 month automatically renewing paid membership. This membership is the subject of this complaint.
  
  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. ******* of the Automatic Renewal Program.
  
  
  As noted above, Ms. ******* purchased a discounted 3-month auto-renewing paid membership on September 17, 2020 in the amount of $7.50. On the payment information page of the paid membership purchase process, prior to completing her purchase, Ms. ******* was specifically notified that her membership fees were non-refundable, that her membership would automatically renew for the same term each time it reached its expiration date unless she chose to cancel, that her payment method would be charged the full term price of US $18.00 for each renewal period, and that she could visit the “Account” portion of the website to change that at any time. Ms. ******* 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 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 er 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, Ms. ******* would have received a paid subscription confirmation email sent to the email addresses associated with her account. The email contained Ms. *******'s membership registration number, the amount Ms. ******* 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 underneath the gear icon. 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. ******* did not opt out of the automatic renewal program or contact the Classmates Member Care Department prior to her renewal date. As a result, her membership was renewed for an additional term and her payment method was charged $18.00 on December 17, 2020, 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 Classmates Terms of Service, Classmates has a no refund policy. However, as a matter of customer courtesy, I have provided Ms. ******* with a courtesy refund of $18.00 on June 22, 2021. Ms. ******* should note this refund on her physical billing statement within the next 30 to 60 days (she will see the refund post to her account earlier if she banks online) depending on her financial institution’s billing cycle and internal refund policies. Ms. *******’s account has reverted to a free basic Classmates membership. She will not be billed for any additional membership fees unless she proactively purchases a future Classmates paid membership subscription.
  
  I’ve deleted her free duplicate account (registration number *************).
  
  This information should successfully resolve Ms. *******'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. ******* have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was going over my bills an found out that classmates were charging me on two different cards. I attempted to speak with them and they said they did not know. They refused to reimburse me for one card. They said their policy was they could reimburse me for one payment of 18.00 because it was in their 3 months grace period. I read several reviews and it seems like they are doing this same thing to many people

  Business response

  06/16/2021

  Complaint number: ********
  Consumer name: ******* ******
  
  We are in receipt of the Better Business Bureau Complaint filed by Ms. ****** regarding
  duplicate paid memberships on the Classmates website.
  
  According to our records, Ms. ****** has two paid accounts on the Classmates website:
  
  Registration Number *********: This membership was created on August 28, 2002. The email address associated with this account is *********************
  Registration Number *************:  This membership was created on February 11, 2018. The email address associated with this account is ***********************.  
  
  On June 8, 2021, Ms. ****** contacted the Classmates Member Care Department via phone. The representative located Ms. ******’s duplicate accounts and provided a courtesy refund of Ms. ******’s account ending in **** in the amount of $18.00 and deleted the account. The representative also placed Ms. ******’s second account ending in **** in a manual renewal state.
  
  Since Ms. ****** has actively used her paid membership benefits on the **** account within the last paid membership term, I am unable to provide her a full refund, however, I have provided her with a pro-rated refund in the amount of $9.98 on June 16, 2021. This membership has now reverted to a free basic Classmates membership. There will be no additional renewal charges related to this account unless Ms. ****** proactively purchases an additional paid Classmates membership in the future.
  
  This information has successfully resolved Ms. ******'s complaint. Should your office or Ms. ****** have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Tara M******
  Associate Director, Compliance & IP
  www.classmates.com
  

  Customer response

  06/16/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  I disagree . They knew fully the accounts were the  SAME PERSON . i DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE PAYMENT MADE ON CHASE ACCORDING  TO MY RECORDS THEY HAVE IT STATED IT WAS ONLY CHARGED AGAINST ******.  THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS POSTED ON BBB ON THE SAME THING AS I.  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH A PRORATED TOTAL.  THEY PERIODLY COME ON THE CLASSMATES WEBSITE AND TELL YOU IT IS TIME TO RENEW.  I ASSUME THAT WAS FOR ONE ACCOUNT NOT 2. I THINK THEY NEED TO CHECK HOW THEY ARE BILLING PEOPLE

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩