Classmates review: automatic renewal 12

Has anyone been charged with a membership automatic fee withdrawal from their banks by classmates.com? I signed up for the $20.00 life time membership at classmates.com for $20.00. Life time was not life time. They have now charged me for a gold membership at $39.00 a year. I have asked them to cancel the same day they stole my money and to refund my $39.00 so far they have refused.They say it is non refundable. I intend to fight it. BEWARE I have canceled my membership. They refused to let me do that say it is good till Dec. 2009.HELP

They are ripping people off.

CLASSMATES.COM IS A SCAM. Here's the deal, they let you register your name for free, then start to bombard you with emails telling you that old schoolmates have left messages for you. First it was one message, then they they said they had messages from six old friends from me. But you can't see the messages, or who sent them, til you sign up . So not wanting to look like a snob to my old schoolmates, I signed up with the cheapest deal - $15.00 for three months. The six so called 'friends' names and pics pop up and guess what - bogus people - noone from my school, and no messages. Wanting to call the company, I quickly discovered that there is no way to get in touch with them! I called my credit card company and cancelled, these people are fraudsters, why are they still around? And not in the slammer?
S.D. Toronto

I had the same thing happen to me. Except, I signed on for a one-time only fee that would expire in 3 months. It did expire...almost a year ago. Now, months later they charged me $39. I called classmates customer care # [protected]. I spoke to a guy who has obviously gone through the same old shpeel at least a hundred times. He refused to refund my money. I threatened to call the Better Business Bureau and he still refused. I finally asked to speak to his supervisor. The same guy came on the line shortly afterward and said he could do me a favor and exchange the $39 membership to a $9.95 membership. I said absolutely not. He finally agreed to make this exclusive exception just this once. They said they will reverse the charges. I then instructed him to delete any credit card information they have on file for me. He said he would do that, too. WE WILL SEE...if I don't see a refund within 10 days, I will dispute the charge with my credit card company. CLASSMATES.COM SUCKS!

The exact same thing happen to me, when I signed up back in Oct 17, 2008 it was a lifetime membership for 20.00 dollars. After talking to my sister after her account was charge again, i went into my account and made sure that i was not being charged for anything. On Oct 17, 2009 I was charged $39.00 for a gold membership. So I called on Oct 19, 2009 to request a refund, because i never elected an automatic renewal. I spoke with a LASHAWN Employee Number 4804 and she stated that i did not elect to have a manual deduction versus automatic deduction, and that classmates.com is a very good company and they do not do any shady things. ( why would you say that unless your company does it) I then asked could my money be refunded, she STATED NO. I then asked to speak to a supervisor or a manager, she stated that there was no supervisor or manager that she could transfer me to...(WTH). I could not believe what i was been told, so i asked her again to talk to a supervisor, she then told me that i would have to call back, and start the process all over again. I called the number back and spoke to another employee named TRACY and explained my situation to her, and guess what, my money is being refunded in the amount of $38.79 . I then asked Tracy for a number where i could compliment her on her professionalism, Tracy then told that she could transfer me to a supervisor for that. I spoke to a supervisor, and she indicated that she was sorry for my experience with LASHAWN#4804 and it looks like it was a training issue and that she would address it. sergeantcurt@yahoo.com

They just took $39 from my Paypal account and said that I had checked "auto-renew" when I joined with the $20 membership. They have refused to refund my money after complaining to them that they have data leaking into the search engines even though we must login to their site. Classmates has told me they are a public site and the search engines can cache data, etc.
Paypal also won't refund my money saying that I was on auto-renew even though I don't use Classmates and I don't want to continue with them or pay. The best thing all of us can do is complain to the BBB and Attorney General in Washington.
Here are the links. When they get numerous complaints--they will look at the company more seriously.
www.thebbb.org
www.atg.wa.gov/FileAComplaint.aspx#Online

They got me two days ago for $ 39.00 and will not give it back. Everyone reading this, please do one thing. Tell a friend and so on. Two can play this game. They want to keep my 39.00 dollars and me stay on classmates . I will use all this time on just telling people how they are. They have so many complaints and nothing so far has been done. All I and you can do is email people, use face book and also use classmates to let every one know. My goal is now to make sure I do my best to get the word out. I was piss and really mad. I have decided now to make sure what goes around comes around. Please join me in this and maybe some one can do something about a company like this.

Yes something IS being done about it. A class action lawsuit was filed against them for posting "fake" friends to get people to join. I dont remember all of the specifics, but Google Classmates.com lawsuit.

They took 39.00 out of my account a few days ago without my permission. They stole my Christmas money :( They are laughing at me and won't give it back. They say I authorized it, they are lying and stole my money. I am a crippled older woman with not much money and they stole my Christmas food money :( Someone please help me.
undies53@yahoo.com

I joined a few years ago for the same reason to see emails from classmates, I was helping organize our 20 year class reunion. So, I paid my $20.00...I did not sign up or check auto renewal or know anything about this gold membership for $39.00. I do not recall getting a notification that I would be getting billed $39.00 for the gold membership. I have tried to send email correspondence to dispute the charge and I am getting the same run around. Enjoy your membership for the rest of the year. I have not used the service in about two years since we've already had our reunion and of course there is facebook and it is FREE!

Does the law suit give us a chance to get a refund?

Same thing here. They refuse to give a refund. Biggest scam around. These guys need to be sued by someone to get their attention.

I got my 39.00 back only after threatening to call BBB, the news stations, and a lawyer.
It took me a long time.
I understand they are trying to make money but this is the wrong way.
The people I spoke to were rude, hurtful and very mean and triggered my depression so bad I am still sick from thinking about it.
Please be careful and read all the small print.
It makes me very mad that this kind of rip off thing happens.
Classmates should be ashamed to call themselves Americans.

I am having the same problem. I have been thru this issue with Classmates.com for over two yrs. I do not authorize the $39 withdrawals.
I checked my profile & account & found that authorization was checked authorized. I know for a fact I changed it to "NOT AUTHORIZED" several yrs ago. I am sick over this and don't know what to do. $39 may not be a lot of money to most, but is to me.
roshishana@msn.com