Privacy Matters 1-2-3 review: Company got debit card information from another site! 43

My story is the exact same as yours. I was told by peoplefinders.com that "It appears that you clicked on there advertisement in order for you to be charged by this company" and "You would only be billed with Privacy Matters if you filled out their survey and entered in your email address twice to confirm registration with them." Last time I checked, I wasn't stupid. I'm pretty sure when I do or do not sign up for something. Their excuse was lame and it sounds as if they use it a lot.

I believe these scam artists are all the same company. When I called them they insisted on blabbering about how wonderfull they were and how I would be foolish to 'cancel' the membership I never signed up for. It wasn't until I started swearing at the 2nd guy that I finally got his attention. They agreed to refund both charges ( their first offer was 1 refund) only after I told him I would dispute both charges with my credit card company. I will give them to the end of the week. If my card isn't credited I will simply dispute and they will lose the money anyway.

PS NEVER use a debit or VISA check card over the internet. Recouping your money is much more complicated than a credit card dispute. Credit card companies will simply remove the money from the scam artist's bank account. A company signed up to collect via VISA is supposed to keep an account with a minimum $5000 for this purpose.

I check my statements about every quarter [that will change] and found 3 charges to privacymatters 123 for $19.95 each. I called the 877# and went through the computer prompts, operator # 17334, "Chistine" and supervisor #7329, "Wilford". They agreed to credit 2 of the 3 charges in the next two days. Evidentally Prople Finder had a default button that requested a 7 day free trial and they had my CC# for a report I had ordered. That won't happen again. Does anyone know to whom I protest to get the last $19.95 after I'm sure I got the most resent 2 charges reversed?

email them, ask for full refund, do not call you will be fully refunded

I recently applied for a membership with Classmates.com and I also feel there was some sort of a small print area that I didn't read that signed me up for this privacy matters service. I was debited $19.95 from my account and immediately called [protected] and cancelled using my account number as a reference. But the 20 dollar damage is done. Imagine how much money they are making and without providing a service. Luckily I caught it with one charge, unlike some other Victim's who get hit several times before finding out!

Like John I signed up for Classmates one week free to locate a classmates I had been looking for for over 5 years. I few days later there was a charge for $19.95 from PrivacyMatters. No one on the internet had my number except Classmates.com When I call my bank they couldn't tell me anything about the charges but said they received a lots of call about the same company. Hope there are no other charges & now wonder who has my account number. PS Didn't get anything from Classmates doesn't look like they even forward the e-mail.

I too went to classmates.com for a free 7 day trial membership. I was on it for six days and cancelled. My credit card was charged the 19.95 even though the membership was cancelled. I now have a disputed charge on my credit card that is fraudulent and is somehow connected with Classmates.com and privacy matters. They somehow are exchanging private information. Beware of using Classmates.com or entering your charge card number at ANY internet site.

WARNING. I also signed up for a three-month gold membership to classmates.com. Shortly after, my checking account was billed for the classmates membership fee and $19.95 by privacymatters123. In fact, I was billed by privacymatters123 for $19.95 twice so far. I called privacymatter's customer service number today, given to me by my bank, and they promised to refund the two charges. I then cancelled my debit card. CANCEL YOUR CARD AND HAVE REISSUED WITH NEW NUMBER AND PIN. DON'T WAIT! My bank advised me that my billing information probably had been sold.

I'm not the only one I guess. I requested an adress from a web site called privacy matters 123. Then I clicked on the button to get the report and didn't notice that also signed me up for a 19.95 charge every month. I called 123 and talked to Ebony and Joe ID7027. I got nothing but the run around from them. I called Peoplefinder which is who they said was doing the research and they didn't have anythng on me or my request. I not only got stuck for the money but also did not get a member number to refer to or the address of the person I was looking for. Now all I get is shoved back and forth between them while they each blame the other one. I'm of these rip off people taking peoples money. Maybe they should shove a few million into the stimulus bill to stop this carp instead of 50M going to Pelosi's pet project of saving some damn mouse in San Francisco.

i was looking at my credit card bill and i found a ap9 privacy matters 123 charge of $29.95 and a second of $1.00. I do not know how this came about, they tell me i clicked on there web site from my yahoo page. what ever i clicked on cost me over $150.00. i want to get my money back. Becarefull of what you clicking on it will cost you.

This online company is a complete rip-off. Their advertising states "Free" credit scores from all three (3) reporting agencies. However, when you try to get that "free" score, you are led through a maze of registration pages, links, dead-ends, trick questions, et al. The end result is that you NEVER DO get that "free" credit score! AND, you end up with additional, unauthorized charges on your credit card!

Just wondering, though, how they got your credit card number?

>>! STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!

I just called the [protected] number and got through to a supervisor named Ebony ID # 45912 and I am supposed to have the charges posted to my balance in the next 3-5 business days, We'll see. They refunded one of the dollar charges already and had to call back today to emphasize I wanted the other charges refunded as well. We would never have knowingly authorized these charges I told her and she apologized and said they would be processing the refunds of both 29.95 charges and the other 1.00 charge to my card in the next 2-3 business days and the balance would reflect this in 3-5 business days. So I will have to check on this to be sure before I can truly say they are honestly returning the money. I'll post the results next week to let anyone interested know how it goes.

I too had never heard of this company and then i checked my credit card statement
and there it was, 2 charges for 19.95 each! I never did authorize this, and have no
idea how they got a hold of my credit card number.

My experience of $19.95 charges was tied to recently joining Clasmates.com-
PrivacyM says you receive a FREE 7 day trial and billing automatically starts unless you cancel before 7 days. It is ironic that a company that represents security against identity theft for family security practices this.

I got charged from this company before and had to go through hell to get it cancelled. Now they have started charging me again with out me giving them any information or authorizing any charges. Why can't they shut down a company that illegaly takes money from someones account? If I steal from someone they will lock me up!

well well well "latoya" from 'privacymatters123' informed me they got my credit card nformation from google or yahoo..and when i called the 800 number listed on my statement "latoya" would not tell me about what the company was that i had just called because the "membership" i was paying for was NOT in my name! however she did tell me she was able to refund my money back.. i suddenly had a sick feeling in my stomach so i filed dispute with my credit card company against them. i'll show them!

I canceled mine 6 months ago and now all sudden i was charged not once but twice. I called them up and within 2minutes she canceled the account again and reversed the charges without question. Almost seems like they do it to a lot of people and just hope they will not call in or recognize the charge. I am sure they do it to a lot of people and only like 40% of people recognize it and call in.

Privacymatters123.com has frauded me as well. they obtained my credit card information from Classmates.com so I just resigned from classmates. discover card is investigating the situation and has refinded me 2 of the three charges and privacymatters is refunding me the third charge. They say I signed up, but it was all a lie.

I just got scammed the same way too. They had me signed up for double accounts. Is there any one in the world that can inforce this? The easy that they refund your money tells me that it is a scam? But is there any justice? How do you go after these people. Maybe I need to start a company that destroys scammers like this.

I just had a similar experience and reported to the better business bureau. It seems that I was the first to do so because of all the information I had to fill out. I would encourage anyone else that has had dissatisfied dealings with this company to do the same. This is the information I used to lodge the complaint through the U.S. National Bureau:
Privacy Matters 123 of Adaptive Marketing LLC
PO Box 5152
Des Plaines IL [protected]

Phone: [protected]
Go to www.bbb.org/ to lodge a complaint

I just got this e-mail. I think it came from a $500 Target Card offer on Facebook. On Facebook the offer asked for name, address, e-mail and phone number. I think I used a wrong phone number and I know I didn't give them my credit card number. Then there were a bunch of offers. I think one was privacy matters 123. Now on Facebook there a group that says it's a fake.

I think what's going on is that the company has all the info EXCEPT your card number. When you call to cancel you give them your number. Don't do it. Call your bank or credit card and ask for their advise. They could probably block the charge.

My e-mail says it would be 7 days before they hit my credit card.

I checked my bank statement this morning and saw a charge with a phone number .I called and started to question how i had got hooked up with them. The person on the other end was hostile but they was ready to cancel and give me a refund. They were not willing to talk about it at all, quickly reveiwed the cancellation and hung up. So I called back and the person who answered this time put me right over to a supervisor who proceeded to give me another months refund. But I wanted to know how I had got HOOKED . Finally I found out that I had done a search on People Search and this was tied to it somehow.There needs to be away to stop these crooks.I plan to talk to my credit card company to see if I have any other recourse. BE VERY CAREFUL FOLKS, Bill

Found out the same here. I was charged for 11 months at $39.95 without knowing until I called my bank to find out who this was.

I got their number and cancelled. Then I googled about Privacy Matter and found out that if you just mildly threaten, they will reimburse every nickel.

How? It's like this.

1.) Tell the lady at [protected] that you want to cancel, and that you never signed up for this and that your bank would like you to file fraud charges, but before you go through all the legal hassle, you thought that Privacy Matters would do the right thing. She will then offer you back 2 months. But you tell her that it's not enough and you need to speak to a supervisor.
2.) Tell the supervisor the same rant... bank fraud, legal hassle, blah blah blah. She will offer you another month back. But you tell her you want it all back. Done. Easy. I never even had to raise my voice. I guess they have sooooo much rip off business going, they are ok and easy to give back to those who find it out.
3.) Go out to dinner with your new found savings! LOL

Moral of the story: Check your statements. Challenge whatever doesn't look right, and know that Privacy Matters is raking in so much dough, they give it back easily to those who push just a little.

What a scam! The rep at Privacy Matters 123 is claiming that I clicked on a $10 coupon banner ad while browsing www.peoplefinders.com over a year ago. Without knowledge, they billed $19.95 for six months and $23.95 for seven months. The credit for the entire amount was easy to obtain because they know that they are running an unethical business. Why are company's like this allowed to operate in the U.S.?

i was just checking my account and found a charge and never clicked on any link. i called and cancelled and now have to get my money back.

Same thing happened to me. This is Organized Crime. The problem is with Peoplefinders.com, since it is they that shared my (our) credit card info with "MVQ Privacy Matters". What a name for a company!

Yes, privacy does matter, so why did Peoplefinders.com share my confidential credit card info? I was told by MVQ Privacy Matters, that I will be refunded in full. Peoplefinders.com refused to refund any monies. Peoplefinders.com is a criminal operation.

YES,

Company is a 100% scam.. They get your credit card information from peoplefinders.com (Which makes them frauds as well!) I called and explained I never used their services and they explained that I did. I know I did not, and then they proceeded to advise me they got my credit card information from peoplefinders.com... So they just charge you for something? ($16.95) Then ask you for your customer number when you call up to complain? They can get your credit card information, yet not EMAIL you a customer ID and account you never wanted or paid for? AMAZING SCAM!

Is there anyone here who saw the "Privacy Matters 123" charge show up if they *only* ordered a single $4.95 name search with no other membership options? I.e., clicked "no thanks" on all the offers between giving the card # and getting the useless information?

This is what I did, and I'm wondering whether I should just kill my card now before I see anything show up in a week or so.

Before "killing" your card, call the financial institution who issued the card and see what they recommend.

how do you get thru to these people? i have 3different numbers and it is automated. they keep saying hold for next rep. i too believe they got my info from intellus people search i did in july. my charge is 24.95 i never ordered any credit reports.

unbelieveable theses people are a serious scam they charge your card on different days trying to confuse you and when you call them askin what type of company is this they are telling you that you signed up for privacy matters through people finder or vista print.. bull crap. these people are some serious sh*****t. then they tell you it cant be refunded how stupid is that i have an account i dont know anything about and have not used and you tellin me it not refunderble.. after a few arguments they finally refunded the money..

I want my account transactions reversed for the unauthorized charges that I understood was free! I was charged$29.95 two different times. Please make these corrections immediantly. I will be viewing my account to make sure this is taken care of promptly.
Thank you for working with me in a timely manner.

i got charged for 23.95 without knowing what is this for. When did i sigh up for this? OMG...

If you have been scammed by this company like I have, file complaints with the State Attorney General in Nebraska as well as the State Attorney General in New York as they are headquartered in New York. This company sent me a letter saying I used (bradley2022@att.net) to sign up for thier services. I believe they used this e-mail to sign me up as I have never had an e-mail that even closely resembles this. They illegally obtained my debit card info and got 1 dollar from me. I cancelled my card before they could get more. This company needs to be fully investigated. In my opinion they are nothing more than thieves.

Please folks READ THIS! If you have been scammed by Privacy Matters 123, please go to the Nebraska State Attorney Generals Officewr website and file a consumer complaint. You can file it on line or in writing. They do respond and look into every complaint. They are collecting info against this company as one of the office's for Privacy Matters 123 is in Nebraska. Help put Privacy Matters 123 out of business and maybe even the CEO in jail! File those complaints today!

Classmates, who are now operating as Memory lane, charged my new credit card, that was not the same card I used to to sign up with Classmates . As far as I am concerned they accessed my account without my knowledge or authorazation!

I just had to deal with Privacy Matters 123, Score Sense, and Identity Hawk today. Privacy Matters 123 and Identity Hawk is claiming that its my fault for not cancelling the 7 day trial period and they will not refund the charges of 19.95 x 2 for each company. Privacy Matters 123 said I signed up for the service when I got my free credit report through freecreditreport.com. When I agreed with Free credit report I also agreed to Privacy Matters. Leveit (700313) said she cant do anything for me and they will not refund the 2 charges. The supervisor Laron (700341) he also stated that he wouldn't refund the 2 charges and that is the procedures they have to follow and I should understand. Its funny that they can not give me any information regarding the account except my name and address but they want me to give them my email address to verify that that is the one they have on file. Laron (700341) said I've received a few emails already but he would not give me the email address they have listed. All he can give me is that it ends in att.net. I tried to tell him that I do not have an email account ending in att.net. And still he wont do anything. Only one place refunded the 2 charges but Privacy Matters 123 and Identity Hawk (both companies fron CT and all 4 people I spoke with employee IDs start with 700) will not reverse the charges and claiming I knew about their services. Its just funny that both sites are suppose to protect the people and their identities but they are just scamming them.