WARNING: Scam, Avoid Classmates.com At All Costs, Literally
I’ve been a member of Classmates.com for several years, trying to contact with some old classmates, reconnect with a period of my past that I don’t remember due to my car accident. In that time, I think I’ve found 1, maybe 2 former classmates.
My “Gold” membership expired, and I saw no real need to renew it, because there is absolutely nothing there that merits spending that much on maintaining a membership. In 7 years, I’ve found 2 people through the site. I’ve reconnected with dozens of people from my past using Google and other free services.
Classmates.com has a habit of sending emails every week, sometimes more than once a week… every week. Many of them point to new classmates that have signed up from my schools, or people who have signed my guestbook and so on.
Now that my “Gold” membership has expired, I still get the emails, but when I log in to see who has signed my guestbook, I am told “Upgrade to see who signed guestbook”. They want me to upgrade, so I can see who signed my guestbook?! What a scam.
The other annoying thing, is that you can’t cancel these emails either. There’s no way to stop them, other than by marking all incoming mail from @classmates.com as spam in your mail client, and never seeing them again.
As a “free” member on Classmates.com, you are basically allowed to log in, and search for people in your previous schools. That’s it. You can’t post messages, you can’t contact these former classmates. You can’t do anything but log in, search, and wish you could contact these people.
Classmates.com is a total scam, and should be avoided at all costs. They’re not helping people reconnect with other people, they’re helping disconnect people from their wallets and purses, under the guise of hoping to reach former colleagues.
Stay away, and keep your money. There’s much easier, faster, and more-productive ways to find former colleagues and classmates than Classmates.com.
When I was searching for how to cancel my “free” membership, I ran across a lot of consumer complaints about Classmates.com and their “questionable billing practices”.
Here’s one of the testimonials of their fraudulent services:
Kate of Sarasota FL (07/11/07)
I had contacted Classmates.com to cancel my subscription 5 months prior to my renewal date and was told that it would be cancelled on July 12, 2007. On July 9, 2007, there was a charge from Classmates.com for $39 – three days before my renewal date. The phone number was listed on my transaction roster as 425-917-5000 so I called it and after being on hold for 15 minutes, I spoke with Crystal – she was pleasant and reviewed my account. She couldn’t find any record of the 7/9/07 transaction and could see that my account had been changed to a ‘manual’ renewal.
I told her that I wanted the charges reversed and she got my phone number to return my call within the hour. I have not heard from her since. I think that there should be a class action lawsuit against classmates.com for fraud. My account was charged before the renewal date…that is wrong and they shouldn’t be able to get away with it.
This is similar to how AOL used to do business, by teasing you with a “free” offer, which you sign up for, and then they begin auto-billing you after 30 days of your “free” membership, and did not offer any obvious, visible way to cancel that membership.
Stay away from Classmates.com, they’re not worth a penny.
Glenn Leclercq said on July 10th, 2010 at 1:25 pm quote
I was a longtime ‘Gold Member’ for classmates. I was kicked off without notice because of a couple of female pigs that weren’t even in my class. They started some nonsense and classmates kicked me off. This was just after I had renewed my ridiculous subscription with them. I am sure that I will be part of a class action lawsuit against these people.
Charles Chapman said on August 5th, 2010 at 11:43 am quote
Do not get on this website for ANY REASON!!! You WILL be billed monthly. It is virtually Impossible to cancel your FREE or GOLDCARD membership! I have not been able to do it myself and I am a computer pro. Do not get on this website for ANY REASON!!!
Ridgefield, CT
Carol Downs said on August 8th, 2010 at 7:05 pm quote
Charles simply contact your credit card company and tell them not to accept any further charges from this site. If any further charges are made then its your credit card companies fault.
I myself have had no problems with the site and it was a great help when my reunion was upcoming. I wish you all the best. ~Carol~
kris larson said on August 27th, 2010 at 3:12 pm quote
Ditto to everyone elses comments. I too emailed prior to my renewal date to cancel and they kept sending me emails but I never read them as I thought their site was a waste of time. They kept sending me emails which I never opened because I had no interest in this website and like eveyone else was auto chrged with my cc company. I just hope I’m on the list when they do the next class action lawsuit. Meanwhile I work for an employer who has 35000 employees and will do my best to get the word to avoid them. (there are 205 pages of negative responses to this site on another web page ha ha)
Lisa said on September 23rd, 2010 at 12:55 pm quote
I am just another victim of their “automatic renewal scam!” I let everyone I know not to use classmates.com because they do not engage in honest business practices.
Lupe said on September 29th, 2010 at 4:29 pm quote
Don’t under any circumstances get this. It. is a total rip off. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO MUCH TO CANCEL. i TAKES AN HOUR TO GET THROUGH I was totally disgusted with it. I wasn’t able to contact any body they didn’t even have yearbooks for out school,. Dont do it people
Gino said on October 5th, 2010 at 12:04 pm quote
Folks, LISTEN TO WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BOGUS SITE!!!
They MAY be legit, however, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE ALLOW YOUR TRIAL MEMBERSHIP TO RENEW!
PatB. said on October 15th, 2010 at 12:09 pm quote
I totally disagree. I have been on classmates for just over a month now and have reconnected with almost a dozen classmates and friends.
There are scammers on every site; classmates included, but you need to be able to discern who is real and who is not. If you are just trying to find old school chums it shouldn’t take you very few questions to decide if they are who they say they are.
Sorry you folks had such a horrible experience but I am thoroughly enjoying MY experience.
Melvin said on November 7th, 2010 at 10:59 am quote
Another person scam in 2010, by classmates.com.
Its just not right that they can do this to thousands of people and get a way with it. No means no doesn’t it?
Linda said on December 19th, 2010 at 2:46 am quote
I Too have been a Longtime member of Classmates.com Both Free Initially then Gold Member. WHAT A LOAD of CRAP.. I have tried Connecting Several times to School Chums, to no Avail. They Just Automatically re upped the Gold Membership with out ANY NOTICE!!! I emailed, they say, It runs till Nov. 2011, Well I am going to get ahold of CC company Mon. and Just See About that.. LISTEN to All of Us & DO NOT GO WITH CLASSMATES.Com…
James B. said on December 27th, 2010 at 9:12 pm quote
I have been a member of Classmates for a little over a year. When I joined I was billed twice for the membership. Didn’t really notice until my renewal came up. Yep, was billed twice again. I canceled my membership the day of my second billing. I have requested both over billings. But think that may be a loosing battle just by reading what’s on here. If there is a class action lawsuit against this site I will be one of the many unfortunate ex-members waiting for a refund. DO NOT JOIN THIS SITE!!!!!!
James B. said on December 27th, 2010 at 9:28 pm quote
P.S. Post to your favorite site like Facebook, Twitter and the like.
Nancy said on January 3rd, 2011 at 5:29 pm quote
Whenever I do business online, I usually use a temporary credit card number (just like a Visa gift card with fixed $ amount). For example, if I need to spend $15. I just ask my Citibank credit card to issue me a temporary number of $15 credit limit assigned to a specific merchant (this service is free of charge; so far, as far as I know, Citibank is the only one that offers it). If you don’t have Citibank credit card, buy yourself a Visa gift card (free of charge too). Good luck!
tom said on January 7th, 2011 at 5:52 pm quote
Just one more abused by Classmates.
Notify your friends and post on Facebook
William Lincoln said on January 10th, 2011 at 12:43 pm quote
I was working overseas for two years and Classmates continued billing me every three months during that time without any notification. Because I was out of the country my credit card bills were automaticly set up to be paid from my bank account. I used the site one time and when I set up payment it was supposed to be $15.00 per year. I am out now over $120.00 and was told it is non refundable. What a rip off! I called and cancelled as soon as I found out and asked for them to remove all contact with me. Time will tell. If there is any class action against Classmates I will be first to put down my name.
Marilyn Benedict said on January 17th, 2011 at 3:35 pm quote
I have also been billed for Classmates.com. I have always only used the free memebership and never had a Gold memership. I would like to know how they got my credit card number.
Baronbess Radon said on September 12th, 2011 at 3:55 pm quote
Major SCAM!!! I just discovered a $39 charge on a credit card statement that I know I NEVER authorized, from Classmates / Memory Lane. I called to cancel, but they will not refund the $$. They say I signed up in July 2009…
I am very concerned how they got my credit card info: I have NEVER authroized this.