Classmates.com Sued After Guy Realizes His Classmates Weren't Really Looking For Him
from the that-would-be-called-false-advertising dept
You may recall that Classmates.com was a website that first showed up in the 90s, and tried to do what Friendster and Facebook were later able to do. The problem was that Classmates.com's business model was to charge users for many of its features, including actually connecting with and contacting your classmates -- things that more recent social networks have always allowed for free. However, if you ever used Classmates.com for anything, you've probably been spammed with emails for years, each one claiming that your classmates are looking for you, or had recently viewed your profile. Nearly every email sent by the company (and they seem to come about once a week) has some enticing subject line that tries to suggest that something is happening with your profile and you're missing out if you don't upgrade to a premium account.I've always ignored these emails, figuring that if any of my former high school classmates really wants to contact me, there are plenty of ways to do so that don't require me to pay up -- and naturally assumed that Classmates.com was exaggerating what was happening on the site. Some folks, however, believed the emails and upgraded. And, now, one of those who upgraded his account to see which classmates were trying to contact him, discovered (surprise, surprise) that Classmates.com was lying to him. His classmates weren't trying to contact him via the site, and so he's now suing the company for deceptive advertising, and demanding that the company refund subscription fees for everyone who was similarly duped.
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Filed Under: class action, truth in advertising
Companies: classmates.com
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Re:
Of course that by no means actually means the person will pay attention and notice you noticed them right back!
Myspace.com does this as well, saying there are "new friend requests" and there will be "0 new requests" and a giant ad for Match.com though...
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there are people who create spam accounts to get you to check out their porn site though.
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Now there is no way for me to say what really happened, but I thought to myself, what a great little scam they have going there.
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Re: Re:
I don't agree (and never have) with Classmates.com's strategy, but let's stay on topic, and not drag everyone through the mud here.
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Re: Match.com
I read a while back about some dating site (I wish I remember which one) actually had models that they would send out on some dates meant to go nowhere just to keep people paying their fees every month. What a scam.
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Re: Re: Match.com
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Re: Re: Re: Match.com
Don't forget that most models are not of the $50k+ a catwalk show variety (a la Elle McPherson, Kathie Ireland, Claudia Schiffer etc etc). Most models are of the "hire a pretty waitress for a special event" variety. E.g. opening a new store with free nibbly's served by cute waiter/waitress. Or an instore promotion. Or advertising clothes for a local newspaper or smaller chain stores etc. Most of those (say 95% of the model industry) get on the order of $100-$300/hour.
So, once a month per, say, 1,000 subscribers (@$19.95/month thats $19,950/month), you hire one of these models for a 2-4 hour date (dinner only, movie only, or maybe if real lucky dinner and a movie) ($200-$1200 depending on length of date and price of model). At the end of the date they give a polite "thanks for the nice evening but I'm not interested" response. The person who got the date posts on the site that "had a date with a real hottie, he/she wasn't interested but they do have hotties on this site".
Job done.
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Re: them
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Re: Fraud
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The IQ Question Thingy
Like the poll "Which Internet Concern Worries You The Most?" Maybe TechDirt,as a novelty feature, could have a wall-of-shame poll for the most irritating disingenuous adds.
Now if we can rid ourselves of those pesky Netflix ads.
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Re: The IQ Question Thingy
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Is this site even relevant anymore?
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Re: Is this site even relevant anymore?
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Finally, someone does this...
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Re: Finally, someone does this...
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Re: Finally, someone does this...
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No love lost
I've gotten emails saying someone has signed my Classmates guestbook, but guess what? You have to pay to see who signed it. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that the "mystery signer" is really Classmates.com itself, congratulating me on signing up for the service.
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Re: No love lost
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Other problems
I was looking for a roommate, they would send me e-mail's almost daily about new mail. Finally I paid up (I was desperate for a roommate) and found that about 3/4 of the "mail" wasn't even there and the rest was from some scammer. Maybe I should think about suing.
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Good Luck!
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I remember them sitting around laughing in surprise as they read a letter from a pair of subscribers who had actually met on this system and ended up getting married.
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roomates.com
As to the email notifications, dunno if they get nuked after the other party closes their acct, so that may have been it.
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Classmates
PLUS, there is a ton of advertising on the site and pop-ups, etc....why should I pay to see ads?
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Re: classmates
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I say the scam
Plus like I was not popular in high school and I know it was bull.
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Accountability and Advertising
Let's hope the courts give Classmates.com a lesson in the value of authenticity in advertising.
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Deception
I would hate to see a company I own (and I don't own any companies, for the record) go under due to the competition being better than me, but I would never attempt to use false advertising to try to support a failing business plan. Not only is it morally and ethically wrong, but somebody's bound to figure it out sooner or later, and when they do, your reputation goes right into the sewer, which is clearly what's happening here.
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they got me
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I hope this is successful and affects other scam companies
There's a difference between lame boasting which technically isn't provably lying, and claims which are blatantly false. The latter should be forbidden and punished.
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It's impossible for the emails they send me to be legit, since I'm registered using my married name, and a school I attended once in my life for about 3 months. Nobody's looking for me based on the parameters I entered into the Classmates.com system, but they still taunt me with false emails that can't possibly be true.
I think it's really stupid to sue a company for something like this. Who cares? Get a life.
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Re: to Carla from cheers
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Same here, facebook hasn't been much better
I thought it suspect at the time, but there have been a few times when I have been tempted to pay up just to see who was trying to get in touch. I am hoping my new Facebook profile will be more successful in reaching the one or two friends I can't seem to locate any more. I did find an old crush and she is hotter now than when she declined to go to the amusement park with me @ age 17.
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classmate.con
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Re: classmate.con
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Let's hope the jury isn't a bunch of idiots and wins one for the team!
Kudos. With more lawsuits like this that are legitimate, the more big business may make changes to do the right thing.
Hoping for a win on this one, as it will set precedence for ALL sites doing this!
GO MEAT!
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Keep on Suing
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Not really fond of Classmates
This trick has actually worked well over the years and I haven't paid for a membership since.
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RIPPED OFF WITH FAKE VISITORS BY CLASSMATES
I intend to sue
DR
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Re: classmates.con
What I've concluded is that classmates.con is a big marketing scam, a major spammer, and based on recent experiences with my old friends and classmates I've contacted through the site, sometimes there's a good reason why we all go our separate ways, rarely to be seen or heard from again.
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CLASSMATES IS A BIG SCAM AND BLOCK E-MAILS
ALL E-MAILS FROM COMMING TO MY COMPUTER. THEY ON A DAILY BASIS SEND ME E-MAILS SAYING SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR ME AND
DON'T I WANT TO KNOW WHO? WELL IF I DID DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD PAY FOR IT AND EVEN THOSE WHO ARE PAYING FOR THIS SERVICE ARE BEING BLOCKED FROM SENDING THERE E-MAILS TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT GOING TO SUCKED INTO THIER SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IF THEY ARE BLOCKING PAYING CUSTOMERS
E-MAIL HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS I DON'T KNOW. SINCERELY-
NANNETTE O'REILLY
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classmates.com
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Classmates
I ignored this ad for months....after deciding to click on...I found that my high school admirer was looking for me so as many other including my long time best friend and only friend that I shared my sandwich with WAS looking for me....and since then we have talked by phone and are reuniting.......they really were looking for this shy young lady who thought no one remembered or liked..
Thank you class mates and this is not paid for or a politcal announcemnet for them
it is just a person who people were REALLY looking for!
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classmates.com
Thanks!
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Re: classmates.com
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Tricked by Classmates.com
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classmates.com
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framed by classmates!
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classmates being sued
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Classmates.com is a rip-off
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classmates.com
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Charges from classmates
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RIPPED OFF
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renewed membership without mt permission
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Classmates.com
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Classmates.com
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How to stop E-mail from classmates.com
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To exit from classmates.com
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First thought is always right
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lets start sending them spam,phone # fax #
more info on the jackasses
http://www.ip-adress.com/whois/www.classmates.com
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lets start sending them spam,phone # fax #
more info on the jackasses
http://www.ip-adress.com/whois/www.classmates.com
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funds withdrawn without my permission
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Classmates.com
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Wish I'd read this first
The mysterious guestbook signatures simply reveal several repeat visits from people I don't know. They appear to be from my school but not my graduating class. A few visits several years ago are from classmates organizing a reunion who have already contacted me.
None of the recent visitors left messages for me, contrary to what Classmates' e-mails implied by referring to them as "signatures". They should be required to call them "visits." Anything else is fraudulent.
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should be free!
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Classmates underhanded business practices.
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Really
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classmates fees
I just cancelled! Do not subscribe its a waste of money
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"___!?! It's ____ from way back when...If you read his (sic), email me back...I'd love to touch bases w/ you again..."
Have you guys seen this one too? I'm not going to contact the person who sent this to me in order to verify. After I cancelled my account and deleted my profile, the rep said her records indicated it was authentic, but I don't believe her.
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Please take me off you're list.
a part of this, so Please Please take me
off your list!
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classmates ripoff
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a good spell caster
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Best free alumni sites
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her email again is priestessshadi@gmail.com
blimberg
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BIG scam
shale8663@gmail.com
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ClassMates. Com
In my old high school days, some people have looked down upon me as being an under achiever and really thought that I would never amount to anything. My self esteem at that point in time was low. The problem is that they never really knew me very well of what I was capable of in doing or achieving in my life. I really persevered to get up in the world. Forty seven years later, I have graduated from two distinguished Universities and one community college(twice) after leaving high school. I am eligible from a Catholic University for Graduate School to pursue a Masters Degree if so desire since I have a very high 3.67 G.P.A. I have left a valid profile, sincerely truthfull stories and pictures on CM and I have had number of valid hits from people who actually I went to school with me and who remembered me well. I have invited several people to respond, but sometimes on account of personal reasons they may not. To insure integrity in my stories on classmates, I have installed visual cues of events that actually happened to me in High School which the majority of people knew about and remembered. The real life pictures along with my personal blog on classmates told my true story as well. People from my past reading my stories will know whether I am real or not. I guess the best satisfaction that I could get is if I can just make some one person smile from my past (especially the girls) who remebered me so as to brighten up their day. I have seen people respond on classmates to my personal requests that I have asked them for to post their stories and pictures. I know that they are legitimate from the pictures they have posted. I often wondered how many people I may have really inspired when they read my stories. It seems like this old guy who may have felt like a loser in high school in the 1960s because some people looked down upon him as a loser, did quite well as a winner in real life. The Sin of Pride can be a real threat and problem for it can destroy friendships. Often times I like tone down my stories a bit so that so that I do not try to make some of my friends feel bad. I am out to win my High School friends over by respect and by not trying to judge anyone. My purpose is to win friends and not to lose any friends by making them feel bad. You Reap what you Sow. Life is too Short to Hold Grudges against anyone. May the God Bless all of my Friends, both Good and Bad Alike! Thank You for Reading my Blog.
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classmatescom
How disreputable!
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Complaint
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well
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classmates
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No problems
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Emails
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Classmates at it again
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cancellation of member ship
Cancel all ties with your product,product's.
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I was just a victim of this. I received an email from classmates that a classmate had sent a message.
I joined and replied, but have heard nothing. Obviously, it was a scam and I intend to contact them to get a refund for my trial membership.
I blocked them on Paypal so they cannot do an automatic renewal but will seek a refund of my initial payment. I'll be contacting the Wisconsin Attorney General's office. If you are in Wisconsin, I'd suggest you do the same.
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Albatoscana
My name is Emily Gary, am from Atlanta Georgia, now a house owner in Italy dew to the help of a friend Selena Lucas, just want too say thanks.
Italy House Hunting is a subsidiary of Alba Toscana Immobiliare, which acts as an intermediary in the purchase process of your house in Italy.
Italy House Hunting offers its services in English, German, Dutch and French. Buy your dream house in Italy now, together with an experienced
English speaking Real Estate Agent, which is recognised in Italy.
Alba Toscana Immobiliare
Contact Person: Kris Mahieu
Vicolo Cieco, 2 (corner with Via Pola)
58023 - Giuncarico (GR)
GPS: 42.90544 N 10.99264 E
Cell phone: +39 392 2580254
Fax +39 0566 88370
Email: albatoscana1@gmail.com
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Classmates.com law suit ?????
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