Classmates.com gets sued for phony come-ons

Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:45PM EST

See Comments (57)

If you've never received Classmates.com's spam messages -- "A former classmate of yours is looking for you!" -- you probably don't have a working email account. Classmates.com's come-ons are some of the most venerable and virulent email advertisements around. And at long last the company is being sued because, you know, no one is really looking for anyone using Classmates at all.

Having never heard of Facebook, a San Diego man named Anthony Michaels paid $15 for Classmates' premium service after being told that old school buddies wanted to get back in touch with him. Was it his secret crush? No, Michaels soon found out. In fact, no one he'd gone to school with had ever searched for him.

Michaels' attorneys are looking for class action status to represent what could be hundreds of thousands of similarly scammed individuals and millions of dollars extracted from wallets.

Classmates began its aggravating existence back in 1995 and remains a major online advertiser: Wired notes it spent $30 million alone in 2005 on web ads. For its efforts, the company now claims 40 million registered users; premium subscribers are billed $15 per quarter to maintain their sad and lonely hopes that someone, anyone, from their past may actually want to talk to them. You can read just a few of the complaints about the service here.

Astute readers may also recall the case of Reunion.com, which was accused of spamming users earlier this summer and has now also drawn legal fire.

See Also: JR Raphael's "5 Reasons I Hope Classmates.com Gets Sued Into Oblivion"

Comments on Classmates.com gets sued for phony come-ons

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  • 6 Posted by kola10002000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Deceptive crooks is my feelings of classmates. Join to see, try and stop them from billing you after your term expires. Shut them down forever.

  • 7 Posted by stalker+of+the+web on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have no problem with Capital Punishment for spammers, at the very least they should be imprisoned until they write a hand written apology to every individual they have spammed.

  • 8 Posted by maleman14001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    I hope those SOB's get nailed good. Like so many others I signed up for just the basic lookie see stuff and they plagued my mailboxes with SPAM galore. Finally "unsubscribed" from updates but still receive crap from them via my Yahoo account. Plus the fact they sell your name and email to just about anyone willing to pay the six cents for it.

  • 9 Posted by cad7phoke on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    I actually caught up w/ all my old HS peeps and we planned our reunion through this site. Best part of all, I never got charged for anything! Must have been before they figured out they could get $$ from us.

  • 10 Posted by bblake2507 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think it's about time. These people are playing with people's emotions and being lonely. It's sad. Man people will do just about anything for money. They should be put in jail in the hole. And then see if someone they knew in high school comes to bail them out.

  • 11 Posted by cokroach on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    huh...I just hit the spam button on my yahoo account when they sent me an email. Problem solved. Losers like this guy are just looking for reasons to sue people.

  • 12 Posted by roydan49 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    To me this article is very misleading. I am sorry that Christopher thinks so lowly of Classmates. I have been able to connect with several of my old school friends using Classmates. This year Classmates was used by my class to set up our 40th High School Reunion. For us older people, sites like Classmates and Reunion is a Godsent.

  • 13 Posted by aprkareckas on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    One person's spam is another's aggressive advertising. Is it any different than romance sites promising you a date and your perfect soul-mate. What depresses is that after deleting all the spam 90% of my incoming messages are gone. Either too much spam or too few friends

  • 14 Posted by wo011742 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've met former high school classmates thru this site and have enjoyed the experience!

  • 15 Posted by pauldyhr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think for every one negative exepriences there are 99 good ones. I have reconnected with a lot of old classmates with whom I would have never recontacted. Sure I get some of the come ons but I for one never respond to such things. We all need to be discerning. I hope one of nintynine does not spoil it for the rest of us as is so often the case when lawyers get in the loop. I have been the supposed recipient in many class actions and never seen a penny but you can bet the lawyers have.

  • 16 Posted by rockerxx58 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    yes,yes,finally they should be put behind bars,It cost me money and alot of time deleting there sh@@ off my computer hope they get fined, and have to pay back millions back to custumers

  • 17 Posted by pauldyhr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    No one is going behind bars, the only ones who will make money on this are the lawyers at the expense of those who are benefiting from this site. Several years ago I paid my one year memebership to my health club. A month later there was a STUPID nonsense class action suit. The lawyers shut it down. I did not get one cent, lost all my money, and had to joing another club. The LAW FIRM, who I knew well, made a killing taking all the assests. The owners were never prosecuted. And, as usual, we the regular folks got NOTHING. Wake up folks. Also, has anyone one heard of blocking unwanted emails. I block Classmates but still go to the sight when I like. CLICK.

  • 18 Posted by jamesspencer288 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Classmates is lookig for the suckers born every minute. I have to admit, more than once I actually had my Visa out. Just the curiosity factor. The real answer if you want to connect with High school friends is Facebook. I found my High Scool sweetheart 2 weeks after post my info. Correction, she found me. By listing your Alma Mater for both HS and University, the "book" does all the work and suggest people you might know. Great Site.

  • 19 Posted by nelladecesare on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm not surprised to hear this. While I did get in contact with a former friend via this site, I know they have sent me those same messages only for me to log on and no one had sent anything. I did not renew my membership after it was clear that not that many people I knew were using it. If they are breaking spam laws they should be held accountable. As for everyone else, if it doesn't work for you don't enroll in it! Really simple.

  • 20 Posted by mbagolden on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't disagree with the lawsuit, but I did sign up once and I was neither "sad" nor "lonely". Nice job insulting 40 millions people.

  • 21 Posted by lance-ashlock@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I was once involved in a class action law suit with Sears & Roebuck Co., almost ayear later I got a check for 13 cents.

  • 22 Posted by fuguein_d on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think the people who are having problems with auto renewals and such are dip----- s. I read this, had to reset my password (no problem there), went in and deleted my credit card which took the auto renewal option off and am set. I don't see what the problem is but then I work help desk for my company and know how dumb you sheep can be.

  • 23 Posted by bwwp1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have had people looking for me on classmates and ive used it to find others..i have no problem with it. reunion.is a scam they wont let you get i to any thing if you dont join.

  • 24 Posted by jonsmom992003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    I also am getting tired of their emails wanting me to join to read about what my high school mates want to say to me.I get tired of deletimg their junk.

  • 25 Posted by ddunker51 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    I regard Classmates and Reunion are cancers on the internet. I went through a vicious and bloody divorce, and moved far, far away to try to start my life over again. Only I was careful NOT to put my real name and address out there on the internet, lest my sadistic, stupid ex-wife should find me. Nope. She managed to track me down easily via Classmates (after a "friend" posted my current contact info), whereupon she started up the insanity again. If a person doesn't want to be found, that's their individual right - right? Nope. Classmates and Reunion are only too happy to point to you and yell, "here he is, hiding over here!" I hope these people are sued out of business for their fraudulent and invasive practices.

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