Peoplefinders.com

Review: I signed up for a one time use of peoplefinders.com which was supposed to be less than one dollar. I looked at the site carefully and did not see any provisions for charging my credit card once a month thereafter for $24.95.They have now charged me $24.95 a month since July.I called them and was pretty angry about it and they asked me why I didn't look at my statement sooner. I NEVER authorize automatic payments and was very surprised to see they had been doing that.After going around and around with them for a while they agreed to return two months of fees and stop charging my credit card. That was $52.00 to look up one person one time.What a ripof!Desired Settlement: I'd like to get my $52.00 back from them but if not I would accept one payment to them of $24.95 for my stupidity in trusting what I could see on the website.Who would knowingly pay even $24.95 for looking up one person?Rip of!

Business

Response:

At the time of purchase, you had a choice to accept a special discounted price available with a monthly membership ($0.95) or the full price for the search without membership ($1.95). If you did not wish to enroll in membership you could choose the full price for one report. The membership provides a three day trial to try our services. Our membership service provides unlimited searches and other features for a monthly fee. This is clearly and conspicuously disclosed on the initial order selection page. Then, on the next payment information page, you were again provided with an entire section beside the total outlining the terms of the membership. This clearly and conspicuously states that after the initial trial, unless you cancel the service it will continue monthly and the card you provided will be charged until you tell us to cancel the membership to avoid future charges. The membership is mentioned no less than two times on two pages before the order is complete. Given that members can conduct unlimited searches for a monthly membership fee our terms do not allow for any refunds and simply allow members to cancel anytime to avoid future charges. For the period of your membership you were charged each month. During that time, our customer service is available to take the cancellation at any time. We received notification that you wished to close your account over the phone on 11/25/2014, four months after the membership had been initiated. At that time we agreed to refund two membership fees of $24.95 each. Per this complaint we will refund one additional membership fee of $24.95 as a courtesy. In conclusion, you have received credits for three months of service totaling $74.85, your account is closed and there will be no further automatic billing.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: On March 30th, 2015 I visited peoplefinders.com to conduct a reverse phone lookup. I opted in for a $0.95 three(3) day trial. I was aware that I would be billed a $24.95 membership fee after the trial expired. The results of my search were inconclusive and I deemed the service ineffective. When my card was billed appropriately on April 6th, 2015 for $24.95, I called peoplefinders.com's at 800-718-8997 immediately. Although I had not cancelled within my 3 day allotment, I made a plea with the representative to reverse the charges due to my dissatisfaction & inactivity since the initial lookup. I was regrettably informed the charge wouldn't be refunded but that my auto-renew would be cancelled. I have phone record of my discussion on April 6th, 2015 at 2:46pm central time. On May 7th 2015, $24.95 was paid to peoplefinders.com for a service I had supposedly already cancelled. When I discovered the charge on May 19th, I called to correct the issue. I spoke to a representative, I believe named [redacted] who said they had no record of me EVER calling to cancel but that I supposedly cancelled my auto-renew online on May 9th, 2015. This never happened. At this point I was extremely upset with the mix up that was in peoplefinders favour and argued that the charges be refunded as a result. The representative released the call claiming nothing could be done. Not satisfied by her answer, and told that there was no supervisor available, I called back to speak to another rep, hoping for more understanding. When I called back for the second time on May 19th I spoke with a representative named [redacted] who not only went as far as to tell me that my first call to peoplefinders (which I have phone record for) never existed but that again I supposedly visited the site online to cancel and that the IP address (which he would not provide) matched the IP address used to initiate my membership. This did not happen! I without doubt called to cancel. No confirmation number or email could be provided. Extremely dissatisfied!Desired Settlement: I feel that $24.95 was swindled from my account through poor business practices. I expect at the minimum a refund of $24.95 that was charged to my account without my consent or knowledge after cancellation. I also suggest that they instruct their representatives to log every call and conversation. They should also implement confirmation emails when a customer calls OR visits the website to cancel their membership.

Business

Response:

At the time of purchase you chose to receive a discounted price for signing up for a 3 day trial to our Membership. This membership allowed you to receive an unlimited number of:•People Searches – Get the facts you need to find anyone, anywhere•Email Searches – Obtain email addresses, or learn about the owner of any address•Marriage Searches – Find out if a man or woman has ever been married•Divorce Searches – Check the divorce status of any man or woman•Property Searches – Learn about any piece of property, including the current owner and valueYou had the option to cancel this membership trial at anytime via your account manager on the website, via email, or via phone. We did not receive any notification that you wished to cancel this trial. The 3 day trial has ended; therefore, you were charged the membership fee on the fourth day, and for every month thereafter. Per your initial request over the phone on 5/19/2015 we cancelled the automatic renewal of your membership. The two membership fees are non-refundable per the Terms you agreed to but per this complaint, and as a onetime courtesy, we will grant one refund for the most current month of membership. Please allow 2-5 business days for the refund to process back into your credit or debit card.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me; although I do stand by my original statement. Thank you.

Review: I requested a report from Peoplefinders.com to locate a friends address. The report was requested and I was told that there was an initial charge for this, which I paid. I was also told that I could cancel the membership if I chose to. To get to the report the customer has to go through a number of screen that it appears you have to signup for to get the report.

Eventually I received the report and it did not provide any current information so was of no use at all. I elected to close my membership with the expectation that this would be an end to any business with this company.

I have since noticed a charge on my bank account from Peoplefinders.com. I contacted the company to request a explanation and was told that there were multiple memberships created as a result of requesting this one report and that while I canceled on membership there was another. They claimed that each membership had to be individually canceled and they would not refund the money taken.

This seems a deceptive practice for two main reasons, firstly I canceled on the understanding that there was only one account, it is not clear that additional accounts are created, and secondly I received no value from this second membership as I did not know it was created.

The fact that the customer is required respond to these "offers" as the representative described them, to get a report that had already been paid for is not reasonable. At no point does the website say that you are under no obligation to take these to get the report, in fact it seems quiet the opposite.

I would like the subscription that was deducted repaid at a minimum.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund of the money paid for the subscription in addition to an assurance that I will not be charged for any other service by them.

Business

Response:

There is a way to purchase just 1 report, the customer does not have to sign up for any memberships we offer. As a courtesy we have refunded $24.99 for the cost of the membership. There will be no further membership billings.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Thank you[redacted]

Review: It seems that People Finders has had enough time to CREDIT MY BANK ACCOUNT IN THE OF $15.93 for fraud charge. If you choose to ignore this request, next letter will be 'copied' to the Revdex.com, [redacted] and [redacted] for their file. Since I have not received any information form PF, there is only one action covered. Do what is right for this consumer.Desired Settlement: I shall expect credit on bank account or check through the mail within ten (10) working days form this date. (17th due not received). Your handling of this matter within that time limit will be greatly appreciated.

Cordially, [redacted]

Business

Response:

The customer was already refunded on 1/22/16. We refunded them in the amount of a membership that they stated they did not want for $14.98. The $0.95 charge was for a People Search Report on [redacted], this service was rendered. When the customer contacted our Customer Care Department in January, they did not state that their credit card had fraudulent activity on it. They stated they did not want the membership for $14.98, we refunded it the day we received that letter.

Consumer

Response:

Received your letter dated February 5, 2016 pertaining to People Finders. First of all, I believe the employee of the company thought they could get away with charging $14.98 +$0.47 & $0.48. As you can see, attached copy shoes I believed to accepting card purchase of $0.50 which was requested. The other charges were unknown to me, as I stated previously, in my complaint. So, why would someone do this? A misunderstanding? No. And, make a note that I never received any report. Reason I caught this. Let’s say, perhaps, People Finders learned they cannot cheat an educated Consumer. I wish to close this complaint, as satisfactory. If you desire additional information please let me know. I will also advise the other services in receipt of ‘complaint letter’ that this case is closed. Thank you for your service. Cordially yours,[redacted]

Review: I bought an individual, one-time report from Peoplefinders.com for $2.94. They added another unspecified charge of $24.95.



On October 11th, I bought an individual, one-time report for $2.94 from Peoplefinders.com:

1. 10/11/2013 People Search Report - [redacted] in [redacted], GA $2.94

In order to use services from website, I made an account and entered my debt card information. Although I have not order anything else or visited the site since, I was billed on October 16th for an unspecified charge of $24.95, which I had just found out November 6th. Desired Settlement: I am seeking a repayment of $24.95 since I only bought the one-time report for $2.94.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

At the time of purchase you chose to receive a discounted price for signing up for a 3 day free trial to our 3-in-1 Membership.

You had the option to cancel this membership trial at anytime via your account manager on the website, via email, or via phone.

We did not receive any notification that you wished to cancel within the trial period. The 3 day trial has ended; therefore, you were billed $24.95 on the fourth day, and for every month thereafter.

Our records show that you cancelled your account through your online Account Manager on 11/5/2013.

Per your online written request on 11/5/2013 and as a onetime courtesy, we have granted the refund of $24.95 for one month. Please review the transaction you mentioned on 11/6/2013 as this might be the refund of $24.95 you requested on 11/5/2013.

Review: I purchased a background check on one person because it listed it had the marriage and divorce records for her. What I got after paying the $39.95 was the same results I got for the first report I paid $1.00 for. I called and the people there were rude. I feel I was deceived into paying more for something they don't even have. They say Arkansas does not offer these records but I can not find where I was warned that these would not be included. I feel that if the site knows they don't offer these searches for certain states it should be clearly listed in a manner that it will be seen. I did not see a notice of this when I bought my report and I went back and searched someone else and I got up to the check out page with no notice of this.Desired Settlement: I would like for the $39.95 to be refunded to my account.

Business

Response:

On 2/28/2014 customer made a purchase for $0.48 and $0.47 for a basic public record search, these charges do not provide a background check or marriage / divorce records. On the same date 2/28/2014 customer selected to pay an additional charge of $39.95 for a Background Check. Customer called in and we had offered to re run the search but she declined. Her call was transferred to a supervisor, and we again offered a courtesy background check and this time she agreed and accepted the courtesy background check. To date, she has not yet called but the courtesy search will remain on her account until it is used. It has no expiration date.

Review: I requested service for a 3 day trial to access a people search costing $.98.The same night after using the service. I discovered the service difficult to access the information I required. I tried to cancel the service, and I' be tried to cancel several times with no results.I would like to cancel the service.can you assist me. I would appreciate your assistance. Thank you.Mary Smith You may reach me at [redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like a confirmation that the account is closed, and my bank account will not be chargeed.

Business

Response:

We were not able to find an account using the e-mail address you supplied. Additionally, there are multiple accounts matching your name in your state. Please send us the e-mail you used to create your account at PeopleFinders.com or call our Customer Care department directly. Our representatives can search by partial card number in order to locate your account. Our contact information is below.

###-###-####

Monday-Friday 7:00AM-6:00PM (PST)

Saturday-Sunday 7:00AM-11:30AM and 12:30PM-3:30PM (PST)

Review: On 11/30/15 I signed up for a "free" 3-day trial. On the same day they took .95 from my bank account making it not free. On 12/01/15 they took 24.95 out the third day of my free trial. On 12/07/15 they took an additional 24.99 out for what they claim as [redacted] Rewards.I am clueless as to what that may be.I never signed up for or authorized them to continue taking money from my account.On 01/04/16 another 24.95 was taken and on 01/06/14 another 24.99 was taken.I called to cancel whatever they signed me up for and was told I had three days from 11/30/15 to cancel and therefore would not refund my money. On 12/01/15 the third day according to them I could have cancelled, they began to take from my account. So far they've taken $100.83 from me. I would greatly appreciate if you would look into their business practices and determine if there have been other victims.Of course I would like my refund and any interests it may have incurred no matter how slight.I have my bank statements readily available if you should need them.I believe this company should be very carefully scrutinized so others may not be devastated ever. I can only imagine if I had not had the money in my account for them to take, the consequences would be very expensive.Desired Settlement: I want my refund and I'd like to see some action taken to deter them from continuing this scam.

Business

Response:

the product the customer ordered was $0.95 for a People Search on [redacted]. The service is not free. Service was rendered for that product. They received that product at a discounted price because at the time of purchase they selected to sign up for the 3 day trial period of the membership in which unlimited people search reports can be run. If the customer cancels within the 3 days they are not charged the monthly fee. If they do not cancel then the membership goes into effect. They may cancel at anytime online, by email or by phone. As the Terms of Use state months that have already been billed are not refundable. However, we will issue a refund for the current months billing. We are refunding $24.95 and $24.99. There will be no further billings.

Review: This company is full of false promises...states that it can do so much, yet fails to produce any real information, only connects you to more links and services to pay for. I didn'T sign up for any rewards program with them, only agreed to pay the 9.95 to use service, but somehow they signed me up for some rewards program that I did not want enrolled in. Immediately, the following morning I went through the painstakingly long and hidden process to cancel both the membership and rewards program, which was stated that I had done successfully. Thought that was the end of it, then I get my credit card bill, with the 9.95 I had agreed to pay and another separate charge for 24.99! So, I immediately call customer service to get that refunded and customer service was extremely rude, saying that I had enrolled in the rewards and that it was a completely separate program and that they would not refund me, all they would do was cancel my enrollment at this point. I explaineD that I had no interest and never enrolled, as well as, never utilized whatever this stupid rewards program was. Customer service had no interest in any of this and rudely again said all they would do was cancel at this point. The amount of hidden scams involved with this site compelled me to report, they truly know they are hiding information and then make it near impossible to navigate cancelling something you even were unaware that you were enrolled in. Disgusted with the entire experience!!!Desired Settlement: Doubtful that my 24.99 will be refunded, as I apparently and was rudely told that I had "enrolled", but want others to be aware of this hidden scam this company has going.

Business

Response:

We have canceled the membership, there will be no further renewals. Per the Terms of Use there are no refunds on our products.

Review: I completed a search for a phone number on 4/29/15 for a charge of $9.95. Up to checkout I thought the charge would be $1.95. Still needing the information I proceeded with the $9.95 charge. This amount has been paid my by credit card company. On 6/29/15 I received my credit card statement and had a $29.95 charge on 5/29/15 from the company. I contacted the company that day and was told it was for an on-going membership and that I would also be charged an additional $29.95 on 6/29/15. The earliest they would cancel the membership was on 7/29/15. On 4/29/15, when I utilized their company I had NO idea that I had signed up for a membership as I only needed their services the one time. I have no contract, emails, etc. that show I signed up for a $29.95 per month membership.Desired Settlement: Cancel the 2 charges of $29.95 each for a total credit for $59.90.

Business

Response:

At the time of purchase on 4/28/2015 you affirmatively selected to enroll in our Monthly Background Check Membership. The first month is discounted at $9.95 and renews at $29.95. feel free to review the Terms of Use on PeopleFinders.com for our refund and other policies. We have found that you have already contacted your bank or Credit Card Company regarding these charges; therefore we cannot offer you a refund. Please allow time for your financial institution to review the charges for validity. Usually this process will take a few billing cycles and they will notify you of the outcome via mail. You will now need to follow their policies and procedures regarding these charges.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: The receipt provided by peoplefinders.com (attached) did not show or inform me that I had committed to an on-going agreement for $29.95 per month. I was never provided an agreement that I executed. What they mentioned must have been buried in their fine print.Yes, I have instructed my credit card company to dispute these charges, but that has no bearing on this complaint. Why would it take Peoplefinders.com several billing cycles as you mentioned in your response, to resolve this minor issue. There should be no delay in resolving this complaint.Thank You.

Business

Response:

We feel we have already explained the $9.95 product. Again, we are unable to process a refund for a charge that has already been disputed with your card company. You will now need to follow their policies and procedures regarding these charges.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: Their response does not answer the complaint, how my credit card company responses has nothing to do with them responding to my complaint. They need to provide written documentation that I committed to an on-going charge of $29.95 per month. They have not provided that information, only quoting their terms of use policy. They need to provide proof that I accepted these charges. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Screenshots of the product this customer purchased on 8/5/2015 are attached.

Review: PeopleFinder.com continuous deduction of funds after service was cancelled.

I'm retired military and decided to use PeopleFinders (back in 2010)to find a friend I was stationed with overseas. I open an account with PeopleFinders on a trial basis and decided to close the account shortly after. While reviewing my bank statement in 2010 I notice that they were still debiting my account. I decided to call the 1-800 number and it gave me a guided menu on the cancellation process. I used the information to cancel the account. A month later I realized funds money was still being deducted, so idecided to call the 1-800 number and speak to one of their representative. The person I spoke to was male (don't remember his name because it was it was a long time ago) and I explained to him the billing issue. The male customer service representative went ahead and cancelled the account. Fast foward to current - I receive a call from my bank on May 10,2013, from my bank ([redacted] Credit Union) stating that my account checking account was in the negative. The bank representative told me that the negative amount was due to a bank draft/debit from PeopleFinders.com. The bank representaive then went ahead and gave me the contact information. I called PeopleFinders the same day and spoke to female customer service rep. I explained to her that the account was cancelled back in 2010. She then researched and stated that the account was open last year. I told her that I used the account only 1 time in 2010 to find an old friend of mines. I closed the account with the help of a male customer service rep. The female customer service rep said that "the account was used to find someone by the name of "[redacted]" in 2012" I respond to her by saying I don't know that person. She then ask for my card number for verification purposes and I gave it to her. The shocking issue regarding the card and the debiting of charges revolved around the fact that the card "PeopleFinders" have on filed was cancelled a year ago (because my wallet was stolen) and all my old cards were closed out and new ones issued with different account numbers. Yet still they were still deducting money from my account. The female customer service rep even verified that they had the old card number still on file. I realized that the female customer service rep was not meeting my complaint needs, so I decided to ask for a manager or supervisor. She put me in contact with a person who only offered her first name [redacted] and ID number XXXXX.I ask for her first and last name and she said that "she only give out her first name". I responded back by saying how do I know that this name is real and not a fake name you are giving me and she responded by saying you have my ID number. We went ahead and discuss the issue and she primarily said the samething the first person as the female customer service rep. I began to get fustrated because, I would like to know why is the account still open after I closed it a long time ago and why PeopleFinders are you still debiting a card that no longer exist. The supervisor response ([redacted] ID number XXXXX) was "why didnt I bring the issue to them a long time ago"?? I responded to her by saying if I knew the issue still existed I would have. She then proceeded to ask me how can we resolve this issue. I told her I would like to get a refund of the money debited. She then stated that they will refund me 4 months which equates to $100. I told her that is not fair because based on PeopleFinders records they debited 12 months. My question to her was..how can PeopleFinders debit 12 months and only refund 4 months for an account I was told was closed? In closing I would like the Revdex.com to bring some resolution to this issue.Desired Settlement: I am seeking the remaining 8 months of deductions that PeopleFinders took out of my account for a service I cancelled a long time ago.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

We automatically log any phone calls to our Customer Care Department. The customer had no contact with company until 5/10/2013 when he requested to discontinue the membership. Please provide the name or ID number of the representative you spoke with prior to 5/10/2013.

There was no cancelation made online at any time. Per our Terms of Use posted it was the customer's responsibility to cancel the membership online or by calling our Customer Care phone number. As a courtesy have already issued four refunds of $24.95 to the customer on 5/10/2013. No other refunds will be issued.

Please let us know whether will may assist you further.

PeopleFinders Customer Care

[redacted]@Peoplefinders.com

(800) XXX-XXXX

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

First of all, there wouldn't be a confirmation email because the male representative I originally spoke to did not cancel the account. So why in the [redacted] would there be a cancellation email????...The fact that PeopleFinders was still deducting money out of my account is a clear indication of this...Second, when I spoke to the female customer service rep on May 10, 2013 and ask her to go back to 2010/2011, (the approximate time frame of the original cancellation)...her response was that PeopleFinders records does not go back that far. Third, I don't remember the representative name because I thought the issue was resolve at that time. Am I suppose to remember the name of someone I spoke to (for less than 10 minutes) over a year and half ago on the phone???? better yet! Does the staff at PeopleFinders remember the god dam names of everybody they spoke to over the phone. I think not! so why the [redacted] u expect me to remember his name???? Apparently your company portrayed a lack of professionalism..The male representative did not do what he suppose to do...I regret even using your services because this is turning into a fraudulent nightmare. At this point I am going to contact my lawyer and my congressman regarding this issue.

Business' Final Response

We automatically log all calls, emails and online account manager activity for cancelation. We do not show any contact with our company prior to your phone call on 5/10/2013. Please provide the confirmation email or the name of the representative you spoke with when you canceled prior to this date.

Review: Use of Credit Card without authorization.Desired Settlement: Refund of charge and compensation for my time on this matter $500.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Hello,

At the time of purchase you chose to receive a discounted price for signing up for a 3 day free trial to our 3-in-1 Membership. This membership allowed you to receive an unlimited number of:

*People Searches - Get the facts you need to find anyone, anywhere

*Email Searches - Obtain email addresses, or learn about the owner of any address

*Social Profile Searches - See updates on all of your friend's social profiles in one spot

*Marriage Searches - Find out if a man or woman has ever been married

*Divorce Searches - Check the divorce status of any man or woman

*Property Searches - Learn about any piece of property, including the current owner and value

You had the option to cancel this membership trial at anytime via your account manager on the website, via email, or via phone.

We did not receive any notification that you wished to cancel this trial. The 3 day trial has ended; therefore, you were billed $24.95 on the fourth day, and for every month thereafter.

Our records show that you have cancelled the automatic renewal of your membership through your online Account Manager.

Our hours of operation are:

Monday-Friday-7:00AM-6:00PM (PST)

Saturday-Sunday7:00AM-11:30AM and 12:30PM-3:30PM (PST)

Best regards,

PeopleFinders Customer Care

[redacted]@Peoplefinders.com

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

Review: Unauthorized debit withdrawal of money from my bank account in the amount of 24.95. Authorization was given for 1.95 to be withdrawn.

I did a one time search on peoplefinders.com for the price of 95cents did not accept the offer for the membership, not at anytime did it say to call and cancel, but two different times it offered the membership and I did not accept and it proceeded to the check out at the price of the one day price of 95 cents. When I checked my bank account I saw that 24.95 had been withdrawn from my account by peoplefinders and I called to find out why when I only chose to do it for the one day and declined any offers for the membership and their response was that I was suppose to call and cancel the membership when I never applied for it. I only applied for one day not any membership and I would like to have my money put back into my account that they stole.Desired Settlement: The amount that was taken out of my account plus anguish and suffering for the abuse and misuse of my bank account.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Hello,

At the time of purchase you chose to receive a discounted price for signing up for a 3 day free trial to our 3-in-1 Membership. If you do not want the trial, the normal price for the report is 1.95. This membership allowed you to receive an unlimited number of:

*People Searches - Get the facts you need to find anyone, anywhere

*Email Searches - Obtain email addresses, or learn about the owner of any address

*Social Profile Searches - See updates on all of your friend's social profiles in one spot

*Marriage Searches - Find out if a man or woman has ever been married

*Divorce Searches - Check the divorce status of any man or woman

*Property Searches - Learn about any piece of property, including the current owner and value

You had the option to cancel this membership trial at anytime via your account manager on the website, via email, or via phone.

We did not receive any notification that you wished to cancel this trial. The 3 day trial has ended; therefore, you were billed $24.95 on the fourth day, and for every month thereafter.

We have cancelled your membership.

Our hours of operation are:

Monday-Friday-7:00AM-6:00PM (PST)

Saturday-Sunday7:00AM-11:30AM and 12:30PM-3:30PM (PST)

Best regards,

PeopleFinders Customer Care

[redacted]@Peoplefinders.com

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I chose not to accept the membership and only the 1.95 trial before I entered any of my payment information. That was one of the options to choose the membership or the trial and I my choice was the trial not the membership and I know that they knew my choice of only getting the 3-day trial and not the membership. All of the information that I entered was only for the trial.

Business' Final Response

Our records show that on 6/3/2013 at 10:10AM you chose the 1.95 price for a single report and completed the purchase process. Then, at 10:46AM on 6/3/2013 there was another purchase made through a separate checkout process for $0.95. This enrolled you in the three day trial membership. This membership was never canceled and therefore you were billed $24.95 as stated on every page of the checkout process. This charge will not be refunded per the terms you agreed to.

Review: Unfair business practice, and withdrawing money without consent.

I signed up for a $.95 trail, never told of a $24.95 fee. I saw it on my credit card, I contacted them, spoke to Ban, he refused the refund. I'm horrified this stuff happens this day. This company should be ashamed of its service and definitely of it's customer service. All I wanted was my $24.95 back that I didn't authorize. He said "no".Desired Settlement: I want my $24.95 back that I wasn't told would be taken out.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

The customer has a choice to accept a special discounted price available with a monthly membership or the full price for the search without membership. The membership provides a three day trial to try our services. Our membership service provides unlimited searches and other features for a monthly fee. This is clearly and conspicuously disclosed on the initial order selection page. Then the consumer is provided with an entire page outlining the terms of the membership which clearly and conspicuously states that after the initial trial, unless the consumer cancels the service the service will continue monthly and the card they provided will be charged until they tell us to cancel their membership to avoid future charges. The membership is mentioned no less than three times on three pages before the order is complete.

Given that members can conduct unlimited searches for a monthly membership fee our terms do not allow for any refunds and simply allow members to cancel anytime to avoid future charges. Our records show a phone call was placed to our Customer Care team on 8/28/0013 and we agreed to grant a partial refund of $14.20 as a courtesy. The remaining fees ($12.69) are none-refundable because of the volume of searches ran on 8/24/2013. six searches were performed and results generated. Searching is $1.95 each without a membership.

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

I agreed to the $14.20 refund, but unfortunately never saw it. Every time I tried to contact anyone there, I was promptly disconnected. TO this day, I have not seen any refund (as promised), and plan to badmouth this company's work ethics, till I do.

They mislead their customers, and have a poor overall customer service department.

Business Response

Our records show a refund of $14.20 being processed on 8/28/2013. This amount should have been shown on your credit card statement within five to ten business days. If you have not received this refund yet we recommend contacting the bank to see why the refund has been delayed.

If you have any questions or need further assistance. Please call our Customer Care department.

(800) 718-8997

Monday-Friday 7:00AM-6:00PM (PST)

Saturday-Sunday 7:00AM-11:30AM and 12:30PM-3:30PM (PST)

[email protected]

Review: Billed and not reimbursed. Customer service handled very poorly.

I found a charge on my joint account from people finders and realized they had been billing me for a service I used one time as a trial to locate a client whose phone number had changed. The representative, [redacted], that I spoke with could only see my most current charge, he asked me for my credit card number and zip code as he could not find my account by email, I said well you shouldn't even have access to my account because this fairly new card. He said he could only refund me for one month and that he could not see other charges. He asked if I had bank statements and I said I can print them now, he then suggested I send them to him. I began feeling very uncomfortable and asked to speak with a supervisor he said he could not transfer me and there was no way I could speak with anyone else unless I called back other wise that would be like cutting in line. I said, "can you put me on hold?" And he said "no, I don't know if you've aver worked at a call center before, but you can't put someone on hold." At this point I fee extremely uncomfortable. I can't hear anyone else in the back ground and for all I know I'm talking to some kid that I just gave all my billing information. As he would help me no further I called and cancelled my credit card immediately as I felt very uneasy about this person having my information. When I called peoplefinders back to verify that it was an actual business they would not look up my account except by my billing address and said a they would terminate the call unless I gave it to them, this person transferred me to a Supervisor, [redacted], ID XXXXX. To whom I made the complaint. She says, "you must have mistakenly choose the wrong plan, one plan is 1 time for $1.95 and the other is reoccurring for 0.95 cents. (Then 24.95 thereafter) I'll refund you for 4 months. You should have noticed before." I used their service once in 03/2012 for a work transaction and they could only reimburse me 4 months? They provided me with no service for a year and a half and when my card expired they went to my bank and got my new credit card number without my permission to continue billing me. I think this business is a sham. When I asked [redacted] why someone would ask me to send my bank statements to them she said, "That's strange." Then later said, "Well if we couldn't find your transactions we might have them sent here." AS we are talking a look up 1821 Q st, sacramento; it does not look like a place of business, when I ask her about this she says that the building is unmarked and there is no sign. Why is that? I would never do business with this company. They are not trustworthy and made $474.05 off of me for about 2 seconds of service. I will advise everyone I know of peoplefinders deceitful business practices and reprehensible customer service. I have three children and do not have the time or money to have to cancel my debit card due to unsavory company business practices and their sketchy employees. Desired Settlement: Full refund of my money beginning in 04/2012 and acknowledgement that I only used their service once despite a year and a half of charges. As well as an admission that they should never have asked me to send my bank statements to some random address in Sacramento that looks like a homeless shelter on yahoo maps and they should have allowed me to speak with a Supervisor the first time I called causing me to believe fraud was being committed by their company and in turn causing me cancelling my debit card.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

We have referenced the three recorded phone calls to our Customer Service department with [redacted], [redacted] and [redacted] to confirm the below response on behalf of Peoplefinders.com. We apologize for any inconvenience, wariness or confusion you have experienced.

Yes you did initially call and spoke with [redacted]. To locate any customer's account we ask for the email address, name or credit card that was used on PeopleFinders.com. This is not something that is a breach of security. The customer has already provided us with this information when making a purchase online. For those customers who we cannot find their account by any other means and are weary of giving their entire card number we do have the ability to look up an account by partial card number. After you confirmed you did in fact use Peoplefinders.com for your initial search, [redacted] could see the charge you were referring to which he issued a refund for, which included a confirmation email sent to you from the email on file. You asked to speak with someone else and [redacted] stated you were welcome to call back and be routed to another person, which you declined. You were also offered to be transferred to a supervisor's voicemail, which you declined. Our representatives do not have the options of transferring calls to other same level representatives. They may only escalate the call to a supervisor or manager. This is strictly an inbound call center and the calls are designed to be taken in the order they were received in the queue. Again, this is a standard call center practice and not something that should raise any red flags on the legitimacy of our company.

After speaking with [redacted] you then called back and spoke with [redacted]. [redacted] at this point has no idea you had previously called in, therefore she needed your email, name or card number in order to pull up your account. Then representatives are required to verify another piece of information, like your address, to ensure they are talking to the account holder. Searching, usage and especially billing information is strictly confidential and this verification over the phone is crucial in securing that. Again, this verification is standard procedure with inbound call centers. Once you verify an account a representative is able to view any notations made by previous reps, review refunds, account history etc. At that time you refused to verify any of your account information in order for her to assist you. We understand now this was because you were to weary of the initial call you had with [redacted]. At that point [redacted] deemed you as a difficult caller because you were not cooperating in verifying your information. Recognizing this, your call was then passed on to a supervisor ([redacted]) who was now available. After you explained your experience with [redacted], [redacted] did make the comment that it was strange that [redacted] asked you to send in your statement only because she was able to view all of the transactions, not just the most recent one as [redacted] had said, and not because it wasn't protocol. [redacted] agreed to issue three additional refunds per your request of asking if we could grant any more than the initial refund. The conversation continued from there discussing the legitimacy of PeopleFinders.com.

As [redacted] explained over the phone; Peoplefinders.com is an online, privately owned, company. We are not open to the general public. There is no headquarters or storefront in which customers can walk into the building and make search requests, hence no signs. We are one of the biggest sources of public record data and have been so for 10+ years. We are in very good standing with the Revdex.com and always do our best in assisting our customers.

We strongly feel that our website is completely transparent in explaining all charges linked to searches, memberships and automatic charges. We use concise one page disclosures dedicated to describing what charges will occur, how to use the membership, membership coverage and how to cancel. Each page after that has an order summary at the top right hand corner confirming your product ordered and we ask for all customers to check a box agreeing to our terms of use and privacy policy. Consumers are then sent an email confirming the purchase and welcoming you to the site. There are at least 5 sections in which you are advised of recurring billing throughout the purchase process. It is the online consumer's responsibility to read and understand the product they are purchasing. Despite this process being completed on 3/19/2012 and recurring monthly billings on your statement every month, you failed to contact our office to cancel until 10/2/2013, nineteen months after her membership was started. In conclusion, you have received four refunds of $24.95 each totaling $99.80 as a courtesy and your account with PeopleFinders is closed. You will be responsible for the prior 15 months of charges.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

You may deem everything that happened as normal procedure, but that does not make them good procedures. After listening to the conversation I had with [redacted] you should completely understand where I'm coming from. I appreciate that you were "generous" enough to refund me for 4 months, but in my opinion this is quite unsatisfactory. As I said before, which I'm sure you can verify; I used your service once, however you feel completely justified in billing me over $400. That is not only shady but unethical. You are building your business upon people like me who made a mistake in the option they choose. You are taking advantage of the publics misunderstanding of your billing procedures and profiting from it greatly. I find your resolution unacceptable and your business deplorable.

Final Business Response

PeopleFinders.com feels we have already addressed these issues in our first response. Please review the Terms of Use on PeopleFinders.com if you would like more information about refunds or other policies. We will grant two additional refunds of $24.95 each, again as a courtesy to [redacted], the other charges from more than six months ago will not be refunded.

Review: People Finders automatically enrolled me into a recurring monthly subscription, without my consent.

I made a purchase for $1 in August but the site continually changed my selection to a more expensive one of $14.95, I assume this was a "glitch". Thereafter, my account has been charged $24.95 for the month of September, then again in October. I called to inquire, they advised I opted to enroll into a monthly membership and they would only refund one month.

I did not enroll into a monthly membership nor did I consent to have this amount automatically withdrawn from my account.

This company is deceitful. Desired Settlement: I am seeking a refund for unauthorized charges of $24.95 for the month of September and $24.95 for the month of October along with cancellation of this false membership enrollment.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

PeopleFinders.com is a self-service site. Consumers are only charged for the products they select online. Auto-enrolment is not a feature offered by People Finders. Our records show on 8/11/2013 at 10:35AM PST you visited PeopleFinders.com and selected a 1.95 People Search report. Three minutes later you selected a $2.94 People Search report. Then, in the same login sitting but four minutes after your previous purchase, you selected to enroll in a monthly membership at $24.95. As explained on the site and throughout the checkout process, this membership is discounted for the first 30 days at $14.95 and renews at $24.95 monthly until it is canceled. You failed to cancel this membership until a phone call to a representative on 10/18/2013, three months after you selected to enroll. Per your request over the phone on 10/18/2013 we agreed to refund $24.95 for one month, as a courtesy. The charges are non-refundable per the terms you agreed to on 8/11/2013.

While we are not able to offer you any further refunds, we would be happy to offer a complimentary 30 day membership to account for the time you were not using the service due to your misunderstanding of what was advertised online. Feel free to let us know via email or phone when and if you would like to start this 30 day membership.

Review: charged account 2 times causing over draft fees. would only refund one charge and none of the overdraft charges.Were very rude and hung up phone

I purchased a one time use of people finders service for .95 cents. recently found my account has been billed 24.95 twice each time resulting in an overdraft fee of 32.00 for each charge.I called the company and they could only refund one 24.95 charge because I chose the wrong membership. the representative was very rude and hung up on me as we were discussing the problem.Desired Settlement: I want the 24.95 charges credited to my account and the overdraft charges totaling 64.00

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

We apologize for the inconvenience, but overdraft fees are something we do not control and do not provide reimbursement for. To get help with this issue, we suggest that you contact your bank or credit card company where you are receiving the fees from. We apologize that we could not be of more assistance regarding this matter.

If your intention was to run only one search, then the $0.95 trial membership is the wrong product. $0.95 is advertised as a trial membership for unlimited searching. At the time of purchase you chose to receive a discounted price for signing up for a 3 day free trial to our 3-in-1 Membership.

You had the option to cancel this membership trial at anytime via your account manager on the website, via email, or via phone.

We did not receive any notification that you wished to cancel this trial. The 3 day trial has ended; therefore, you were billed $24.95 on the fourth day, and for every month thereafter.

Per your request over the phone on 10/17/2013 and as a onetime courtesy, we have granted the refund of $24.95 for one month. Please allow 2-5 business days for the refund to process back into your credit or debit card. Your membership is also cancelled.

You will be responsible for the $24.95 membership fee from 9/14/2013 because the trial membership was not canceled within the three days as agreed.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

the selections were unclear as I have already discussed. the selection was inadvertantly chosen to be the one time use.

Final Business Response

Again we are not responsible for over draft fees charged by your bank. You had a choice to accept a special discounted price available with a monthly membership or the full price for the search without membership. If your do not wish to enroll in membership you may choose the full price for one report. If you select a product advertised as a trial membership it will come with a trial to the membership. The trial is clearly and conspicuously disclosed on the initial order selection page. Then the you are provided with an entire page outlining the terms of the membership which clearly and conspicuously states that after the initial trial, unless you cancel the trial, the service will continue monthly and the card you provided will be charged until you tell us to cancel the membership to avoid future charges. The membership is mentioned no less than three times on three pages before the order is complete. We feel we have made every effort to communicate the recurring charges to you throughout the checkout process. It is the consumer's responsibility to read and understand what product is being purchased when shopping online.

Review: I have tried to cancel this account since march 2014..it says I do not have an acct yet my debit card keeps getting charged.. I was able to get visa to refund march but I was still charged for april..if my card is not refunded for april 2014 and my acct isnt removed I will pursue all legal options against peoplefinders.comDesired Settlement: I want the $19.95 charged to my debit card for april 2014 and I want the peoplefinder account in my name closed or I will contact an attorney

Business

Response:

We have reviewed our files and found the account you are referring to under a different email address than the one provided. We do not have any record of a direct contact from you or a cancellation. Our customer service was available to take your cancellation or discuss the billings at any time via email, you account manager or over the phone. Our phone number is also listed directly next to the charges. We are willing to work with you but because you stated a dispute has been started with Visa we are unable to process any refunds. It seems Visa has granted a conditional refund to you for the disputed charge. If we do in fact receive a dispute, we will comply and submit information about the charges to them. They will then make a determination on the validity of the charges, which usually takes a few billing cycles. Unfortunately, if you did dispute this charge you will need to follow your bank's determination of the validity of the membership fees. We have closed this account per your request.

Review: Going through my Apr 2014 banking statement, I saw I was charged $24.95 on 4/3/14 by Peoplefinders.com. I phoned and was told I'd signed up for their service online. I told her I did not. Why would I want to pay $50 or more a month for their service when I was a retired woman just being home. She said they had given me a [redacted] address and I remembered I had been looking for my sisters address. There was no way I'd sign up for their svc. I could have phoned my other sister and gotten the ad but it was there in the computer so I used it. They also billed me $24.99 on 4/7/14. She said she'd refund the 2nd charge but could not refund the initial $24.95. She said the account after the refund would be CANCELED. Upon checking my May stmt I found they had charged me $24.95 on 5/4/14 and $24.99 on 5/8/14. A refund of $24.99 was given on 5/30. I phoned them today to have it corrected and was told no other refunds would be given. Please help me. I live on my pension so no way would I sign up for an expensive and 'not needed' service. That's just crazy. Please help. Thank you. [redacted]Desired Settlement: Ok I'll take the initial charge, although I know I would not have signed up for it, but I did get the ad. I want the 2 charges in May refunded. $49.94 total.

Business

Response:

We have reviewed our files and found an order for a search was conducted by you on 3/29/2014. At this time you had the choice between running one search at the normal price $1.95 or a trial membership at a discounted price $0.95. Our membership provides unlimited searches and other features for a monthly fee. It advertises that in choosing the special discounted price, you are enrolling in a trial membership for unlimited searching. It states the trial requires cancellation or the card you provide will be billed the membership fee of $24.95 on the fourth day, and every month thereafter. Our records show you affirmatively selected to enroll in the trial by choosing the discounted $0.95 price on 3/29/2014. Both the initial order selection page and the payment information page clearly and conspicuously state that if you do not wish to continue the service you will need to notify us in order to avoid further billing. If your intention was to run only one search on that day then you had in fact selected the wrong product.

Directly after your initial purchase of $0.95 you were provided with a full-page offer to the PeopleFinders Rewards program. This additional membership provides discounts on the more expensive reports offered on our site, which are not included in membership, such as Comprehensive Background Checks. Our records show that instead of declining this offer, you chose to enroll in this membership by clicking "Yes, sign me up for PeopleFinders Rewards and complete my order."

Given that members can run unlimited searches and other services for a monthly fee, our terms do not allow for any refunds and simply allows users to cancel anytime to avoid future billing. We did not receive cancellation from you until a phone call to a representative on 5/29/2014, two months after the membership had been initiated. At this time you had already been billed a full two months of service for each of your memberships. Per your request over the phone on 5/29/2014, and as a one-time courtesy, we agreed to grant one refund of $24.99 for the most recent membership fee (renewed on 5/7/2014). Unfortunately, there are no further refunds available on your account. In conclusion, your account at PeopleFinders.com is closed, you have been refunded a total of $24.99 as a courtesy and there will be no further billing.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: Wow I can't believe this. No way did I talk to anyone from this company and I did not agree to sign up for a membership. I'm retired, I am not employed, I'm not close to any of my family so there would be no reason to sign up for this service because there would be no need. The one address they gave me was because I was too anti social to phone my other sister to get it from her. If I'd been given all the facts verbally or written I would not be in this situation, I'd have phoned my sister to get the ad. I think this is a con, or if not a con then just really unfair. Please reason with the company and convince them I am not trying to cheat them. I never asked for more information and I was behind on checking my banking statement so didn't know they were charging me. Maybe $49.94 isn't much to a lot of people but it is to me. The $25. I'm willing to pay to enough of a blow to my budget. Please help.

Thank you, [redacted]

Review: I paid $42.00 for a full background report. The report promised birth and death records, criminal reports, marriage and divorce records, and it even promised a full name.The person I requested the report about was:A.) Born in the U.S. and was listed as father on at least 3 other birth certificates.!!!!B.) Married and divorced at least 2 times.!!!!C.) Spent many years in prison.!!!D.) Deceased!!!!!This so called complete background report did not mention any of that. The report did not even include his middle name!!! It listed his brother twice as 2 different people! His children were not even on the list. I know for a fact that he has a public criminal record because I ran across a court case recently in St. Tammany Parist was for a speeding ticket in 1981. I was not even looking for him at the time. This is not the product I agreed to purchase.The customer service department was very rude from the moment they answered the phone. They would not even listen to me. They would talk over me while I was speaking and acted as though they could not care less that I was a human being.I feel ripped off. I cant believe that a company with this many complaints is still allowed to stay in business. It seems to me that they have no desire for repeat customers. I asked them to either provide me with the full report that I ordered or give me my money back. I would like to be treated like a human being. I reached out to this company because I was desperate to find my father. I have never met him and when I did finally get some concrete evidence of who he could be, I learned he is dead.(information I did not get from the report) He is not alive to answer the questions I have been wanting to ask him my entire life. His family members are all telling me different stories. I need the answers that report should have given me. I am not made of money. I feel like this company likes to pray on people like me. If they could not get me the report then they never should have taken my money.Desired Settlement: I expect a full refund of All of my money!!!!!

Business

Response:

We have reviewed the report you are referring to and found that it was generated properly on your account. We understand that it did not have the information you were expecting. When you order a report, our system searches through billions of public records and collects every piece of relevant information. PeopleFinders pays for access to this data, so the charge is for us to conduct a search on your behalf, not to return a specific result. The Public Record data we provide is subject to availability, states it is included "when available" and not guaranteed. We are unable to provide a refund. Please review the Terms of Use on PeopleFinders.com if you would like more information about refunds or other policies.

While we are unable to offer you a refund per the Terms you agreed to, we would like to provide you with a courtesy search at no additional cost. The courtesy search will remain on your account until it is used. You may elect to have that exchange search ran at any time. Just call our number below and a representative will run your search for you, free of charge.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

You did not deliver the product I ordered. Your records are wrong. I am not willing to drop this.