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Privacy Matters 1-2-3

Privacy Matters 1-2-3 review: $1 credit card charge 54

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12:00 am EDT
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This is an internet business called Privacy Matters (www.privacymatters.com). On or around June 26 I tried to get what was called a "free" credit report. I understood that if I enrolled I had a period of time to unenroll if I wanted to. I proceeded to fill out the information. When I clicked the enroll button, I received a message that said we are unable to enroll you, please call this 800 number. I tried 2 or 3 times and got the same message. I gave up and decided it wasn't worth messing around with. When I received my credit card bill, I was charged two different fees, $1 and $29.95. When I called to ask about this they said I had enrolled into their program to receive credit reports. I explained to them what happened when I tried to enroll. They were willing to refund the $29.95, but not the $1 nor the $1 that my credit card charged for each transaction.

Now I realize this is only $1. But if this is done to enough people, they would make quite a nice income. I asked for a supervisor and after a few minutes waiting, got the supervisor. The supervisor informed me the same thing, and said I was sent an email regarding this charge. I never received this email or I would have called right away. I even looked in my spam mail. She refuse to refund the $3 and would not allow me to speak to anyone else. Then she hung up on my when I nicely refused to hang up the phone.

Is there anything one can do about this?

Thank you,
Deborah

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54 comments
Valerie
Valerie
, US
Oct 13, 2008 11:16 am EDT

Dear Privacymatters.com I do not know who your company is our what "services" it performs. I never subscribed to your services and any information that your "company" has acquired about me was done so illegally. This is a demand that privacymattters.com; delete any and all information that it has acquired about me, refund any and all monies that it has extracted from my accounts over the past 3 years. Other than confirming compliance with these demands as written in this 10/12/08, do not release my private information to any parties. You will be hearing from my attorney

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Juan Manuel Martinez
,
Mar 05, 2007 12:00 am EST

I want PrivacyMatters.com to stop charging 29.95 to my check account. I try to do online but I not unable to. Plz advise smb!

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sherian St.Patrick
,
Nov 08, 2008 8:15 pm EST

I have been charged twice for something i did not order and do not want. I called as soon as i saw the charges on my charge card and I called [protected] immediately and they indicated they had canceled the order. I was going on line this evening and not only did they not cancel the order they have charged me twice, once in Oct and then another time in Nov. I tried calling them but they are not open at this time. When I entered my phone number in their system it said that they had canceled the order on 9-30 but the next charge was dated 10--03 and now 11-04.

I want them to reverse these charges asap because I have not authorized any payments to Privacy Matters and have not accepted any services rendered.

I had originally gone on line to check my credit status and at the end it said that I had to pay for it...I never received the credit report and as soon as I saw 5 one dollar charges on my visa I immediately Privacy Matters. They at that time never mentioned a charge of $ 29.95 each month for nothing purchased from them.

I am contacting the better business bureau asap and you had better taker care of my problem with the charges that have been incurred on my visa. There are two one dollar charges and two twenty-nine ninety five charges that must be reversed asap.

I expect to get an answer from your company first thing Monday morning.

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Jim Gurley
Acworth, US
Nov 21, 2009 2:14 pm EST

On 31 October 2009 I spoke with operator #153853 ( Mia) who transferred me to her supervisor, Rosa who told me in order to recieve a refund ( for over draft fees incurred as a result of YOUR UNAUTHORIZED CHARGES ON My Debit card) of $ 68.00 I would have to have my bank, Chase to fax a copy of the charges to you. Chase has done so to [protected]. Why have you not lived up to your word? When or do you plan on doing so.The account # was [protected]. The cancellation conformation # is [protected]-[protected] Considering the time that has already passed ...how about DOING YOUR JOB AND HURRY UP.!
Jim Gurley

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Sandra Knight
Acton, US
Jan 08, 2009 10:15 pm EST

This online company has charged my credit card and debit card without my consent four times over a two-year period.
I reported it to my bank and called Privacy Matters. They refunded the charges, but then put them back on my account several months later and again a year later. I cancelled my debit card and got a new one, but somehow Privacy Matters got my new information on their own. They also found a new bank account I opened and charged that as well.
This company advertises free credit reports and identity theft protection, and yet they seem to be stealing identity and credit information illegally.

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pat achord
,
Mar 10, 2008 12:21 pm EDT

WARNING: Wish I had checked out Intellius before using them... I got info I requested, but what I didn't know was they work with a company called Privacy Matters and this company uses your payment method to debit money for there services also, even though you DO NOT sign up for it... Privacy Matters did credit back the $19.95 but it over drew my checking and would not credit the 29.00 nsf fee because when I went on Intellius it. Approved me for privacy matters automatically... I am on disability and limited money and this 29.00 hurt me as well as my name.

Valerie
Valerie
, US
Apr 18, 2008 5:25 am EDT

I had my credit run from a reputable (supposedly) non-profit credit counselling service endorsed by my employer. Shortly after I had 2 charges for 19.95 on my account about a month apart. If this happens to you, report it. I will be filing a police report, Better business report, and will attempt to alert the FBI. I filed a claim with my bank, and I need get that resolved first. Do not bother calling the 800 number, they try and scam more personal info... The more people that report this the better, notify law enforcement. I will even take time off to testify in court if needed. There is a principal at stake here.

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Chris Vasta
,
Apr 29, 2008 7:35 pm EDT

I signed up for FREE 30 days for my credit report. I agreed if I canceled within 30 days I would not be charged. Instead I was charged $29.95 & 3 $1.00 charges. I canceled within 1 or 2 weeks through the email that they sent. This did not stop the charge. I then called them on the phone. I canceled 3 times using the IVR, and this did not cancel my agreement. The operator told me that this was a 7 day free trial. I told him NO it said 30 days. He also said my subscription was not canceled but that he would cancel it for me. He said that he would credit me the $29.95. I guess a $3.00 loss is not that bad. I just hope I get my $29.95 back.

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Anne
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Apr 22, 2008 6:59 pm EDT

Ok, my husband wanted to get his credit report...yeah he got "consumer" numbers...which were much higher than what the banks use and then he cancelled his subscription but apprently there are two different companies and the neglect to tell you this when you cancel. I called and the girl who cancelled the subscription was rude. She did refund me the $29.95 and the $1.00. I found myfico.com has better terms you can pay for the credit report itself not a monthly charge. They are owned by the Fair Issac company, their numbers were closer to the numbers the banks had and we only pay if we want to know what his credit score is at that point.

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Thomas Blair
,
Oct 17, 2007 12:00 am EDT

I started to sign up for Privacy Matters on-line, and cancelled out of the subscription. Something I didn't notice until recently is that the company has been charging $29 to my credit card each month. Obviously, it's my fault that I didn't notice this $29 charge until now (six months later), but I find it odd that Privacy Matters doesn't send out a monthly billing statement. If Privacy Matters had sent out a monthly statement, either through an Email or regular mail, I would have cancelled this service the first month, not six months (and approximately $150), later. It's my fault that I didn't check my monthly credit card statement very carefully, but I think the corporation Privacy Matters has a very dodgy way of conducting business.

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Regina Clouse
,
Jul 01, 2008 2:20 pm EDT

The advertising says "Free Credit Report" then it says $29.95 to subscribe to monitoring our credit activity. No way would I have intentionally signed up for this if I had known it was an ongoing monthly charge. This whole problem is then doubled by being charged another $29.95 by PMidentity.com. All I wanted was to get my credit report[free- or so I thought]. Paying a 1 time fee of $29.95 for monitoring our credit activity was fine, but every month is NOT fine. I want this whole thing stopped immediately. And if you are an up-standing business and have any integrity you would refund all my charges for all but the first month. If I'm being rude, I apologize, but this has caused problems in my back account that has cost me even more money.

Signed,
Regina Clouse.

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Norma Wagner
,
Jan 22, 2008 12:00 am EST

I did not sign up for this service and was being charged $30.95 a month. I finally got to talk to a human being and was told I could only get back one month charges and they would cancel the service which I never applied for in the first place. THEN a month later a charge was on my bank statement from Your Savings Club. How they got my personal information, I do not know EXCEPT when all this started I was asking for my credit report on line which I never could log onto. These two so called companies are so fraudulent and my only suggestion to someone else would be NOT to ask for a credit report...

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Tracie Kenagy
,
Nov 13, 2007 12:00 am EST

Some how these people got my debit card number and have charged my bank account $131.70 in two days. How they managed to do it is beyond me. Dont let this happen to you!

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mrb-luvu2
Andersonville, US
Dec 12, 2009 5:49 pm EST

CANCELLATION VERIFIED BUT STILL BEING BILLED.

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f4mdp13
Acworth, US
Dec 04, 2009 1:40 pm EST

TO DATE i HAVE SPOKEN WITH MIA, ROSA, REGGIE, TAMAL AND JOHNATHAN TO HAVE A REFUND OF OVERDRAFT CHARGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF PRIVACY MATTERS UNAUTHORIZED UNAUTHORIZED UNAUTHORIZED DEDUCTIONS FROM MY ACCOUNT.AS PER (PRIVACY MATTERS) REQUEST MY BANK FAXED THE INFORMATION REQUESTED SHOWING ON PAPER ...SHOWING ON PAPER...THE ACTUAL THEFT. DOES PRIVACY MATTERS ALSO OWN THIS ADDRESS? IS THAT WHY i HAVENT GOTTEN ANY RESULTS? WHERE DOES FAX# [protected] GO TO? THE QUICKER U DO YOUR ###ING JOB THE BETTER

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sherian St.Patrick
,
Nov 08, 2008 8:11 pm EST

I have been charged twice for something i did not order and do not want. I called as soon as i saw the charges on my charge card and I called [protected] immediately and they indicated they had canceled the order. I was going on line this evening and not only did they not cancel the order they have charged me twice, once in Oct and then another time in Nov. I tried calling them but they are not open at this time. When I entered my phone number in their system it said that they had canceled the order on 9-30 but the next charge was dated 10--03 and now 11-04.

I want them to reverse these charges asap because I have not authorized any payments to Privacy Matters and have not accepted any services rendered.

I had originally gone on line to check my credit status and at the end it said that I had to pay for it...I never received the credit report and as soon as I saw 5 one dollar charges on my visa I immediately Privacy Matters. They at that time never mentioned a charge of $ 29.95 each month for nothing purchased from them.

I am contacting the better business bureau asap and you had better taker care of my problem with the charges that have been incurred on my visa. There are two one dollar charges and two twenty-nine ninety five charges that must be reversed asap.

I expect to get an answer from your company first thing Monday morning.

Valerie
Valerie
, US
Jun 02, 2008 6:17 am EDT

I went to there site to view a credit score for 1.00 after putting in card info the site directed me to some confusing and inconvenient directions so I skipped it and never got anything, then a month later was charged 29.00 to my account. I googled them only to find out about this site and all the other complaints. I intend to try and get my money back. It sounds like from others that they will continue to charge so I have to do something. I am becoming painfully aware of rip-offs with doing business on the internet.

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Marl_Deed
asdf, US
Jan 24, 2012 12:31 am EST

I have been a victim of this as well and mine started out with a simple $2 charge, then rose to a $20 charge when I got wind of and caught it on an online account statement.

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JohnAct
Queanbeyan, AU
Nov 22, 2009 7:03 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

LESLIE CHARLES GILROY (corrupt cop)
in company with
LLOYD STEPHEN GANZERLA
BELINDA JANE GANZERLA
EUGENE CLEVELAND GANZERLA
TRACEY ANNE GANZERLA
and others, robbed my wife and I
See the whole story here
http://austlawpublish.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

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Kinkydan
Poulsbo, US
Oct 05, 2009 9:40 pm EDT

I was also charged $29.95 after canceling the same day I signed up. I canceled again and they said I would get a refund. They refunded the $1 but not the $29.95. Finally, after the third time canceling I got my refund the next day.

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RitaD
Big Stone Gap, US
Aug 26, 2009 2:18 pm EDT

You can call Privacy Matters [protected]. They also ripped me off!

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JNJOHNSON
, US
Aug 06, 2009 8:54 am EDT

Classmates.com gave them my credit card info and Privacy Matters 123 charged me 19.95 twice. I did not sign up once and I sure as hell didn't sign up twice. I called and ask how they got my info and they said from classmates.com I canceled both and closed my credit card. Privacy matters said I would get a full refund. I filed a complaint with the BBB and also a fraud charge with my credit card co. I have yet to be reimbersed from Privacy Matters but my Credit Card Co. did refund my money.

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scarredbutlucky
Hamden, US
Jul 10, 2009 5:13 pm EDT

Even after canceling my husbands account 3 days after we got it (you have to cancel within the first 7 days or you will be charged the monthly 29.95 fee), we still got charged. What complete [censored]. Companies shouldn't be allowed to do this and get away with it. This was AFTER we never even received the proper information to use the free credit report we had signed up for the account for initially. I hope no one else falls for this complete crap. We're going to dispute the charges with the bank since my multiple attempts to call their multiple 800 and 888 numbers won't allow me to speak to a real person to get the charges dropped and give them a piece of their mind.

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burnedbigtime
Arvada, US
Jun 21, 2009 3:26 am EDT

I signed up for the service, changed my mind, AFTER entering all of my private info.
i was charged the dollar, fair enough, but they pulled another 29.99 out of my account this last week ( i cancelled a month ago)
i hope to god they don't do anything with my personal information, i am truly scared.

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Not Very Smart
Helena, US
Mar 30, 2009 1:44 am EDT

I call BULL ###! They got me alright! I was promised a $25 gift card for Wal-Mart if I tried their membership for 30 days for only$1. It is nearing the 30 day trial period end and I have yet to receive the gift card in the mail, or any information for that matter. They are also some how connected to Budget Savers123 and Todays Escapes. Do not try any of these memberships for the $1. I have received none of the promised gifts and I have lost a total of $3. Its true, they are probably making a fortune off of our ignorance. Don't even fall for the Free $40 gift card for GAS. How could I be so stupid? Don't make the same mistake as I and countless others have made.

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Rio
Santa Fe, US
Mar 04, 2009 12:32 am EST

PrivacyMatters.com aka PMIDENTITY.CO is a scam. When I used www.intelius.com to look up a phone number a year ago I understood the charge was $2.95 which did show up on my credit card bill. Now a year later I find somehow PMIDENTITY.CO has charged me $240 for a service I never requested. When I saw the charge on my statement I called them [protected]) and asked them what they charged me for, or what service I was provided for this fee. The man said I never set up my account so I never got a service, but yet they still had been charging me $19.95/month. They apparently have offices in Des Plaines, IL and in the DC area. I submitted a complaint with BBB of DC, and with www.ic3.gov. I encourage you to do the same.

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mary lagalo
Saginaw, US
Feb 23, 2009 1:38 pm EST

the same thing just happened to me.

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pissed off bastard
, US
Feb 17, 2009 8:17 pm EST

yeah privacy matters SUCKS I HOPE THEY ROT IN HELL.

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peetd
really, US
Jan 30, 2009 8:50 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This is my advice, get all their 1 8xx numbers and set up a phone modem to to phone their numbers every 10 - 20 seconds. this will run up a bill to them for the calls to their 1 8xx numbers. Get together with friends and divide the different numbers among yourselves so every number they have gets called continually.
:) If anyone complains say its faulty modem, and you will try (not very hard to fix it)...

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Alvin Carter
Saint Thomas, US
Dec 19, 2008 5:39 pm EST

This is outrageous! I talked to a supervisor, Teresa, ID # 153051, who promised to fully refund our debit account for the three months we have been billed. Both employees I spoke to were very curt but I only want to have my money back. I will be contacting the Attorney General in my state to file a complaint. I am not as optimistic after reading some of the emails from a year ago. Does anyone know the status of the class action suit? I want to be a party to that also.

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paul
,
Nov 01, 2008 3:00 pm EDT

thank you for your information .
it just happen to me i should call the credit company
or intelius .

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McHale
,
Sep 22, 2008 9:25 pm EDT

I just got my AMEX bill and it shows 29.95 for privacy matters and two additional $1.00 charges. I'm suck F######ing pissed this was supposed to be a free credit report which I never got. I pissed at CNBC because they directed me to this site.

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Blake
,
Aug 28, 2008 3:02 pm EDT

CROOKS! cancel your card now! These are bottom feeding thieves who take your money without authorization!

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Karan
,
Aug 22, 2008 9:21 pm EDT

Same thing happened to me - on 7/14 I tried their "free" 3-in-1 credit report. I was charged $1 by Privacy Matters and another $1 by 24protect - four days later on 7/18 Privacy Matters billed by credit card $29.95 and on 8/11 24 Protect billed my credit another $1.
On my credit card bill, both these companies were listed in CT.

I plan to call them tomorrow and if this is not resolved in a satisfactory manner I intend to file a complaint with the State Of CONN. Office of the Attorney General Consumer Assistance.
They have a consumer assistance unit/fraud hotline at [protected].

I suggest that all those who have been scammed by these people should also contact the CT attorney general's office.

The CT Better Business Bureau should be contacted also - they would start an investigation immediately. While they might not be able to get your money back, an investigation by them could also help the Attorney General get on these giys case faster.

Good luck.

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CT Johnson
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May 14, 2008 1:20 pm EDT

http://idtheftrefund.com/refund_3.html
they did the same thing to my mom. You have to go to this website.

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Gerald R. Brown
,
Mar 31, 2008 9:08 pm EDT

I too have been scammed by Privacy Matters. It has happened twice. The first time they were attached to a "free" credit report I was charged $29.95 for and never received. I was also charged $1.00 for unsolicited identity theft protection from Privacy Matters. Last month I was charged $29.95 for this unsolicited service again. I used Intellius to search for someone for $2.95. This service was also a scam to which Privacy Matters was attached. Ironically, Privacy Matters seems to be the only one I need identity theft protection from. They attach to other scams and steal information provided them.

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Mary
,
Mar 24, 2008 12:21 pm EDT

That's horrible that you had a bank fee because of this crooked company! The same thing happened to me with Intelius and Privacy Matters! Avoid at all costs!

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pauljs75
,
Mar 03, 2008 6:14 pm EST

Add another to the list. My mom got hit by this thing. She was asking me about something my dad brought up when going over credit reciepts. (Something about 8 various charges listed to Connecticut totalling over $80 seemed funny. Good catch dad!) Apparently she ran across a Hotmail banner ad for a free credit report and fell for it. More or less the whole site which the banner links to is a phishing operation that works as a confidence scheme. They tell you how "phishing is bad" and "things to do" to avoid it, meanwhile they are phishing credit card numbers and other info themselves. My mom even said something about a request for social-security numbers (thankfully she said she didn't give hers). This leads me to believe that there may also be an involvement in an identity theft. I hope they get nailed to the floor on it.

I also see some complaints dating back to 2006, just how many complaints does it take to build a case against those weasels?

Finally a word to others out there - do your homework first before trying any "free credit reports".

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Kate Ryan
,
Feb 21, 2008 9:16 am EST

Same problem - cancelled the next day to cancel and two charges, $29.95 and two $1.00 charges. "AP9*YOURSAVINGSSC were made on 2/4/08. Are these companies the same?

I will write the Attorney General of my state and was told to also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission. I don't expect this scam to stop, only hope charges will be at the $1.00 level and not $29.95 each month.

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robertdeas
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Jan 21, 2008 8:54 pm EST

on 1/13/08 I EXPERINCED THE SAME PROBLEMS DEALING WITH PRIVACY MATTERS.I PROVIDED ALL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUESTEDFOR A FREE CREDIT REPORT AND CALLED TO CANCELLTHE NEXT DAY 1/14/08. ON 1/21/08 I MADE A CALL TO CHECK THE AMOUNT OF MY ACCOUNT BALANCE AND DISCOVERED THAT A 2.00PLUS $29.95 WAS CHARGED TO MY DEBT CARD.SINCE THEN I've been trying to cancell but to no avail.

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