Privacy Matters: A Scam?

Posted by on Aug 9, 2006 in Customer Service Complaints | 36 Comments

I promised to tell you about my encounter with Privacy Matters. While balancing my checkbook, I noticed two charges for $14.95 made on the 5th of two consecutive months. There was an 800 number listed on the statement so I called the number. The conversation went something like this. I wish I could have recorded it:

Me: Hi, I am calling about a couple charges made to my checking account by your company. I never signed up for anything with your company, and I think it may be identity theft or some sort of fraud.

Privacy Matters: Let me check my records… It shows that Elizabeth signed up for our service through Vista Print.

Me: Mister Int? What?

Privacy Matters: VIS TA PRINT

Me: I can’t understand you, is that a person’s name?

Privacy Matters: No, Vista Print is a company. V-I-S-T-A P-R-I-N-T.

Me: What do they do?

Privacy Matters: I don’t know, sir.

Me: Well, anyway, we never signed up for your services, so please cancel my account and reverse the charges.

Privacy Matters: I will be happy to cancel your membership, and refund the most recent charge. I can’t reverse the second charge because it was made too long ago.

Me: Well, I am telling you that I never signed up for an account, why can’t you refund the charge?

Privacy Matters: Whether you used our service or not, it was still available for you at that time, and you still have to pay for it?

Me: Even if I didn’t sign up for your service?

Privacy Matters: Yes, sir.

Me: What service have I been getting for the past two months? What exactly do you do?

Privacy Matters: We provide… [I can't remember everything he said] …and identity theft protection for $20,000.

Me: Identity theft? That is what I am telling you must have happened to me. Why would someone sign up for an account with you in my name?

Privacy Matters: They didn’t, it was signed up in your wife’s name.

Me: I told you, my wife didn’t sign up for this. That is what identity theft is, when someone uses your name. Your company offers identity theft protection, and you don’t even know what identity theft is? You don’t believe your customers when they tell you identity theft occurs?

Privacy Matters: It shows in our records that Elizabeth signed up through Bistec.

Me: I am telling you that if that is true, it was fraud. Does this happen often? Why would someone sign up with your company in my name? What would that person gain from doing that?

Privacy Matters: Nothing.

Me: So if I didn’t sign up for an account with you, and it is unlikely that someone would sign up under my name, the only person who is gaining anything out of this transaction is you because you won’t refund the charges you made to my account. I have never received a letter, or an email, or anything from your company. It seems like a scam.

Privacy Matters: It is not a scam sir.

Me: Then refund my money.

Privacy Matters: I can’t do that, sir.

Me: Let me talk to your manager.

Privacy Matters: He can’t help you, either.

Me: Either this was identity theft, or you are scamming me. Either way, I am going to report this to my bank, and they will investigate it. If I have to, I will file charges against you. Are you sure there is nothing you can do?

Privacy Matters: I will talk to my manager… [silence] …I explained the situation to my manager, and he authorized me to credit your account with the second charge. I have canceled your account. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Me: No. Thank you.

Privacy Matters did refund my money, but only after a great struggle. Later, I found out that Betsy made a purchase from vistaprint.com, but she never signed up for anything with Privacy Matters. I would suggest that you avoid both of these companies, just to be safe. If something like this happens to you, report it to your bank.

  • http://www.kadavy.net kadavy

    That’s an aggravating experience. For the record, I have used VistaPrint before and actually recommended it to friends. A quick search shows me you aren’t the only one who has had this problem. Looks like I need a new place to order my personal cards from!

  • Abigail

    This exact same thing happened to me except it was my friend’s Vista Print account, and she used my bank card to orders something for me. It was my card they were charging, but because it was in her name they would not let me cancel the service. This is a scam I don’t care what anyone says. If they didn’t specifically ask to charge my account, and get approval to do so, it is fraud. Just accidentally clicking on a link, or using vista print does not authorize a seperate operation to charge my account without my approval. There has to be something someone can do about this. Is there some sort of business fraud department anyone knows about?

  • Karen Goepfert

    Over the last month I have been charged $154.00 by a company called Credit Card Protection Agency. Privacy Matters has charged me $29.95 (twice the same day) plus additional $1.00 and $2.00 dollar charges over the last month! I have tried at least 20 times to get thru about these charges only to be given the “automated” run-around & never have I talked to a human being! I have been put onhold for over 11 minutes at a time! (each charge comes with a different phone number also) until I had to hang up and get back to work!
    So, I am writing to the location in Des Plaines, IL to cancel something I never signed up for! My bank thinks it is linked to Visa Debit Cards…..customers receive a rebate check thinking it is for using their VISA Cards, but instead are signing up for this Privacy Protection without their knowledge.
    I agree that this is a scam. What type of Protection are they providing if they don’t even give you the option to report your card stolen when you call in????????

  • http://www.123print.com tontot

    Over the past few years, VistaPrint has received numerous complaints (Consumer Affairs about VistaPrint) stating that after the first purchase, VistaPrint and related companies (Vistarewards, Passport to Fun, BusinessMax) have been charging monthly fees to customer’s credit cards for unsolicited and undelivered services. They also sell your information to other companies that may try to call you several times a day, more detail at http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-682-0313

  • steve

    I have also had a few run ins with privacy matters. I needed to check my credit score so I went to their site and to purchase my credit score. I entered in my information, including my credit card, to find out that their offer no longer existed and I had to go else where to obtain my report. Then, I found my card billed twice; Once for my credit report, which I did not receive, and one for a coupon savings thing that I signed up for. WHAT? I read everything before I signed up. I in no way signed up for a coupon savings plan. They told me that I had checked yes to it. They try to get money any way they can. Anyway, I called and cancelled my account and it went much like the very first entry. The company can not be trusted when they are charging and signing people up for programs they never gave consent to. DO NOT USE THEM! THEY ARE EVIL AND DO NOT RUN A MORAL COMPANY.

  • Brian D

    I have just notice a charge on my VCC and suspect it is Privacy Matters. I used a company called Intellius. (Do not use Intellius for anything. Their data is incorrect and garbage.) It would seem the two are in bed together. I have notified my bank and advised them that this was not an authorized charge. The bank hasn’t contacted me yet, but I am almost 100% sure it is Privacy Matters. Thanks for the info on your phone call. I will do the same as soon as their name pops up on my e-statement.

  • Lauren Miles

    I have also been scammed by Privacy Matters. They offer identity theft protection, but steal your identity to sign you up for it. I have seen postings on other sites and am trying to get a lawsuit going. If you have been a victim, please e-mail me at milesusaf07@hotmail.com.

  • brian p

    same here!, i used intellus 2 months ago to find someone, and just found out they are billing me 15 a month, they said i had agreed to this, I DID NOT, i only agreed to pay 8 bucks for the report. THEY LIE -cancel-cancel-cancel

  • http://www.privacymatters.com Brian G

    My story is similar to Steve’s. I used this company so that I could obtain all three scores because I am about to purchase a home and I wanted to know what was on my credit report. They did provide this service for me, but now I am worried because they have information on all three of my credit reports. I got a call the next morning from my bank about possible fraudulent activity. They said that there was 3 pending charges of $1.00 from privacymatters, and $1.00 from coupon savings bank (in which I did not sign up for), and another unknown website for $1.00. I was not able to contact anybody but an automated machine when calling the numbers provided by the bank. I called the number from the website and was able to cancel the membership promptly. The bank cancelled my card to prevent this website from selling my information. I thought that everthing was alright until several days later I found 3 hard pull inquiries on my credit report from companies that I do not recognize. I know it has something to do with this privacy matters because I never had a problem until I tried to use there services. We all need to get with Lauren and file that class action lawsuit. The worst part is that I am about to purchase a home and I am sure by the time I am able to get this resolved they will have stolen my idenity and ruined my credit.

  • M Collins

    I just found that I have also been scammed by the folks at Privacy Matters. When I called their 800 number that is listed on my credit cards statement, the person “Bill” would not give me any infomation unless I gave him my Social Security Number.

    When I asked him what this “Privacy Matters” organization does, he replied that it’s for credit and identity protection. I almost died laughing. Why would a company that protects identity ever as their clients for their Social Security number. I don’t give that info TO ANYONE!!! I offered to let them search by any other means, including the credit card number to which their services are being billed. “Bill” refused to help me, so I called my bank and disputed the charges through them.

    I purchased some tee-shirts from Vista Print about 2 weeks before the charges for Privacy Matters appeared.

    As a sidenote: I also noticed that around that same time, I had charges for smaller amounts $1.00 here and 3.99 there. Some of those were listed as Your Savings Club, Health Club Dues, and Triple Advantage.

  • Karen

    Happened to me to, but I had made a purchase with Intelius. First time I called Privacy Matters the rep told me I had signed up when I purchased something from Intelius. I told him I didn’t sign up for their product. He said I did, I said I didn’t and if he didn’t help me I would call Consumer Protection Agency. He told me that he didn’t really care if I called them- all he would do is cancel my account..then I was disconnected.

    I called Intelius and explained to them about the phone call I has just made to Privacy Matters. He told me that they were supposed to put in a refund and he would give them a call for me. Told me to feel free to call back the next day to check.

    Called back next day to check with Intelius and got another rep who said my previous rep was on a call and she would help me. (NOT!) I explained why I was calling..she told me that there was no way they were going to get privacy matters to refund my money; all they could do was cancel my membership with privacy matters. I asked her why the previous rep assured me he would take care of it and also told me that privacy matters was supposed to issue refunds. She told me she didn’t know but it wasn’t going to get done. She did take my number down to give to previous rep. Previous rep called me later that day and told me that there was a refund.

    Before rep called me back I had placed a call again to Privacy Matters. I’m glad I did because they were only going to issue me latest refund not the other previous one on my card. Asked to speak to supervisor- she kept repeating that I hadn’t cancelled membership so she couldn’t refund older payment. I kept saying I didn’t cancel membership at that time because *I hadn’t signed up for it!!!” I finally (after quite a few minutes of bickering back and forth with her) sighed and said, “I’m trying to work with you all and I really don’t want to have to make a phone call to my credit card company. If I call my credit card company they told me would send it to their fraud department”

    Only then did she say BOTH charges would be removed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they do indeed remove both charges.

    Wanted to put something recent in here just in case someone googles this company like I did.

    I see promos all the time that you have to uncheck ect or you will get signed up..and I never sign up for them. Not sure what is the case here and how it happened. Either out and out fraud or something is really messed up with the companies websites that all of us are told we signed up for yet not one of us realized we did. At the very least something seems to be misleading us into not realizing we are signing up for something.

  • Ryan

    Same thing happened to me with Privacy Matters. I had 3 extra $1 charges on my credit card account from:

    AP9*DEALMAX
    AP9*YOURSAVINGSCLUB

    and some other AP9 company.

    Luckily my bank saw something suspicious and put a hold on my credit card. The best way to make sure you don’t get any more charges is to cancel your credit card and get a complete new number. It’s a pain in the $%@#$@, but it’s much safer than HOPING they don’t add any more charges to your credit card.

    BTW, I never signed up for any Savings Club or DealMax that I was aware of when getting my credit report through PrivacyMatters.com.

    How Ironic it all is.

  • Nelson Weiderman

    They’re still at it. Said I visited a site called casale.com (no such site exists today) and gave my information in June. Only trouble is that I was at a regatta on that Sunday and had no access to a computer. I also checked my browser history. If these folks are not stopped and are raking in $29.95 per pop per month from people who are not paying attention, they are getting very, very rich. Why can’t they be stopped?

  • Kathy Drennan

    I noticed today a charge for $19.95 on my checking account that I was not responsible for, and when I called, I had to enter a “Member Number”. This instantly made me suspicious, so I went to Google and found this feed. Just moments before, I had ordered a new debit/credit card from my bank to prevent other similar charges from another company I had been “dealing” with for some time, and so the solution is in place. I won’t give them the satisfaction of frustrating me over the phone to get refunds. It’s a loss to me. Good luck to everyone else to encounters Privacy Matters. It is a scam, no doubt in my mind.

  • Sam Norwood

    They got me too on my Visa card. Incredibly, Visa called them and stayed on the phone as I talked to the person “liahandra” who said I had sighed up for a credit rating check. She agreed to remove the last charge of $24.95 and the Visa lady, who heard me protest that I had never signed up for a credit rating check thought the matter was over. But, I asked to speak to the Visa fraud department and reported it to them. They are aware of PrivacyMatters 123. I was told that all the charges from them (since last October) would be credited back to my account and they were dealing with the company in an appropriate way to protect other Visa customers. What I think is that the referring sources, crooked individuals who might be working for honorable companies, are getting kickbacks from PrivacyMatters. My credit card is being replaced with a new one.

  • Matty W.

    PRIVACY MATTERS!!! ugh i am very mad, i didn’t use Vista Printing or ever try to check my credit, my luggage with my wallet and my cards in it went missing at the airport this morning so i called to cancel my cards, when looking over my old statements i noticed i was getting these weird charges since July 2009, so i called the number on the statements, when i didn’t get a real person after an half hour i Googled the company, and when i heard scam all over the place i called my credit card company, they are investigating, i am a bloody college student trying to make something out of my self and evil people like this keep trying to pull the rug out from underneath me ALL THE TIME!!!, please please please God let me get the hundreds of dollars these people stole from me back….. people are mean

  • John Smith

    Ok, so, I signed up for privacymatters123.com, but they will also automatically sign you up for privacymattersid.com. If you cancel one, they will do it very nicely, but won’t cancel the other one. After a week, I called in and said what are those charges, and the lady goes, you signed up for that too, and that she cannot refund. So I called the “ID” guys and he was reluctant to refund. But, as soon as I said, that this is a scam, they said, they are refunding. I hope to see the $$ back in the CC in 2 days. Avoid anything that says – privacy matters.

  • Ben Allen

    I just received a call from Privacy Matters. I was told that I had made
    a purchase using my Visa card ending in ____ (the last four numbers on my card). I was told that I would receive a $120 free gas card in the mail, plus some discount program ($29.95 per month if I did not cancel after
    30 days)and a subscription to Privacy Matters – Another $29.95 per month
    if I did not cancel after 30 days. Each of these deals would result in one $2.00 and 2 $1.00 charges to my Visa.

    They really pushed my agreement to be recorded over the phone. So much so
    that It made me very suspecious. So I searched Privacymatters.com and landed here with you folks.

    After reading about your experiences I intend to call them back and cancel
    before I receive anything. Another case of “If it sound too good to be true it usually is”.

    Thanks to each of you for posting your experiences with this outfit.

  • rob

    DO NOT BUY THE IRON GYM WORKOUT PRODUCT.

    CALL PRIVACYMATTERS AND CANCEL/ARGUE

    CALL QUALITY RESOURCES AND CANCEL/ARGUE

    i did, and also got myself into this mess. After some research and many calls, i found out that there are several companies who (borderline illegally) share personal information of members/subscribers with each other.
    somehow they are able to legally do this by having fast talking salespeople make empty promises. i talked to a supervisor at privacy matters and told him “i was charged 30 bucks several times. i also cancelled several times. what product do you actually offer? if i did buy this membership, what do i even get? what tangible product do i receive?”

    he couldn’t really answer my questions.

    they’re all crooks, i don’t know how they can legally do this, i really don’t.

  • gloria

    I got scammed too. I just called and they said they would refund both months. But i dont trust them. Ill have to keep checking. It was 16.00 for access to credit checks. I never ordered that. I already know my credit score is in the toilet, i sure dont need to be reminded.

  • Mike Ferre

    I noticed a 19.95 charge on my credit card…Upon checking it was also on the prior 7 months. I called and they told me they would only refund the last month. I said I was going to report them as a fraudlent company. She gave me to another person and he agreed to refund all the charges. they were refunded on my last statement.

    They got my initial contact when I submitted for a free credit report.

    SCAM all the way
    Mike

  • Martin

    Will someone please give me the number to PrivacyMatters?

  • thomas

    The phone number that begins with 888 is for a law firm in florida thast IS NOT associated with this company. The law firm just got this new number because privacy matters changed thier phone number. Privacy matters is a scumbag bunch of thieves. If you notice a debit card transaction from them on your bank account go straight into your bank and cancel your card. Report this company to your state atorney general and make sure your bank gives you your money back.

  • Michael

    I just received a letter from Privacy-matters 1 2 3 stating that if I didn’t respond to the letter by calling 1-888-239-0316 I would be charged $43.95 to my account. I called the number and spoke to a rep. I asked who she worked for and she replied, Privacy-matters. I told her I never enrolled in the company. She said I’ve been a member since 2007. I asked for PROOF that I enrolled and was told they only keep those records for two years.
    I then asked for the record they use to bill me. Her answer was “I can’t do that.
    I asked for her supervisor and got the same run around. I then asked for a manager.
    I was connected to Troy. I went through the whole thing again and received the same answers. I told Troy I would reach out to American Express and advise them I wanted all charges reversed. Also, I would report the for fraud.
    That got Troy’s attention and he said he would reverse all the charges. I asked if that was for all 4 years and he said yes. While I discussed the call to AMEX he started to read off the charges. To my shock he started reading numbers for MONTHS not years. It turns out I was charged monthly not annually to the tune of approximately $40.00 per month.
    I followed-up with a call to AMEX and was assured they would track the charges and also follow up with an investigation.

  • Tracy

    Here I am, at 4:30 in the morning, at work, looking at my online bank statement. To my surprise, there is a $23.95 charge from “Privacymatter” who I’ve never heard of before. I looked back to last month, the month before, the month before… sure enough, they’ve been charging me $23.95 a month as far back as I can see (which is limited since I’m viewing the statement online). I am FURIOUS!! I never signed up with them, as most others who have been scammed have stated. I did, however, look up a phone number for a friend using Intelius.com YEARS ago.

    This is driving me crazy because nobody is open so I can’t call my bank to inquire about the charges and I’m at work so I can’t look back further than the past 4 months worth of bank statements.

    What I HAVE been able to do is research my options. I’ve found a government website to report internet crime.. it is http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. I have ALL intentions of first finding out exactly how much money this “company” has scammed from me, then doing whatever is necessary to get my money back. I’ve read complaints that stated the victim has had to threaten to report the fraud to either law enforcement, their credit card company, or both, then they were offered a FULL refund. It may take a couple days for me to gather all of my bank statements, depending on how long these charges have been going on.. it could be 3 years!!

    I am not playing games with this company or with my money. I know I should have been monitoring my bank statements all along.. trust me, I will from now on!!

  • Diallo

    I got the same problem with this scam company. I have been charged for about for couple for a service I’ve never requested. What can we do to stop this scam. They have been charging people for a service they never requested?

  • Diallo

    Thank for this link, Tracy. We gotta do something to stop this scam

  • dick

    These people are obviously scaming consumers. A formal complaint needs to be filed by people who are willing to testify in court and a group law suit needs to be filed to stop there operation.

  • Jim C.

    I believe these people at Privacy Matter 123 are thiefs. I told them I never signed up with them, they stated I accepted a $10.00 dollar discount when I was on Classmates.com and that the way I believe they got my credit card information, This is identity theft, from April 2008, to December 2011, they have taken $27.95 from my credit card.

  • http://www.reversephonelookuped.com/ reverse phone lookup

    Thanks for this great article.

  • http://www.reversephonelookupsearch.com/ phone number lookup

    I read your blog frequently and I just thought I’d say keep up the amazing work!

  • http://www.cellphonelookuped.com/ cell phone directory

    There are a couple of interesting points in time on this page but I don’t determine if I see them all center to heart. There exists some validity but I’ll take hold opinion until I consider it further. Great post , thanks and now we want a lot more! Included in FeedBurner at the same time

  • http://reversecellphonelookup.me/ reverse cell phone lookup

    An fascinating discussion will be worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should write on this topic, may well be considered a taboo subject on that the other hand generally persons are too minor to chat on such topics. To an additional. Cheers

  • http://www.thoughts.com/cellphonenumberlookup/cell-phone-number-lookup-find-out-their-name-and-address cell phone number lookup

    Hi, Neat post. There is an issue together with your web site in internet explorer, would test this… IE nonetheless is that the

  • http://www.prlog.org/11261550-phone-number-lookup-catch-cheater-quickly.html phone number lookup

    Valuable info. Fortunate me I found your website by chance, and I am surprised why this twist of fate did not took place earlier! I bookmarked it.

  • http://www.ourmidland.com/voices/community/article_3abc5302-931f-11e1-ac26-8f9c10b62f96.html cell phone lookup

    I just like this blog layout . How do you make it It’s so sweet!