I'm adding to the chorus of voices complaining about Intelius. My story's just the same as the others — I used the service once (for family research), and then they began billing me for a monthly service I DID NOT request, called "Identity Protect." At $19.95 per month.
My credit card goes through a business manager, so I did not pick this up until I'd been billed for six months (I assumed it was for my web hosting, and until I went over my bills at the end of the year did I dig deeper and realize what it was for). Yes, my fault, but this does not forgive the fact that INTELIUS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUST OF ITS CUSTOMERS. Lesson learned on my end, believe me. But the fault is Intelius's. They charge a smallish enough amount not to arouse suspicion, and see how long they can get away with it.
Anyway — I called and canceled the service. (Their number is 877-974-1563). This was remarkably quick and easy — strangely so, actually. Then I came across this very site and looked up "Intelius, " and found that I was hardly alone. So I decided to call and get a refund for the six months I was charged, coming to $119.70.
I got a customer service rep who, when I explained what I was calling about, chirpily referred to "Identity Protect" as "the service I signed up for." I told her I emphatically did NOT sign up for it, and that I wanted a full refund. We went back and forth, and she informed me that she had my electronic signature on file. I asked her to email it to me, and then she said, "I'm transferring you to a mana-" and the phone went dead.
I wasn't sure if she'd hung up or what, but after about 5 minutes of phone silence, I got customer service rep Barb. "I know this isn't the first time you've been called about this, " I told her. She quickly offered a three-month refund. I told her I wanted a refund for the whole six months. She told me they could "only go back 90 days, " then a couple of minutes later offered me FOUR months.
The cent value kept fluctuating suspiciously — ie. The refund value was $59.90 when it should have been $59.85, and then it was $79.90 when it should have been $79.80. I only note this because it shows that this isn't a computer at work on the refunds — they CHOOSE the amount they're going to return of the money they stole.
For fun, I asked her to describe what the service actually DID, and she couldn't. It was sort of sad as she stammered away.
I told her I was writing as well as this site, and she stood firm that this was all the refund I was going to get. I think a class-action lawsuit would be really fun.
One last thing: I finally said to her, "Barb, look. Your company illegally signs customers up for services they didn't request. Just do a simple Internet search and you know this is true. You don't refund their money when this is pointed out to you. You can't get me my electronic signature. You can't even explain what this service does. How can you work for a company like this?"
There was a really, really long silence. She didn't hang up. But I felt sort of bad — not that I was in the wrong, but that Barb knew I was pretty much right, she was working for a skeezy company.
I think Barb, who was a well-mannered customer service rep, deserves to work for a company that doesn't rip people off. STOP INTELIUS FROM RIPPING PEOPLE OFF, and NEVER give them your credit card number. Seriously. They will use it to rip you off.
0 comments