Classmates.com Settles Class Action Suit

Classmates.com has settled a class action lawsuit for $9.5M for tricking people into signing up for memberships by falsely telling them that old schoolmates were trying to contact them.

The problems for Classmate.com began back in late 2007, when San Diego resident Anthony Michaels received an email from the social networking company informing him that his old classmates were trying to contact him. In order to see who and why, Michaels had to upgrade to a “Gold Membership.” However, upon forking out to do so, he discovered that nobody was trying to get in touch; it was just a dubious marketing ploy from Classmates.com. Michaels initiated a false advertising lawsuit against Classmates.com, which became a class action suit that anyone who suffered the same fate as the plaintiff could sign up for. Fast forward to today: although Classmates.com has admitted no wrongdoing as part of the proposed settlement now waiting for U.S. District Court approval, it has agreed to pay out $3 for every Classmates.com member who upgraded to a “Gold Membership” on the site after receiving an email like Michaels’ — estimated to be just over 3 million people. Whether or not you sympathize with those that fell for Classmate.com’s oh-so-obvious tactics, it’s an interesting case in terms of wider web marketing. Dating sites are known to carry out similar practices, and this settlement may make offenders sit up and take note.

I'll admit that the allure of Classmates has always eluded me, mostly because I can only vaguely remember, much less name, about three people from high school, only one of whom I've seen or spoken to in decades. Maybe that's because my high school was huge, one of the largest in Florida, with a graduating class of over 1000.