Manage PCH Intelius

How to cancel PCH intelius and stop recurring charges

What is PCH intelius and why you might need to cancel

PCH Intelius is a subscription-based people search and public records service that lets you run unlimited lookups of contact history, address history, background details, and reverse phone or address searches. The service aggregates publicly available records and delivers results quickly, which appeals to people reconnecting with old acquaintances, screening unfamiliar callers, or conducting basic background checks.

Many consumers sign up for a low-cost trial offer, only to face recurring monthly charges they didn't anticipate or no longer need. The subscription model works well for power users who run dozens of searches monthly, but occasional users often find the recurring cost unjustified for a handful of reports per year. If you've decided the value no longer matches your needs or budget, cancellation requires documented action to avoid continued charges.

How recurring charges work

PCH Intelius operates on a subscription model where your initial trial converts to a recurring monthly charge unless you cancel before the trial ends. The company continues billing your payment method each billing cycle until you formally request cancellation. Consumer complaint data shows that many cancellations fail because the customer didn't receive written confirmation or the request wasn't processed in time. This is why documentation matters enormously.

What this guide covers

Stopee has designed this guide to walk you through every cancellation method, explain your legal rights, show you how to recover refunds if charges continue after cancellation, and help you avoid the common traps that leave consumers still paying months after they thought they'd quit. You'll learn the safest cancellation pathway, understand pricing structures, and know exactly what to do if the company refuses to stop billing you.

Your consumer rights and what the federal trade commission requires

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act (ROSCA), which sets strict rules for negative option billing (recurring charges). This law is your strongest legal tool if PCH Intelius fails to honor your cancellation request.

What the FTC says companies must do

Under ROSCA, PCH Intelius must obtain your clear, informed consent before charging you recurring fees. The company must make cancellation at least as easy as signing up, provide clear terms about billing, and honor cancellation requests promptly. If the company charges you after you've requested cancellation, those charges are illegal, and you have the right to dispute them through your bank or credit card company.

The FTC also requires companies to send you a confirmation of your cancellation request. If you cancel and continue seeing charges, you have grounds to file a complaint with the FTC, your state's attorney general, or your bank. These agencies take recurring billing violations seriously and have the power to force refunds and penalties.

State-level protections in your favor

Many states impose additional protections on negative option billing. California, New York, Illinois, and others require companies to confirm cancellation in writing and honor cancellations within a specific timeframe (often 30 days). If you live in one of these states, you have even stronger legal footing. Stopee recommends checking your state's attorney general website to confirm your specific protections.

PCH intelius subscription plans and pricing

Understanding what you're paying for helps you decide whether to keep or cancel your subscription and what alternative options might suit you better.

Current subscription tiers and costs

These prices reflect current market data and vary by region and promotional offers. Most trial offers last 7 to 14 days before converting to full price. Calculate your annual commitment: a $25 monthly plan costs $300 per year, which matters if you use the service fewer than a few times monthly.

What you're actually paying for

Intelius aggregates public records from government databases, court filings, property records, and other public sources. The convenience and speed are the real value proposition, since much of this information is free if you search government websites directly. However, gathering it manually takes hours. If your searches are infrequent, you might spend more on the subscription than on one-time report purchases through alternative services.

Why you should cancel and when to keep your subscription

The decision to cancel depends on your actual usage versus the recurring cost. Be honest about how often you genuinely use the service.

Strong reasons to cancel

You should cancel if you signed up for a trial and haven't used it since, if you've run all the searches you needed and won't repeat them for months, if cheaper alternatives exist for your use case, or if the recurring charge strains your budget. Additionally, if you've moved, changed jobs, or no longer need background checks on new acquaintances, your need has genuinely decreased. Stopee sees hundreds of cancellation requests from people who simply forgot they were subscribed until they noticed the monthly charge.

When keeping the subscription makes sense

Power users who run 10+ searches monthly and professionals in hiring, real estate, or investigations may extract genuine value. If you find yourself constantly needing people searches and would otherwise spend more on alternative services, keeping the subscription is rational. However, most occasional users overpay significantly.

How to cancel PCH intelius: step-by-step methods

You have three primary cancellation methods, each with different levels of documentation and reliability. Stopee ranks them by safety and ease of verification.

Method 1: cancel online through your account (fastest but least documented)

1. Log into your Intelius account at the official website
   • Use your email address and password
   • If you've forgotten your password, click "Forgot password" and reset it
2. Navigate to "My Account" or "Account Settings"
   • This link is usually in the top-right corner or in a menu
3. Locate "Membership Settings" or "Subscription"
   • Look for language like "Manage Subscription" or "Billing"
4. Find your active subscription and click "Cancel Subscription"
   • The system may ask why you're cancelling; answer honestly or select "other"
5. Confirm the cancellation when prompted
   • The site may offer a discount to keep you; decline unless you genuinely want to stay
6. Screenshot the confirmation page immediately
   • Save the screenshot with today's date in the filename
   • Write down the confirmation number if one appears
7. Check your email for a cancellation confirmation within 24 hours
   • If you don't receive one within 48 hours, escalate to phone or mail

Pro tip: Online cancellation is convenient, but the company has no paper trail proving you requested it if they continue billing. Always screenshot and save the confirmation email.

Method 2: cancel by phone (documented and faster than mail)

1. Locate the customer service phone number on your account or billing statement
   • It's typically on your invoice email or the company website
2. Call during business hours (typically Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET)
   • Have your account number and email ready
3. Tell the representative clearly: "I want to cancel my Intelius subscription effective immediately"
   • Do not say "I might want to" or "I'm thinking about it"
   • Be direct and firm
4. Ask the representative to provide a cancellation confirmation number
   • Write it down immediately with today's date and the representative's name
5. Request that the representative email you a cancellation confirmation
   • Ask them to send it to the email address on file
   • Note their name and the time of the call
6. After the call, send a follow-up email to Intelius customer service
   • Subject line: "Cancellation confirmation requested - Account [your email]"
   • Reference the confirmation number and representative's name you obtained
   • Request written acknowledgment within 48 hours
7. Monitor your bank account and credit card for the next billing cycle
   • If you see a charge after your cancellation date, file a dispute immediately

Warning: Phone cancellations can be disputed by the company if they claim the representative made an error or the call was miscommunicated. This is why the follow-up email is critical.

Method 3: cancel by registered mail (strongest legal protection)

This method leaves an undeniable paper trail and is Stopee's top recommendation if you've already tried online or phone cancellation without success, or if you want the strongest possible documentation.

1. Prepare a formal cancellation letter
   • Include your full name, account email, and account number (if known)
   • Write: "I request immediate cancellation of my Intelius subscription effective [today's date]. I request written confirmation of this cancellation within 14 days."
   • Include today's date and your signature
   • Keep a copy for your records
2. Find PCH Intelius's official mailing address
   • Check your billing statement, the website, or a recent email from the company
   • If unavailable, search "Intelius contact address" or check your account settings
3. Send the letter via certified mail with return receipt
   • Visit your local U.S. Postal Service location
   • Request certified mail service and pay the $5-$10 fee
   • Keep the receipt and tracking number
4. Wait for the green return receipt to arrive
   • This proves the company received your cancellation request
   • File it with your other cancellation documents
5. Allow up to 30 days for processing
   • Monitor your bank account for charges after your expected cancellation date
6. If charges continue, escalate immediately
   • File a chargeback with your bank and reference your certified mail receipt
   • File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov

Pro tip: Certified mail creates a legal record that courts and credit card companies recognize. If you ever need to dispute an illegal charge, this receipt is your strongest evidence.

What happens after you cancel and what to watch for

Cancellation doesn't always take effect immediately, and your vigilance over the next 30 days determines whether you truly escape the recurring charges.

The first 30 days after cancellation

After you submit your cancellation request, the company has up to 30 days (in most states) to process it. Your account access may remain active until the end of your current billing cycle, which is normal. Check your email for a cancellation confirmation within 48 hours; if you don't receive one, contact customer service again and reference your cancellation request date.

During the first month after cancellation, monitor your bank account and credit card statements closely. Look for any charge from PCH Intelius, Intelius, or related company names. If a charge appears after your requested cancellation date, note the date, amount, and transaction ID immediately.

Common post-cancellation traps

Some consumers report that the company's system processed their cancellation but their bank didn't reverse a final charge. Others discovered they had multiple subscription products active (Intelius plus an add-on like identity protection) and cancelled only one. Additionally, if you paid by a method that changed or expired, the company may claim they couldn't process the cancellation because the payment method failed. Stopee recommends confirming that only one subscription was active before you cancelled and verifying that the cancellation covered all associated products.

How to get a refund if charges continue after cancellation

If PCH Intelius charges you after you've requested and documented cancellation, you have clear legal remedies.

Step 1: contact the company directly

Before escalating, send a formal email to Intelius customer service with subject line "Unauthorized charge - request refund." Include the charge date, amount, your cancellation request date, and any confirmation numbers or receipts you have. Request a full refund within 14 days. Keep a copy of this email.

Step 2: file a chargeback with your bank

If the company ignores your refund request or refuses it, contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Tell them you requested cancellation of a recurring charge but the company continued billing you anyway. This is a violation of the FTC's Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act, and your bank is required to investigate. Provide your bank with copies of your cancellation request, any confirmation numbers, and the company's refusal email.

Your bank will typically reverse the charge within 30-60 days while they investigate. The burden then shifts to PCH Intelius to prove they had authorization to charge you, which they cannot do if you have documented cancellation.

Step 3: escalate to your state attorney general and the FTC

If your bank denies the chargeback or the company disputes it, file a formal complaint with your state's attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission. Visit reportfraud.ftc.gov and provide a detailed timeline of your cancellation attempt, the company's failure to honor it, and your documentation. Include screenshots, email confirmations, certified mail receipts, and chargeback information.

State attorneys general and the FTC take negative option billing violations seriously. Many have recovered thousands of dollars for consumers and imposed penalties on companies that systematically ignored cancellation requests. Your complaint also builds a case file that may help other consumers.

Common cancellation mistakes and how to avoid them

It's frustrating to cancel carefully and still face problems, but these mistakes are preventable with the right approach.

Mistake 1: assuming deletion of payment method equals cancellation

Many consumers remove their credit card from their Intelius account and assume the subscription will cancel automatically. It won't. The company will continue to attempt billing and may flag your account as delinquent. Always cancel the subscription explicitly; do not rely on payment method removal.

Mistake 2: cancelling online but forgetting to save the confirmation

If you cancel through the website and don't screenshot the confirmation, you have no proof you clicked the button. The company can later claim you never requested cancellation. Always screenshot and save the confirmation email within 24 hours of cancelling online.

Mistake 3: not following up after phone cancellation

A phone representative may promise cancellation and not actually process it. If you don't follow up in writing, you have no evidence they agreed to cancel. Always send a confirmation email after a phone call, referencing the representative's name and the date you called.

Mistake 4: ignoring the first unexpected charge

Many consumers see a suspicious charge and assume it will resolve itself. It won't. Act immediately by contacting the company and your bank. Delays of even a few days can complicate your chargeback window and make it harder to dispute the charge credibly.

How to compare PCH intelius to alternative people search services

Before you cancel, you may want to know whether another service might serve you better for less money. Stopee has compared the major alternatives.

Alternative people search services and pricing

If you need only occasional reports, BeenVerified's pay-per-report option often costs less over a year than Intelius's subscription. If you have time, free government databases and search engines can answer many questions without any charge. Evaluate your actual usage frequency against annual cost before you decide whether to cancel or switch.

Your cancellation checklist and final steps

Use this checklist to ensure you've done everything necessary to stop recurring charges from PCH Intelius.

Before you cancel

• Write down your account email and any account numbers you can find
• Decide which cancellation method you'll use (online, phone, or mail)
• Set a calendar reminder to check your bank statement in 7 days and 30 days
• Screenshot your current account page showing the active subscription

During cancellation

• Complete your chosen cancellation method with focus and clarity
• If cancelling online, screenshot the confirmation page immediately
• If cancelling by phone, write down the representative's name and confirmation number
• If cancelling by mail, keep your certified mail receipt and tracking number
• Note today's date and time of your cancellation request

After cancellation (first 48 hours)

• Check your email for a cancellation confirmation from Intelius
• If you don't receive one, contact customer service and request written confirmation
• File this confirmation email in a dedicated folder on your computer

After cancellation (first 30 days)

• Check your bank and credit card statements on days 7, 14, and 30
• Look for any charge from PCH Intelius, Intelius, or related entities
• If you spot an unauthorized charge, contact your bank within 60 days
• Provide your bank with all cancellation documentation

If charges continue after cancellation

• Email customer service with your cancellation request date and request an immediate refund
• File a chargeback with your bank, citing the FTC violation
• File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general
• Do not simply accept repeated charges as inevitable

PCH intelius cancellation address and final contact information

If you're cancelling by mail, send your letter to the primary address listed on your billing statement or the company's customer service page. For general correspondence, use the address on your most recent invoice email. If you cannot locate the address, search the Intelius website under "Contact Us" or call customer service for the mailing address.

Important: Use certified mail with return receipt for any cancellation letter. This creates an irrefutable record that the company received your request and honoured the FTC's requirement that cancellation be easy to complete.

Next steps: you're in control now

Cancelling a recurring subscription requires documentation, patience, and follow-through, but it is entirely within your power. You have legal rights under the FTC's ROSCA law, and your bank and state authorities are required to enforce them if the company refuses to stop charging you. Choose your cancellation method, execute it carefully, monitor your account, and escalate if needed. Stopee has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions and recover unauthorized charges. You are not alone in this, and the process becomes simpler each time you take control of your recurring billing. Act decisively, document everything, and do not accept ongoing charges as inevitable.