I'm 50 years and I have diabetes, I have had diabetes, I have had diabetes since I was 16 years old and I have ever had any issues with getting my meds till now. I join AARP to get life insurance but I was reject so i join the health insurance BIG MISTAKES! Since big with these RIP OFFS, I can't get my meds. I'm getting sicker ever day. I try calling AARP to cancel and they give me the run around. AARP is a bunch off RIP OFFS AND SCAM ARTISTS! i will never make that mistake again.

With a growing number of baby boomers aging into retirement and looking to make investments, a new wave of financial scams has plagued the nation's elderly.

An investigation conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, state regulators and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority found seniors falling prey to a myriad of tactics. One common tactic is the offer of a free lunch at seminars aimed at selling products; people are often told, however, that nothing will be sold. An investigation into these meetings prompted the Securities and Exchange Commission to hold a "senior summit" with the AARP to discuss investment fraud and abusive sales practices.
Still, four out of five investors age 60 and above got at least one invitation to a free investment seminar in the past three years, according to a recent survey by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The Canadian Association of Retired Persons found in 2005 that seniors lost about $2.5 billion annually to fraud and scams.

The AARP evolved from an insurance company consumers group to an organization dedicated to serving the interests of Senior Citizens. It has done a remarkably good job of letting Seniors know what is going on in Washington and whistle-blowing public and private items that are not in our best interests. Then the AARP endorsed Government Health Care, saying it would lower our insurance costs, raise Medicare benefits and lower Medicare costs. The opposite is true. Insurance costs are already rising and we are facing a decrease in Medicare benefits and government financing. AARP is looking forward to increased insurance commissions. What a rip-off from an organization claiming to be a senior-citizen guardian.

Today I noticed a $16 debit to my checking account for AARP. I called the number that was listed on my online checking account for AARP. The lady that answered the phone asked me to verify my name, address, and date of birth. They had all this information plus my bank account numbers in their system...how? I have never done any transactions with AARP, I am only 44 and it is my understanding AARP has an age requirement of 50.

The lady did some checking, put me on hold for quite a while and said a credit would be issued to my account within 2 months. The $16 is not the issue that I am concerned about, I am concerned that they have my checking account information, address, and date of birth in their systems without my consent. In my opinion this is fraud, they obviously obtained my personal information via an unethical means. So AARP, steals your personal information, debits your account and then keeps your money for 2 months before they will consider giving it back to you. That is if they will give it back to you...

Everyone beware of AARP.

I sent this letter to AARP in May and have not recieved a response. The wording of the letter is below.

Membership Services,

I am very upset and extremely angry at your ineptness in handling my application request for membership in AARP. I had reservations about renewing my membership, now; I regret having mailed out the application. If there was a way to rescind my membership and AARP return the money to me I would welcome the opportunity.
My wife sent the application that I filled out with a check which included both names as members. Mail was waiting for me when I came home from work Monday from AARP announcing “WELCOME your AARP membership card is inside.” When I looked at the contents inside there were two membership cards but they were not for my wife and I. The cards also indicated having been a member since 1994, which is not true either.
The names on both the cards were for people I knew and loved but both are deceased. One name was my father and the other person was my father’s friend of 30 years. I am angry about that and feel very sad that AARP membership services have made such a blatant error. Since the signature name on the check was my wife Maryanne.
How in the world could AARP membership services have made such an egregious mistake? Obviously, you do not actually look at or read the content of your membership applications, if you did take the time to read the application this mistake would never have happened and this letter would not have to be written.
I thought AARP was going to be an advocate for me and my wife in our later years, boy was I wrong. If AARP can’t do a simple thing like process a membership application correctly how can I trust that AARP will actually be able to decipher more complex important issues and to make good decisions for me and other members that will rely on AARP for guidance. This eye opening disappointment and very disheartening experience has shaken my belief and trust in the AARP organization.
Now AARP needs to make this right ASAP by; sending my wife and me an apology for causing us so much embarrassment. You unnecessarily raised our blood pressure when the anger kicked in as we looked at the total mix-up on membership cards. Then you must replace the cards you sent with ones that have the correct information for both my wife and me. I have enclosed a copy of a voided check so you can get the names right this time.

Unhappy in Philly,


Dan and Maryanne Campbell

Then to add insult to injury we recieve a notice from AARP thanking us for renewing membership along with a new membership card for Julia Jeinnings. This whole episode is appauling.