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Warning justanswer.com and eHealthMe.com chats not private

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:09 am
by Cindy2013
I went on justanswer.com and asked a question and signed up but was never able to connect. I just did a search with advanced search and my chat is an online link. I'm so glad I didn't finish. I would like to get it off. Any ideas? (Read below, I was able to get it off.)

I was supposed to be chatting with a doctor and paying for it, I expected that to be private. This goes for lawyer questions, too. i read some posts and people sometimes give the name of the company with whom they are having problems. That company will be able to search and see the question and the lawyers answer. I doubt that many of them were aware of this.

Oops, I originally posted this as ask.com not justanswer.com. Sorry ask.com.

Much later edit: I was able to get my money back, get the link locked and eventually able to get the link removed after many phone calls, e-mails, and threats. Remember, I was not even logged on and I was charged, my question posted, and the doctors answer, which I had not seen, was posted. There are many complaints online about people failing to get their money back. The site clearly states that you will not pay if you are not satisfied with your answer, but they charge you as a "deposit" right away. Even though I was not logged on, I watched the site for a long time and there was no response, but my question and a response was posted online, which I found much later by accident.

If you go on eHealthMe and check for drug interactions you will start getting e-mails from eHealthMe with links to questions other people have posted that are on similar medications, have similar age and same sex and have similar health problems. When you submit your list of drugs and possible side effects you are agreeing to their Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. You may need a lawyer to read their privacy policy. It says many times they will protect your Private Health Information, but not that they will post your questions, unless I missed it someplace in the jargon. The fact they own all your information and can do anything that they want with it, is on the second page of Terms and Conditions. If you post a question, it will get posted online and anyone who searches the right terms can find it. At least justAnswer.com clearly states in their Privacy Policy in red letters what they will do with your information.

Please read the Privacy Policies AND Terms and Conditions before you put ANYTHING online. I have learned so much since I first posted this. Privacy has gone out the window and it is going to get worse. The internet is a wonderful, powerful tool, but one needs to be careful. I learned the hard way and I had been somewhat careful, I had never even logged onto Facebook because they required your birth date, which I protect. Did you know that if you are a registered voter, that if someone knows your name and birth date, they can get your address? I welcome you to check it out and tell me if I'm wrong.

Re: Warning ask.com

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:36 am
by jimmylegs
i think user questions are meant to be 'out there' for readers to respond to. then you as the asker can evaluate the merits of responses provided. that's my outsider perception of how ask.com works.

Re: Warning ask.com

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:41 am
by Cindy2013
I was supposed to be chatting with a doctor and paying for it. Expected that to be private.

Thanks for posting.

Re: Warning ask.com

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:49 am
by jimmylegs
that would seem to be a reasonable expectation! I didn't know ask.com offered medical consultation. good idea re the title/content edits.

Re: Warning ask.com Doctor chats not private

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 10:24 am
by Cindy2013
Oops, glad you wrote. It's justanswer.com

Re: Warning justanswer.com Doctor chats not private

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:11 am
by jimmylegs
ah, good catch!

Re: Warning justanswer.com Doctor chats not private

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 5:48 pm
by NHE
It's all laid out in their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.