Recommendation

Caution

Overall Summary

Suspicious

Why we think so

Ultimate-guitar.com is a popular site offering over 1.1 million tabs for guitar and other instruments, with a monthly visit count near 60 million. It ranks #704 globally and is based mainly in the US. The domain was registered in 1999 and is managed by Network Solutions, LLC. It uses reputable services like Cloudflare for security. The company holds registered trademarks for "Ultimate-Guitar.com" since 2009, indicating a legitimate brand presence. The site offers contact emails and has verified social media profiles. However, multiple consumer reports, especially on the BBB, highlight consistent complaints about billing practices, including unexpected charges post free trials, difficulty cancelling subscriptions, and refusal of refunds. These issues have led to an F rating on the BBB. No lawsuit involving the domain was found. Given the site’s broad usage and longstanding presence but notable billing concerns, users should proceed with caution, carefully reviewing subscription terms.

Confidence Score

85%

Risk Insights

⚠️

Strong Brand but Billing Concerns

Long-established domain with solid trademarks and infrastructure.

Significant and repeated complaints about billing and refunds.

Users should review subscription terms closely.

🌐

High Global Traffic

Nearly 60 million visits monthly worldwide.

Most users come from the US and English-speaking countries.

High engagement and extensive tab library.

Contradictory Signals

The site appears legitimate technically but has serious customer support issues.

Signal A: High traffic and well-maintained infrastructure

Signal B: Poor customer billing and refund experiences reported

Category Scores

Identity 85/100

Reputation 35/100

Technical 90/100

Content 85/100

Legal 90/100

Business Validity 80/100

Red Flags & Warnings

Multiple complaints of unauthorized charges post cancellation and confusing subscription billing detected on BBB and user forums.

🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis

Domain Technical and Traffic Analysis

Score: 90/100

Passed

"High traffic and stable infrastructure are positive legitimacy signals."

Reason: The domain has strong traffic (~60 million monthly visits) and uses reputable technology providers like Cloudflare and Network Solutions.

WHOIS and SSL Evaluation

Score: 90/100

Passed

"Long registration and valid SSL reduce phishing/scam likelihood."

Reason: Domain registered in 1999 with a reliable registrar; SSL certificate is current and valid.

Trademarks and Brand Legitimacy

Score: 85/100

Passed

"Trademark legitimacy supports business validity."

Reason: Active registered trademarks since 2009 confirm legitimate brand ownership.

Blacklist and Scam Reports

Score: 75/100

Passed

"No technical blacklist flags detected."

Reason: No inclusion on scam blacklists or Google Safe Browsing warnings.

Customer Complaints and Trust Indicators

Score: 30/100

Failed

"These recurring complaints weigh significantly against the site's trustworthiness."

Reason: Many customer complaints report unauthorized charges, difficulty cancelling, and poor refund policies, resulting in low BBB rating and warnings from users.

Your Next Steps

1

If considering subscription, carefully read all terms, especially free trial and auto-renewal conditions.
2

Prefer paying via platforms with dispute protections (e.g., Apple App Store, PayPal).
3

Keep screenshots and confirmation emails if you subscribe.
4

Monitor your card statements for unauthorized charges after canceling subscriptions.
5

Contact company support directly via verified emails for billing issues.

Evidence & Citations

SimilarTech Technology Profile and Traffic for ultimate-guitar.com
Shows site traffic, technology stack, and global ranking.
Better Business Bureau profile and complaint summary for Ultimate Guitar USA, LLC
Contains detailed user complaints about billing and refund issues leading to an F rating.
WHOIS and SSL details for ultimate-guitar.com
Domain registered in 1999 with reputable registrar, current SSL valid.
USPTO Trademark Search Results for Ultimate-Guitar.com
Confirms registered trademarks dating back to 2009.

🕵🏻 Keep investigating

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