Australia court finds dating site eHarmony misled users over subscription terms
The court said eHarmony hid auto-renewal terms and pricing details, and the ACCC said about 1.3 million Australians were affected.
- On Tuesday, Australia's Federal Court ruled that dating platform eHarmony engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by misrepresenting subscription services and failing to prominently disclose automatic renewal terms in small font.
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission initiated proceedings in September 2023, alleging the platform misled about 1.3 million Australians by advertising free basic memberships while hiding mandatory subscription renewal fees.
- Justice Christopher Horan cited evidence showing a user who paid $155.64 for a six-month membership was automatically billed $478.80 after deleting her profile two months later, then referred to a debt collection agency.
- ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward stated, "The ACCC is concerned about subscription traps in digital services, and this decision highlights the need for clarity in ongoing consumer subscriptions," following hundreds of complaints.
- The Federal Court will determine penalties and consumer redress at a later date, while eHarmony said it was "carefully reviewing the Federal Court's judgment" and considering its options.
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An Australian court has found eHarmony misled users over what its memberships cost
Australia’s Federal Court has found that eHarmony misled consumers about the cost and terms of its dating memberships, in a case the competition regulator brought after receiving hundreds of complaints. The findings read as a catalogue of the design choices regulators now call dark patterns, applied to a subscription that renewed automatically at a much […] This story continues at The Next Web
Australia court finds dating site eHarmony misled users over subscription terms
Australia's Federal Court has found online dating platform eHarmony engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by misrepresenting aspects of its subscription services, the country's consumer watchdog said on Tuesday.
ACCC wins ‘subscription trap’ suit against eHarmony
Save (0) Please login to bookmarkClose Username or Email Address Password Remember Me The consumer regulator has won its case against eHarmony, with a judge finding the US-based online dating site misled consumers about automatic subscription renewals, fees and its free plan. Subscribe to Lawyerly to access this article.Already a subscriber? Username or Email Address Password Remember Me Lost your password? …
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