Business & Finance
Australian court rules eHarmony used deceptive subscription traps
The federal court found the dating website misled consumers about automatic renewals and pricing.
The short version
- Australia's Federal Court ruled that eHarmony engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct under Australian consumer law.
- The regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), filed the lawsuit in 2023 over automatic renewals, unclear pricing, and "free" membership claims.
- The court and both parties will develop proposals for legal orders at a later date, while eHarmony stated it has updated its platform's transparency.
Key facts
- The Federal Court of Australia found eHarmony engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct across six aspects of its operations up until July 2024.[The Guardian]
- The court found that eHarmony misled users into believing premium plans were for finite periods when they actually automatically renewed at higher, non-discounted prices.[The Guardian]
- Between November 2019 and June 2024, approximately 258,956 Australian users paid for a premium membership, and about 20% (44,856 users) had their subscriptions automatically renewed.[The Guardian]
- The ACCC sued eHarmony in 2023 following hundreds of complaints, some from users whose unpaid automatic renewals were referred to debt collection agencies.[The Guardian]
- An eHarmony spokesperson stated the company has modified its platform to increase transparency and is currently reviewing the court's judgment.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The specific penalties and exact court orders to be imposed on eHarmony have not yet been finalized, as the ACCC and eHarmony were directed to submit proposals at a later date.[The Guardian]