eHarmony deceived Australian customers with ‘subscription traps’ that cost hundreds of dollars, court finds
Summary
An Australian court found that dating site eHarmony misled customers with confusing subscription plans that automatically renewed and cost users hundreds of dollars. The court ruled that eHarmony’s website gave wrong impressions about free memberships and subscription costs, causing many customers to be charged without clear consent.Key Facts
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued eHarmony in 2023 over misleading subscription claims.
- eHarmony told users they could communicate for free, but important subscription costs and automatic renewal details were unclear.
- Around 1.3 million Australians signed up for basic memberships from 2019 to 2024; about 259,000 paid for premium plans.
- Nearly 45,000 users had their subscriptions automatically renewed; over 7,000 had renewals two or more times.
- Many customers did not realize their subscriptions would renew automatically and were charged hundreds of dollars.
- Some users faced debt collection efforts after disputes over charges.
- The court said eHarmony should have clearly shown that subscriptions would renew at higher, non-discounted prices.
- eHarmony said it is reviewing the ruling and has updated its platform to be more transparent.
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