ACCC sues dating site eHarmony over misleading claims

The news: The competition regulator is suing dating site eHarmony over alleged misleading statements about the pricing, renewal and duration of its memberships.

The numbers: The ACCC said it has received hundreds of complaints from consumers about eHarmony and its memberships. The allegations relate to ongoing conduct by the US-based firm that dates back to at least November 2019.

The context: The ACCC alleges that eHarmony deprived consumers of the chance to make an informed choice about whether to join the dating service and how much to spend in doing so. The alleged conduct included eHarmony giving customers the false impression its premium membership was only for an initial 6, 12 or 24 months, when in fact the subscription automatically renewed, in some cases at higher prices. It also misled customers that basic memberships allowed two-way communication for free, did not display accurate minimum and total prices during the purchase process, and misled consumers about their ability to cancel subscriptions.

What they said: “These are personal services, and consumers may bring a different state of mind to these interactions than a commercial one. In addition, some consumers who use these apps may be more at risk from misleading or manipulative selling practices than they would be in other, less personal transactions,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.