eHarmony misled Australians over 'free' subscriptions, court rules
Users of eHarmony's website and app were conned with fake free dating services and then forced to pay, the Federal Court of Australia has found.
The Federal Court of Australia has found that the dating website eHarmony misled Australian consumers with false advertisements promoting free subscription services. Despite users paying for a one-month premium membership, they were charged for a six-month subscription and faced difficulty cancelling recurring payments, even after deleting their accounts. eHarmony's fourth-largest Australian dating platform misled users who opted for a free basic membership, preventing them from engaging in ongoing communications aimed at developing romantic relationships.
The court concluded that eHarmony's one-month representation amounted to misleading conduct, as users could not utilize the platform to meet other members without incurring costs. About 1.3 million Australian users registered for a basic membership between 2019 and 2024. One user, who wished to remain anonymous, subscribed to a six-month membership for a discounted fee of $155.64 but cancelled her profile after two months without meeting anyone.
After the subscription automatically renewed, eHarmony billed her credit card $478.80 when she informed the company she wanted to cancel. The dating app, which claims to be the "No.1 trusted dating app," referred the woman to a debt collection agency. The case was brought before the federal court after the consumer watchdog, the ACCC, received numerous complaints from affected consumers.
Commissioner Luke Woodward emphasized that dating platforms are an essential part of Australians' social lives, and many rely on them to form valuable connections. The court will determine penalties and consumer redress at a later date.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
