FTC Sues JustAnswer for Deceiving Consumers into Enrolling in a Costly Recurring Monthly Subscription

Agency alleges question-and-answer service falsely claims consumers can get access to experts for a small one-time fee when in reality JustAnswer actually signs every consumer up for a recurring subscription The Federal Trade Commission today sued JustAnswer LLC and its CEO, alleging the online question-and-answer service deceives people seeking expert advice into enrolling in a monthly recurring subscription without obtaining consumers’ affirmative consent. JustAnswer operates JustAnswer.com as well as specialized advice sites like AskALawyerOnCall.com, AskAVeterinarianOnline.com, and AskWomensHealth.com. The FTC alleges that JustAnswer and its founder and CEO Andrew Kurtzig falsely claim that consumers can “join” JustAnswer and get access to expert advice for as little as $1 or $5. But when consumers sign up to use the service, JustAnswer actually enrolls them in a recurring monthly subscription costing anywhere from $28 to $125 and immediately charges them this fee, as well as the $1 or $5 join fee. The complaint notes that JustAnswer continues to charge the subscription fee every month until the consumer cancels their subscription. “JustAnswer’s misleading pricing tactics obscured the true price of its services, preventing consumers from making an informed choice on whether JustAnswer’s services were worth it to them,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC is focused on ensuring that online sellers transparently price their services.” While JustAnswer provides limited information about the required monthly subscription on its website, it does not disclose the terms clearly and conspicuously as required by the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), according to the complaint. As a result, consumers have provided their credit card information to the company without affirmatively consenting to enroll in an ongoing monthly subscription and pay the monthly fee, the FTC alleged. The complaint alleges that JustAnswer’s and Kurtzig’s deceptive conduct violates ROSCA and the FTC Act. The complaint seeks a court order prohibiting the allegedly violative conduct, money back for consumers harmed by the deceptive billing practices, and civil penalties against JustAnswer and Kurtzig.