1000’s of Publishers Clearing Home clients set to get refund over deceptive emails, FTC says

Publishers Clearing Home is thought for giving cash away in sweepstakes and different contests. Now it is providing a special form of payout — a refund for patrons who might have been deceived by the direct advertising firm.

The Federal Commerce Fee stated Wednesday that the company has mailed checks totaling over $18 million to almost 282,000 PCH shoppers who the FTC says had been misled by the Jericho, New York, firm’s “misleading and unfair” practices.

Particularly, regulators alleged in a 2023 lawsuit that PCH used “darkish patterns” to trick clients into considering they needed to make a purchase order to enter the sweepstakes, or enhance their odds of successful. The FTC additionally stated PCH despatched emails to individuals with misleading topic traces suggesting they had been associated to official authorities paperwork, like tax types.

Christopher Irving, vice chairman of shopper and authorized affairs at PCH, famous in a press release to CBS MoneyWatch that, whereas refund checks are going out now, the FTC’s criticism and settlement are from two years in the past.

“Whereas we disagreed with the FTC’s assertions on the time, we had been glad to have resolved the matter and transfer ahead persevering with to do what we do finest — present shoppers enjoyable leisure and video games powered by our well-known probability to win,” he stated.

In a 2023 shopper alert after the lawsuit was introduced, the FTC reminded Individuals that it’s unlawful for a corporation to inform individuals they’re required to pay to enter a sweepstakes contest. 

Solely PCH clients who clicked on one of many allegedly deceptive emails and ordered a product are eligible for a refund, the FTC stated. Anybody with questions in regards to the refund can name the refund administrator at 1-888-516-0774.