Publishers Clearing House will refund customers $18.5 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging deceptive business practices—familiar ground for the marketing and sweepstakes firm.... [+]”—design practices that manipulate consumers into making potentially harmful or uninformed decisions.
Specifically, the FTC claimed the company used deceptive website design to convince consumers that making purchases was required to either win a sweepstakes or increase their chances of winning one.to purchases—something the company will have to stop under the terms of the settlement. In addition to the $18.5 million being refunded to customers, Publishers Clearing House will also have to display clear disclosures on its website that inform customers their purchases are not needed to win or increase their chances of winning a sweepstakes.The FTC lawsuit is not the first time Publishers Clearing House has dealt with litigation regarding their business practices.