EN News Brief
Summary
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing meal kit companies HelloFresh and Youfoodz for allegedly using misleading “subscription trap” practices, claiming they made cancellation difficult and charged tens of thousands of customers without clear consent.
Key Points
- Allegations: ACCC alleges both companies misled consumers by claiming easy online cancellation, but instead required contact with customer service to avoid charges.
- Impact: Lawsuits claim 62,000 HelloFresh and 39,000 Youfoodz customers were charged despite cancelling before the cut-off.
- Practices: HelloFresh allegedly required payment details before full menu view, automatically enrolling customers into a subscription.
- Context: HelloFresh was previously fined in New Zealand for misleading practices. Customer complaints about difficult cancellation are widespread online.
- Regulatory Action: The Australian government is drafting new laws to ban “unfair trading practices” like subscription traps, with state backing.
- Company Response: HelloFresh states it takes the claims seriously, intends no confusion, and will engage constructively with the ACCC.
中文新闻简报
摘要
澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会（ACCC）起诉餐饮包公司HelloFresh和Youfoodz，指控其使用具有误导性的“订阅陷阱”手段，使取消订阅变得困难，并在未获得明确同意的情况下向数万名客户收费。
关键点
- 指控内容：ACCC指控两家公司误导消费者，声称可以轻松在线取消订阅，但实际上必须联系客服才能避免被收费。
- 影响范围：诉讼称，分别有62,000名HelloFresh客户和39,000名Youfoodz客户在截止日期前取消了订阅仍被收费。
- 具体做法：HelloFresh被指在客户查看完整菜单前要求提供付款信息，并自动将客户纳入订阅计划。
- 背景信息：HelloFresh此前在新西兰因误导行为被罚款。网上充斥着客户关于取消订阅困难的投诉。
- 监管行动：澳大利亚政府正在起草新法律，以禁止“不公平交易行为”（如订阅陷阱），并已获得各州支持。
- 公司回应：HelloFresh表示严肃对待这些指控，无意混淆客户，并将与ACCC进行建设性合作。
Original Article Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-16/hellofresh-and-youfoodz-sued-by-accc-for-misleading-consumers/106148656