Rent-to-own payment plan company settles deceptive representation allegations with FTC

Federal Issues FTC Enforcement Consumer Protection FTC Act UDAP Deceptive Settlement

On April 20, the FTC filed a complaint against a rent-to-own payment plan company for allegedly making false, misleading, and deceptive representations in violation of the FTC Act to consumers regarding the marketing, sale, and terms of their payment plans. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that while the company offered “same as cash” and “no interest” payment plans to consumers seeking to purchase items at retailers nationwide, it actually charged consumers substantially more than the item’s retail price. Accessing the actual terms of the payment plans was confusing for consumers, the FTC contended, and allegedly led to consumers frequently paying roughly twice the item’s sticker price if they made the initial and all scheduled recurring payments. According to the FTC, the company (i) received tens of thousands of consumer complaints; (ii) was aware consumers were confused by the terms of their payment plans; and (iii) had been presented with concerns from retailers regarding the company’s training materials, which, among other things, instructed sales associates to say “‘there actually isn’t an interest rate, because it’s not a loan.” Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the company is, among other things, (i) prohibited from misrepresenting the costs, nature, terms, and any other material facts related to its payment plans; (ii) required to clearly and conspicuously disclose the total cost to own a product when marketing its plans; (iii) ordered to monitor third parties, including retailers that offer the company’s payment plans to ensure compliance with the terms of the settlement; and (iv) required to receive express, informed consent from consumers prior to billing them for a plan. The company is also required to pay $175 million in equitable monetary relief.