FTC sues Lens.com over prices that allegedly jump at checkout

Regulators say mandatory fees and subscription disclosures prevented shoppers from seeing the full cost of contact lenses.

The Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Utah and Nevada sued Lens.com on October 2, alleging the contact-lens retailer attracted shoppers with low advertised prices and imposed substantial mandatory charges later in checkout.

The complaint says fees routinely doubled the advertised price. It also alleges that the site placed a “Taxes & fees” line below the visible screen while prompting customers to continue, and used a label that could suggest sales tax even where contact lenses were not subject to it.

The lawsuit also targets the AutoRefill subscription program, alleging inadequate disclosure of recurring charges, cancellation procedures and cancellation deadlines.

The agency says these practices obstructed comparison shopping. Its allegations extend to owner Cary Samourkachian and affiliated company Speed Commerce LLC.

The case was filed in federal court in Nevada. These are allegations, not findings of liability. The court will determine whether the challenged conduct violated federal and state law; the filing does not itself establish a refund entitlement for customers.