The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that Care.com will refund more than $8 million to users nationwide after the company was found to have misled consumers and made it difficult for them to cancel memberships.
Care.com, a well-known website that connects families with babysitters, pet sitters, and caregivers for older adults, is issuing refunds to approximately 194,000 customers across the country.
According to the FTC, more than 5,000 of those customers live in Washington.
FTC attorney Edward Hynes said the company exaggerated job opportunities and misrepresented earnings potential for caregivers.
“They were essentially inflating job numbers, advertising that workers could get paid certain amounts through jobs found on its platform, when in reality the company did not know what anyone made, so they didn’t have a basis to make those earnings claims,” Hynes said.
The refunds apply to eligible users who paid for Care.com memberships between January 2019 and August 2023.
Most recipients will receive a check in the mail within the next week, while others may be refunded via PayPal.
The FTC emphasized that no action is required to receive a refund.
If you are eligible, you will automatically receive your payment.
Refunds will be issued by Epiq Systems, not directly by Care.com or the FTC, so officials recommend watching for that name on payment communications.
The average refund amount will be around $41.
For more information about the refund process, consumers can visit ftc.gov.
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