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CONSUMER CATCH-UP: FTC sues Match for deceptive 'love interest' ads, Home Meridian recalls dresser for tip-over risk, and dogs can lower your home's resale value

BySimone Chavoor KGO logo
Thursday, September 26, 2019
CONSUMER CATCH-UP: FTC sues Match for deceptive "love interest" ads, Home Meridian recalls dresser for tip-over risk, and more
CONSUMER CATCH-UP: The FTC is suing Match for deceptive "love interest" ads and exposing users to scammers, Home Meridian recalls a three-drawer dresser for tip-over risk, and owning a dog can lower your home's resale value.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- FTC sues Match for allegedly tricking dating site users into paying for subscriptions

The Federal Trade Commission is suing the owners of multiple popular dating sites, alleging that they used "fake love interest advertisements" to entice users into paying for accounts.

Match Group, Inc. is the owner of Match.com, Tinder, OKCupid, PlentyOfFish, and other dating sites. Users are able to create profiles for free on Match.com, but only paid subscribers can send and respond to messages. The FTC alleges that when users got notifications that someone was interested in them, Match sent emails advertising their paid subscriptions -- even if Match knew the message was coming from a fraudulent profile. The FTC says that Match "unfairly exposed consumers to the risk of fraud and engaged in other allegedly deceptive and unfair practices."

Match released a statement on Wednesday, saying: "The FTC has misrepresented internal emails and relied on cherry-picked data to make outrageous claims and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves against these claims in court."

Home Meridian recalls dresser for tip-over risk

Home Meridian is recalling three-drawer chests because of a tip-over risk.

The Mid-Century three-drawer chests can tip over if not anchored to the wall, potentially causing injury or death to children. No incidents have been reported.

Consumers are advised to immediately discontinue the use of the chests and to place them where children cannot access them. Owners can contact Home Meridian for a free tip-over restraint kit, a free in-home installation, or a refund. Owners can contact Home Meridian at (800) 819-4796 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, or online at www.homemeridian.com.

Dogs can lower the resale value of your home

Dogs can cost homeowners big when they put their properties for sale.

According to The Wall Street Journal, rambunctious dogs can make home appraisers decrease the resale value of the property by 2 percent to 5 percent. Common complaints are damage to furniture, carpet, scratched wood, and smell; most homeowner insurance plans do not cover pet-related damages.

Visible pet damage in a home can cause concern for potential buyers, but there are steps homeowners can take to prevent this. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises homeowners to invest in professional carpet cleaning service, keep all pet paraphernalia - even photos - out of sight, and to take the pet to another location so that they're safely away during an open house.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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