Connecticut will get $25,000 from a legal settlement with Stamford company that regulators said used misleading market practices in operating its travel clubs and other membership services, according to the state’s Attorney General George Jepsen.
Affinion Group Inc. and its subsidiaries — Trilegiant Corp. and Webloyalty.com — will pay a total of $30 million, including $19 million to a fund set up for consumer refunds.
Consumer complaints against Affinion and its programs that led to the settlement included being charged by the companies without authorization or knowledge and difficulty canceling or getting refunds after finding out they had been charged.
The settlement forbids “live checks,” through which Affinion sent checks by mail to consumers that, when cashed, authorized enrollment in a travel club or other program. The settlement also bans “online data pass,” in which consumers are presented with an offer immediately following an online purchase from a retailer, allowing Affinion to enroll and bill the consumer using account information from its retailer marketing partner.
