Vogue, Vanity Fair Class Action Says Subscriptions Auto Renew

A class action lawsuit alleges that the publisher of magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Glamour, unlawfully auto-renews magazine subscriptions without consumer knowledge or consent.

Plaintiffs Saul Granillo and Jennifer Fite say they responded to advertisements offering a one-year magazine subscription at a discounted rate.

They allege that they were not notified that the subscriptions would auto-renew at a higher rate.

The customers claim that Conde Nast makes a practice of automatically renewing subscriptions without adequately notifying consumers.

Granillo says that in July 2017, he responded to an online offer to receive six issues of Vogue for $6. He claims that he provided his debit card details and was charged $6. However, the plaintiff states that in November 2017 Conde Nast charged him $21.99 to the same card without his authorization.

The Conde Nast class action lawsuit claims that the company enrolled him into an auto-renewal program when he submitted his initial order for six issues of Vogue. Granillo says that had he known that Conde Nast would enroll him in an automatic renewal or continuous service program, he would not have responded to the Vogue offer and would not have paid the company any money.

Fite says she had a similar experience. Allegedly, she gave Conde Nast her credit card information in August 2017 to purchase a one-year subscription to Vanity Fair for $5. However, in September 2018 Conde Nast reportedly posted a charge to her account for the amount of $12. Allegedly, this charge was posted without her authorization.

The magazine subscription class action lawsuit claims that like Granillo, she was enrolled into an auto-renewal program when she made her initial purchase of Vanity Fair. Allegedly, she was unaware at the time of her purchase that she was enrolled in the program, and did not consent to being enrolled in it. She says that had she known that she would be enrolled in the program, she would not have placed her order for Vanity Fair and would not have paid money to the company.

Allegedly, many other customers had similar experiences, and complained about the experience to the Better Business Bureau.

The Conde Nast class action lawsuit says this practice violates California law. Allegedly, California law requires companies to disclose auto-renewal programs conspicuously to customers before they make their purchases.

According to the Vogue, Vanity Fair auto-renewal class action lawsuit, Conde Nast failed to disclose their auto renewal policy intentionally in an effort to maximize its profits.

Granillo and Fite say that they and many other customers were financially injured by Conde Nast’s practice. They seek damages on behalf of themselves and all other similarly affected consumers, in addition to an injunction barring the company from continuing to auto-renew subscriptions without consent.

Have you ever been enrolled in an auto-renewal program without your consent? Share with us your experienced in the comment section.

The customers are represented by James Hannink and Zach P. Dostart of Dostart Hannink & Coveney LLP.

The Conde Nast Auto-Renewal Class Action Lawsuit is Saul Granillo, et al. v. Conde Nast Entertainment LLC, Case No. 37-2019-00051411-CU-BT-CTL, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego.

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