The envelope didn’t appear to be very large. A simple letter that was either overlooked or thought to be a credit card advertisement. However, inside was a check mailed to around 400,000 people nationwide, some for $75 and some a little more. Each one was linked to a phone service that the majority of recipients had long since stopped using, and many of them recalled the cancellation procedure for the wrong reasons.
Once commended for providing affordable digital voice services, Vonage has quietly turned into a case study of subscription weariness. Customers complained for years that they couldn’t cancel without going through a lot of hassles, including dealing with several agents, making repeated calls, and paying lingering fees known as “termination fees.” Online enrollment took only a few minutes, but over the phone, cancelation frequently felt like negotiating a hedge labyrinth.
The Federal Trade Commission claims that this was not an accident. It was intentional.
Vonage was charged in the agency’s case, which was filed in late 2022, of employing “dark patterns”—design strategies intended to perplex, postpone, or even stop customers from leaving. The word is becoming more popular, and for good cause. These are tactics designed to keep revenue by making exits excruciatingly inefficient, not just peculiarities of user experience.
Vonage consented to a settlement by October 2023. The cost: a pledge to change its rules and returns totaling almost $100 million. Now, the majority of that money is moving, coming in the form of PayPal transfers or paper checks. Every payment is recognition rather than just a reimbursement. an official admission that poor customer service wasn’t the only reason for a disappointing customer experience. It was illegal.
There is an expiration date on refund checks: 30 days for digital transfers and 90 days for mailed checks. You can still get assistance by calling the FTC’s refund administrator if you’ve moved, missed your notice, or unintentionally allowed the PayPal email to expire. If money is still available, reissues are feasible.
Vonage Settlement Information Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Vonage Holdings Corp. |
| Parent Organization | Ericsson (Acquired 2022) |
| Industry | Telecommunications / VoIP Services |
| Settlement Amount | $100 million |
| Administered By | Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
| Settlement Type | Consumer Refund Settlement |
| Reason for Settlement | Use of “dark patterns” and hidden fees to obstruct cancellations |
| Number of Refund Recipients | Approximately 389,106 |
| Payment Methods | Check or PayPal |
| Reference Source | https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/vonage-refunds |
The significance of this case lies not in the amount of the return but rather in what it stands for. Service-based businesses have relied on inertia for far too long. They expect people to give up. Make another call. Hold on a moment. Show that you attempted to cancel. Do it once more now.
According to a Seattle small company owner I spoke with, this took place over several months. During the epidemic, he worked remotely and utilized Vonage for a short time to handle calls. He attempted to cancel when he resumed his in-person business. He told me, “I swear I talked to at least four people.” At first, I was courteous. I don’t yell, but by the fourth call, I was furious.
Eventually, he stopped using his bank to make payments. However, the residual annoyance persisted. His check? Not quite $110. He stated, “It wasn’t about the money.” “It was about being acknowledged.”
That stuck with me.
Recently, the FTC has stepped up its efforts to combat these so-called garbage fee practices, especially those connected to service subscriptions. Cancellation difficulty has been made profitable in a digital economy where individuals handle everything from dating to insurance online. Subscription weariness is a real problem. The Vonage case signals a change: companies risk sending settlements rather than invoices if they don’t streamline opt-outs.
Additionally, the agency’s enforcement demonstrates a more comprehensive commitment to addressing the engineering of user experience. A button that is difficult to locate. Buried behind a login wall is a number. An automated chatbot that never puts you in touch with a human. Although these design decisions might not seem like much, taken as a whole, they undermine consumer autonomy.
The settlement does more than just reimburse by mandating Vonage to modify its canceling process to make it clear, efficient, and accessible. It conveys the idea that consent doesn’t stop when you sign up.
Interestingly, Vonage, who is currently owned by Ericsson, has never openly acknowledged any wrongdoing. However, it consented to all of the FTC’s demands, including a public refund and external scrutiny. Although this is frequent in settlements, it shows a well-considered choice: make the payment, amend the policy, and proceed.
For customers, it’s a peculiar form of justice, particularly for those who were surprised by their refund. The idea is transformative, even if the money isn’t.
Enforcement efforts across industries, from streaming platforms to finance apps, have increased in recent years, according to the FTC’s dashboard. Every refund—no matter how small—becomes a piece of information in a broader campaign for digital justice. Additionally, these checks become part of a much louder narrative as more agencies start to unite behind the harm caused by manipulative interfaces.
What used to seem like a customer service annoyance is now seen as a legal infraction.
Therefore, cash any Vonage settlement checks you may have received. Not simply because it’s money, but also because it’s a part of a larger change, where your time was finally worth it, your emails went ignored, and your exits were barred. There’s still a chance if you didn’t get one but believe you ought to have. Visit the FTC’s website. Give the call.
