Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that online underwear retailer Adore Me, Inc. (Adore Me) will be required to provide refunds to consumers who were improperly charged recurring subscription fees, reform its business practices, and pay $2.35 million as part of a settlement with the District of Columbia and 31 states. The settlement resolves an investigation—led by DC, Texas, and Pennsylvania—into claims that Adore Me deceptively marketed its membership program, failed to disclose recurring charges, and made it difficult for consumers to cancel memberships once they were enrolled. As part of the settlement, several thousand DC residents may be eligible to receive refunds, Adore Me will be required to reform its business practices, and the District will receive a payment of more than $150,000. 

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) works tirelessly to ensure District residents are safe in their homes. When landlords and property managers violate tenants’ rights and ignore health and safety requirements, our team springs into action.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today joined a bipartisan coalition of 49 Attorneys General in suing Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom, along with its owner Michael Lansky, and its vice president Stacey S. Reeves, for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls to millions of people in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws. Avid Telecom sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Between December 2018 and January 2023 approximately 8.6 million of those calls were to numbers in the District.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced a settlement with SoLo Funds Inc. (SoLo), an online fin-tech platform that facilitates and advertises loans to District consumers, which resolves allegations that SoLo deceived consumers about the true cost of the loans on its platform and facilitated loans with over 500% APR on average—far exceeding the District's 24% usury cap. SoLo’s platform is based upon a model in which individual consumers lend money to other individual consumers. In return for the loan, the borrowers were required to pay a percentage of the loan as a ‘tip’ to the lenders. SoLo also solicited borrowers to pay a percentage of the loan to the company as a ‘donation’. 

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that JUUL Labs, Inc. (JUUL) will pay $15.2 million – the largest litigated settlement the DC Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has secured under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act in District history – to resolve allegations that it marketed nicotine products to District youth and misled District consumers about the product’s highly-addictive qualities. 

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Pro-Football Inc., the corporation which owns the Washington Commanders, will return over $200,000 to impacted residents and pay $425,000 to the District to resolve allegations that the team systematically failed to return ticket holders’ deposits and intentionally created barriers for fans to get refunds in violation of District law.

The District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act grants District consumers the right to complete, accurate, and timely information whenever they purchase goods or services—including when they place orders at restaurants.

The Office of Attorney General is committed to holding predatory businesses and individuals accountable, while helping residents avoid unnecessary fees, tax scams, and other pitfalls.

Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced that Grubhub Holdings, Inc. and Grubhub, Inc. (Grubhub) will pay $3.5 million for charging customers hidden fees and using deceptive marketing techniques to increase profits in violation of District consumer protection laws.