Online healthcare company Thirty Madison misled customers into paying costly fees, to pay NYS $400,000

An online provider of medications for hair loss, migraines and women’s reproductive health must pay New York State $400,000 for misleading customers into paying costly subscriptions, the attorney general’s office announced Monday.

Thirty Madison, a Manhattan-based telehealth and online seller of prescription and nonprescription drugs, failed to “clearly disclose” its subscription terms and fees to consumers, according to the findings of an investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office. 

The company, which sells treatments for male hair loss, birth control and chronic headaches through its brands, Keeps, Nurx and Cove, also broke the law by not giving customers a simple cancellation process, the office said.

Officials with Thirty Madison did not respond to requests for comment.

“As New Yorkers struggle with a rising cost of living, deceptive recurring fees can add up quickly and make life even harder to afford,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Companies cannot mislead their customers about subscription terms, and my office will continue to take action to make sure New Yorkers are not unlawfully forced to make expensive recurring payments.”

On top of paying nearly half a million dollars to the state, Thirty Madison must also change its subscription practices and refund eligible subscribers who filed complaints with the company, the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau or the attorney general, James’ office said.

Additionally, Thirty Madison must make restitution payments to customers who were charged fees after requesting cancellation, charged for products that were never shipped or charged for products they never ordered, the attorney general’s office said.

New York State law requires companies to clearly disclose subscription terms to customers, offer easy cancellation and get affirmative consent for automatic renewals, the office said. 

Officials statewide have recently been cracking down on misleading subscription services. 

In late July, the attorney general's office announced that customers could receive refunds from Long Island-based 1-800-Flowers.com after the company agreed to pay $375,000 to settle complaints over subscription policies. 

That same month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced a proposed "click to cancel" rule that would make it easier for consumers to end subscriptions.