Paid job listings and earnings promises: Care.com refunds

Reported facts

FTC alleged Care.com overstated available jobs and potential earnings and obstructed subscription cancellation. The dispute concerned people paying to use a care-work platform.

Published outcome

Following the settlement, FTC announced over $8.1 million in payments to 194,207 affected consumers. This was consumer redress, not an award of unpaid employee wages.

Limits when comparing your own situation

Paying for listings does not guarantee work. This historical refund does not establish a new claims window or prove every paid recruitment service is deceptive.

Questions to prepare for your own situation

• What exactly was promised before I paid?
• Can I keep the advert, subscription terms and cancellation attempts?
• Was I buying access to listings or accepting an employment offer?

These preparation questions are our editorial guidance, not findings in the original case.