Noom Lawsuit: The $56 Million Auto-Renewal Settlement

What the Lawsuit Alleged

Noom, a weight-loss and wellness app, was accused of using “dark patterns” in its sign-up flow: luring customers with a “risk-free” trial, then capturing payment details and quietly starting an auto-renewing subscription with non-refundable fees, while making cancellation difficult — in some cases only through a virtual coach. Plaintiffs said this violated automatic-renewal and consumer-protection laws that require clear disclosure and easy cancellation.

It is the same core problem regulators have targeted across subscription businesses: easy to join, hard to leave.

The Settlement

Noom agreed to a $56 million cash settlement, plus about $6 million in subscription credits, with final approval from a Manhattan federal court. It covered people who bought an auto-renewing Noom subscription over a defined period (roughly 2016 to 2020) and did not get a full refund. Noom also had to reform its practices — clearer auto-renewal disclosures, separate affirmative consent (like checking a box), and an easy cancellation button on the account page.

As with other auto-renewal settlements, the enrollment and cancellation reforms are the lasting result.

What Subscribers Should Know

On any “free trial,” assume it converts to a paid subscription unless you cancel, and note the cancellation steps before you sign up. Laws increasingly require an easy online cancel path; if a service routes you into a “coach” or retention maze, you can insist on canceling and keep proof of the date.