As a U.S. Senate committee continued its scrutiny of consumer membership marketing practices, Norwalk-based Vertrue Inc. lost a prominent customer as a result of the inquiry.
Vistaprint Ltd., a provider of free business cards and other personalized items, announced today (Nov. 30) it would terminate the membership programs it has offered through a Vertrue affiliate. Revenue from Vistaprint”™s membership programs was 2 percent of its total revenue during its first fiscal quarter ending Sept. 30.
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In August, a federal judge in Texas dismissed a lawsuit against affiliates of Vertrue and Vistaprint. Vistaprint cited the inquiry by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee as one factor in the decision to end its membership rewards programs, with Sen. Jay Rockefeller also criticizing the business models of Affinion Group and Webloyalty Inc., which are also based in Norwalk.
Vistaprint is based in the Netherlands and has its main U.S. office in Lexington, Mass.
