U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation issued a subpoena to Norwalk-based Vertrue Inc., demanding documents in an investigation on whether consumers were hit with unauthorized charges while shopping on the Internet.
Vertrue runs marketing programs in which consumers can collect rewards for purchases, while paying a membership fee. The company had $800 million in revenue in 2007, the most recent year for which it reported annual sales.
A Vertrue spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Senate Commerce Committee first requested the documents in late May and stated the company failed to produce relevant information despite extensive meetings with Vertrue attorneys. The committee scheduled an Aug. 18 hearing to address the matter unless Vertrue produces the subpoenaed information by that date.
“It remains an open question how many (Internet) consumers actually know they are enrolled in your clubs, and whether they receive anything of value from their club memberships,” wrote Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, in a letter to Vertrue CEO Gary Johnson. “In these difficult economic times, American consumers are struggling more than ever to keep up with their mortgages, bills and other financial obligations. Allegations that your company is making this situation worse by charging consumers for services that they do not want or use are extremely troubling.”
