Christian Mingle owner to repay $1 million to customers

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The company that owns Christian Mingle, Jdate and other online dating sites will pay a $500,000 fine and nearly $1 million in restitution to customers whose subscriptions were automatically renewed or who were denied refunds when requested.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Monday that a task force of local prosecutors found that dating sites owned by Spark Networks USA automatically renewed customer payments without their consent.

The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Officials say under the judgment negotiated with Spark Networks, the firm’s sites must now clearly disclose renewal terms and allow users to easily cancel their subscriptions.

Members of the Auto Renewal Task Force include district attorneys of San Diego, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.