According to the FTC, JustAnswer invited people to “join” and get expert answers for a small upfront fee (often $1–$5), then used that same checkout flow—where consumers entered their payment card details—to automatically enroll every customer in a paid monthly membership that renewed until canceled. The FTC says JustAnswer did not clearly and conspicuously disclose the recurring subscription terms during this sign‑up flow and did not require a separate, clear action (like checking a box or otherwise expressly agreeing) specifically to the ongoing monthly charges, so people were enrolled in a subscription simply by paying the small initial fee and providing their card information.
The FTC’s complaint asks the court for: (1) a permanent injunction or similar court order prohibiting JustAnswer and CEO Andrew “Andy” Kurtzig from continuing the alleged deceptive and ROSCA‑violating practices; (2) monetary relief to return money to consumers harmed by the deceptive billing (a “monetary judgment”); and (3) civil penalties against JustAnswer and Kurtzig for the alleged violations. The caption of the complaint describes this as a “Complaint for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, Civil Penalty Judgment, and Other Relief.”
There is no FTC refund program in this case yet; the agency has only filed a lawsuit. Consumers who think they may have been enrolled in a recurring JustAnswer membership can:
• Check directly with JustAnswer: Log into your account, go to “My Account,” then the “Membership” section to see if you have an active membership, cancel it if you wish, and contact JustAnswer Customer Care to request a refund. • Check billing statements: Look for repeated charges labeled “JustAnswer” or similar on your credit/debit card or bank statements and dispute any unauthorized charges with your card issuer. • Report the problem to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so the agency has a record of complaints, which can support enforcement and any future refund efforts.
The CEO named in the FTC’s complaint is Andrew “Andy” Kurtzig, the founder and chief executive officer of JustAnswer LLC.
In this case, “affirmative consent” means that before JustAnswer charges people a recurring monthly fee, consumers must clearly and knowingly agree to that ongoing subscription after receiving clear, prominent disclosure of all key terms (price, frequency, how to cancel, etc.). Under the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), companies cannot rely on pre‑checked boxes, buried fine print, or a one‑time payment screen alone; there must be an unambiguous, intentional action by the consumer showing they agree specifically to the recurring charges. The FTC alleges JustAnswer enrolled users in monthly memberships and charged them without obtaining this type of express, informed agreement.
You can read the materials on the FTC’s website:
• Full complaint (PDF): https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/JustAnswerComplaint_FILED.pdf • FTC press release about the lawsuit: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/ftc-sues-justanswer-deceiving-consumers-enrolling-costly-recurring-monthly-subscription
Both are also linked from the FTC’s JustAnswer case page: https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/justanswer