The facts
The Federal Trade Commission, together with the Utah and Nevada attorneys general, filed a joint complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada against Lens.com Inc., its owner Cary Samourkachian, and affiliated entity Speed Commerce LLC. The complaint alleges the company advertises low prices for contact lenses but then adds mandatory “Taxes & fees” charges that routinely double the advertised cost. The hidden fees are buried deep in the checkout process and are not clearly disclosed. The FTC also alleges deceptive practices with Lens.com’s “AutoRefill” subscription plan. The agencies say the conduct violates the FTC Act, ROSCA, the Gramm‑Leach‑Bliley Act, Utah’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Automatic Renewal Contracts Act, and Nevada’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The FTC Commission voted 2‑0 to authorize the filing.
Our take
Oh, for fuck’s sake. In a world of endless grifts, Lens.com and its owner, Cary Samourkachian, decided to pull the oldest trick in the retail playbook: flash a low price for the plastic discs you need to see, then slap a mandatory “Taxes & fees” charge on checkout that doubles the total. That’s not a modest surcharge, it’s a full‑blown financial gut‑punch. The complaint says they hide these fees deep in the checkout flow, banking on consumer fatigue and the hope that you’ll be too dazzled by the initial “deal” (or literally blind without the contacts) to notice until it’s too late. It’s the digital equivalent of a street hustler showing you a $20 watch, shaking your hand, and then demanding $40 for the “wrist air.” The scheme doesn’t stop at a one‑time rip‑off; Lens.com also pushes an “AutoRefill” subscription that automatically charges customers for recurring shipments, turning a single financial wedgie into a recurring, automated ass‑kicking. The FTC, Utah, and Nevada allege these practices violate a stack of consumer‑protection statutes, and the Commission’s 2‑0 vote shows even a divided government can agree on one thing: these guys are pricks who need to be sued into a fine paste. This isn’t clever pricing; it’s a transparent, dumb lie dressed up with a .com address. Here’s hoping the lawsuit squeezes every last cent they made from this bullshit and forces them to buy their former customers a fucking clue.
