SmileDirectClub Silences Those Seeking Refunds, Suit Says (1)

Online orthodontia provider SmileDirectClub Inc. unlawfully forces harmed and dissatisfied consumers to sign nondisclosure agreements to receive promised refunds, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D) alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday.

The company offers dental aligners through online kits that it markets as a less expensive alternative to braces, often targeting lower-income consumers, the suit in D.C. Superior Court alleges.

But those seeking a refund after 30 days because they were dissatisfied or even injured by SmileDirectClub’s products have faced a “Faustian bargain,” with the company requiring them to sign onerous non-disclosure agreements in exchange for refunds, the suit ...