The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken HelloFresh and Youfoodz to federal court. Both meal-kit delivery companies, owned by Germany-based HelloFresh SE, face charges for misleading customers about subscription cancellations. The ACCC claims many customers tried to cancel online before delivery cut-off times but were still charged and received their orders. While signing up was easy online, cancellation required talking to customer service. On X, the ACCC said, "We’ve commenced separate proceedings in the Federal Court against home meal delivery providers HelloFresh and Youfoodz for allegedly misleading consumers over subscriptions." ACCC commissioner Luke Woodward added, "We’ve brought these two cases because we allege that HelloFresh’s and Youfoodz’s conduct involved a suite of confusing and unclear subscription practices in breach Australia’s consumer laws." Between January and March 2024, over 62,000 HelloFresh and nearly 40,000 Youfoodz customers were charged despite cancelling on time. The ACCC also alleged HelloFresh forced customers to enter payment details to view meals, misleading them into ongoing subscriptions without clear consent. Many customers only realized they had subscribed when their meal box arrived or they got payment alerts. Woodward said, "Traders must clearly communicate when consumers are signing up for a subscription, as well as how they are able to cancel and avoid being charged. Businesses using confusing and complicated subscription cancellation policies is a matter of significant public concern." One Youfoodz user cancelled within minutes but was still charged and shipped meals, receiving only a partial refund after multiple calls. The ACCC is seeking customer compensation, penalties, and stricter compliance. HelloFresh was contacted for comment. Previously, HelloFresh New Zealand was fined about $735,300 for similar misleading actions. The Australian government plans to outlaw such "dark patterns" by end of 2026 to protect consumers from subscription traps.