Court Rules
All enforcement actions
SettlementMedium Risk

FTC Returns Money to Consumers Harmed by Trend Deploy’s Deceptive Marketing

Frank RomeroAugust 1, 2025Federal Trade Commission

Penalty Amount

$672,000

Consumers Affected

9,419

Summary

The FTC is returning over $672,000 to consumers who were deceived by Frank Romero, operator of Trend Deploy, for violating the Mail Order Rule. The court order required Romero to pay the FTC, and the FTC is now distributing refunds to 9,419 affected consumers.

Remedy

Frank Romero agreed to a court order requiring payment to the FTC for Mail Order Rule violations. The FTC is using the funds to provide refunds to affected consumers.

Monetary Penalty

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review customer-facing terms of sale, shipping policies, and refund policies to ensure compliance with the FTC's Mail Order Rule. They should also review vendor agreements with fulfillment providers to ensure they can meet shipping deadlines and provide required notices to consumers. Clauses related to order fulfillment, shipping timelines, and consumer refunds should be updated to include explicit consent and notice procedures.

Contract Search Terms

mail order ruleshipping delayrefund policyconsent to delaynotice of delaydeceptive marketingFTC Actconsumer protection

Laws Cited

FTC ActMail Order Rule
16 CFR Part 435

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

Frank Romero

Industry

Advertising

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Entity Name
"operator of Trend Deploy, Frank Romero"
Fine Amount
"more than $672,000"
Laws Cited
"Mail Order Rule Violations"
Violation Types
"deceptive marketing"
Consumers Affected
"9,419 checks"

Related Enforcement Actions

FTC

Riverside Payments Inc.

$600K

The FTC and Washington alleged that Riverside Payments and affiliates misrepresented savings and cancellation terms, concealed fees and auto-renewing contracts, and obtained consumers’ financial information using false or fraudulent statements. The proposed stipulated order requires a $600,000 payment, customer notice and a period to rescind agreements without penalty, and prohibits deceptive claims while requiring clear disclosures, informed consent for negative-option billing, and a simple cancellation method.

FTC

25 companies that market or generate sales leads for healthcare plans (recipients not named)

FTC staff announced warning letters to 25 healthcare plan marketers and lead generators about deceptive or unfair claims concerning plan benefits, coverage, costs, and enrollment incentives. The letters do not allege wrongdoing by their recipients or impose penalties; they encourage companies to review their advertisements for compliance.

FTC

Multiple impersonation-scam operators

The FTC summarized enforcement actions and other efforts targeting businesses and individuals allegedly impersonating government agencies or legitimate businesses. The release reports more than $80 million in consumer redress across prior actions and takedowns of 19 websites, but it does not announce a new settlement or impose a specific penalty.

FTC

Toast Inc.

The FTC and state and local co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging Toast imposed hidden and unauthorized fees, enrolled restaurants in add-ons without consent, obstructed subscription cancellations, and misrepresented customer support availability. The complaint is pending in federal court; the press release announces no monetary penalty or imposed remedy.

FTC

Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target, and Walmart

The FTC issued information orders to nine companies to examine whether they use personal data and other factors to set individualized consumer prices or gig-worker compensation. This is a study and information-gathering inquiry, not a finding that the companies violated the law; recipients must respond within 45 days of receiving the orders.

FTC

Dollar General Corporation

The FTC and 20 states sued Dollar General, alleging that it repeatedly charged customers more at checkout than advertised prices and failed to correct the problem despite consumer complaints and corporate knowledge. The complaint alleges violations of federal and state laws; the case is pending, and the press release does not report a penalty or final remedy.