NordVPN Lawsuit: Deceptive Auto-Renewal Scheme Alleged

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims NordVPN and its parent companies tricked customers into paying for unwanted subscriptions through deceptive auto-renewal practices, violating state consumer protection laws.

Consumers Affected: Illinois consumers who were automatically enrolled into and charged for at least one month of Nord Security membership.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

NordVPN and its parent companies are facing a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the popular internet privacy brand of tricking customers into paying for subscriptions they didn’t want and making it difficult to cancel once they were signed up. 

The lawsuit, filed in Illinois, claims Nord Security lures consumers in with one-time offers, only to quietly enroll them in automatically renewing plans, violating state consumer protection laws in the process.

Lawsuit Details Alleged "Dark Pattern" Cancellation Tactics

Illinois resident Michael Sasgen, who filed the proposed class action lawsuit, signed up for a three-year NordVPN plan in 2020, thinking his purchase was a one-time deal. But nearly three years later, Nord Security charged his credit card $108.43 without warning and then again for $163.37 the following year. 

Sasgen says he had no idea these charges were coming, had not consented to them, and struggled to find a clear way to cancel the subscription. The company’s emails either lacked notice or obscured how to opt out of future renewals, leaving him frustrated and nearly $275 out of pocket.

Sasgen claims that Nord Security never clearly disclosed the automatic renewal terms, either during the sign-up process or in any follow-up communication. He only discovered the recurring charges after checking his billing history and was finally able to cancel after the second charge.

Consumers Say They Were Caught in a Payment Trap

The lawsuit outlines a broader “dark pattern” scheme that Nord Security allegedly uses across its product suite, which includes NordVPN, NordPass (a password manager), and NordLocker (encrypted cloud storage). 

According to the complaint, the company buries critical renewal terms in dropdown menus, drafts charges two weeks before the end of a plan, and makes it unusually difficult to cancel.

Instead of offering a clear “Cancel Subscription” button, users are forced to navigate vague menus to disable auto-renewal, the lawsuit claims. Emails that are supposed to notify users of upcoming charges either lack cancellation instructions or are sent too late. The lawsuit describes the strategy as a “roach motel” design: easy to get in, but hard to get out.

Consumers allegedly fall into this trap by the thousands, often discovering the charges too late and struggling to get refunds. The suit claims the company profits off these unwanted subscriptions while ignoring a steady stream of complaints on forums like Reddit, Trustpilot, and SiteJabber.

Subscription Services Face Growing Legal Challenges

NordVPN is just the latest in a growing wave of companies to face scrutiny over subscription billing practices that consumers say are misleading at best, and illegal at worst.

In a similar case, Fox Nation, the streaming platform operated by Fox News, was sued after a California resident claimed the company charged his card for a renewed membership without clear consent or prior notice. 

Big tech hasn’t been immune either. Adobe faced a legal complaint in 2024 alleging that users were trapped in hard-to-cancel software subscriptions. And The New York Times reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with California customers who said they were billed for news subscriptions they thought had expired, with little to no warning or way to opt out.

In his lawsuit against NordVPN, Sasgen wants to represent anyone in Illinois who was automatically enrolled into and charged for at least one month of Nord Security membership. He is suing for violations of the state’s Automatic Contract Renewal Act and is seeking damages of at least $50,000,000.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Sasgen v. NordVPN S.A., and Tefincom S.A. D/B/A NordVPN
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-06822
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Gary M. Klinger (Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC)
• J. Burkett McInturff (Wittels Mcinturff Palikovic)

Are you a NordVPN subscriber? Have you experienced unexpected auto-renewal charges? Share your story below.