联邦贸易委员会与多州起诉餐饮软件公司Toast：指其隐藏收费、未授权收费并让餐馆难以取消服务
美国联邦贸易委员会（FTC）10月29日与加利福尼亚州、科罗拉多州、佛罗里达州、伊利诺伊州、艾奥瓦州、内布拉斯加州、俄克拉荷马州和犹他州的执法官员共同在加州北区联邦地区法院起诉餐饮软件与金融科技公司 Toast, Inc. 及其关联公司，指控该公司让餐馆背上隐藏收费、未经授权的收费和不需要的附加服务，没有兑现客户支持承诺，并让客户难以取消服务。加州一方由洛杉矶县县政法律顾问 Dawyn R. Harrison 与旧金山市检察官 David Chiu 代表参与。
FTC 的案件记录显示，这起诉讼的案卷号为 252-3101，案件状态为审理中，诉状寻求永久禁令、金钱判决与民事罚款等救济。据路透社报道，FTC 委员会以2比0的投票授权提起这项投诉；投诉内容尚未在法庭上得到证实，案件将由法院裁决。Toast 在报道发出时尚未回应置评请求。
起诉书指控，Toast 通过订阅、附加服务和融资向餐馆提供销售点（POS）服务，订阅费用平均每月约900美元，视终端数量和附加服务而定。监管方称，一些餐馆客户在不知情、未同意的情况下被开通并收费购买工资发放、员工考勤等附加服务。
起诉书还针对其「Pay-as-you-Go」方案提出指控：该方案宣传硬件和软件每月0美元、以更高的支付处理费换取，但投诉称其没有清楚披露其他费用，包括合同每个剩余月份150美元的提前解约费，以及若120天内未开始支付处理须退回硬件或按零售全价付款的要求。投诉并称，有客户取消后仍被收费，其中一人被收取5,318.87美元。
监管方还指控 Toast 虚假宣传「24/7/365」全天候客户支持：消费者报告称等候时间长、周末得不到支持、问题有时拖延数周甚至数月未解决。投诉同时称，使用 Toast Capital 贷款的客户若取消服务或更换服务商，可能被要求加速偿还未偿余额。
FTC and States Sue Restaurant Software Company Toast Inc. over Alleged Hidden and Unauthorized Fees
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), together with officials from California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Utah, filed a lawsuit on October 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Toast, Inc. and affiliated entities, alleging the restaurant software and fintech company saddles restaurants with hidden fees, unauthorized fees and unwanted add-ons, fails to deliver on its customer support promises, and makes it difficult to cancel its services. California participated through Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu.
FTC records list the matter as file number 252-3101, with the case status pending. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction, a monetary judgment, a civil penalty judgment, and other relief. According to Reuters, the FTC Commission authorized the complaint by a 2-0 vote. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the case will be decided by the court. Toast had not returned a request for comment as of the initial reports.
According to the complaint, Toast provides point-of-sale services through subscriptions, add-ons, and financing, with subscriptions averaging about $900 per month depending on the number of terminals and add-on services. Regulators allege that some restaurant customers were enrolled in and charged for add-ons, including payroll and employee timekeeping services, without their consent.
The complaint also challenges Toast's "Pay-as-you-Go" plan, which advertises hardware and software for $0 per month in exchange for higher payment-processing fees. Regulators allege the company failed to clearly disclose other costs, including a $150 monthly early termination fee for each remaining month of a contract and requirements to return hardware or pay its full retail price if payment processing did not begin within 120 days. The complaint says one consumer was charged $5,318.87 after canceling.
Regulators further allege that Toast falsely advertised "24/7/365" customer support, with consumers reporting long delays, unavailable weekend support, and issues that sometimes lasted weeks or months unresolved. Customers with Toast Capital loans may also face accelerated repayment of their outstanding balance if they cancel or switch providers, according to the complaint.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：华盛顿的联邦贸易委员会（FTC）总部大楼与楼前雕塑。Kurt Kaiser 摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Federal Trade Commission headquarters building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kurt Kaiser, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
