Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate allegations of fraudulent and deceptive business practices at The Knot, a prominent wedding planning website. Grassley’s request follows nearly 200 reports from whistleblowers across the country, including several from Iowa, who claim misconduct by the company.

“These small businesses allege that The Knot didn’t advertise their businesses on the website as they were contractually required to and the leads they received were largely fake or otherwise lacked legitimacy. Further, they allege that The Knot promised discount pricing but failed to add them to their customers’ bills. In addition, I was also alerted by several small businesses in Iowa who alleged they were also defrauded by The Knot through these fraudulent and deceptive business practices,” Grassley wrote.

Grassley first brought concerns about The Knot to both the FTC and Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2025. Since then, his office has collected 184 complaints nationwide detailing similar claims of unfulfilled advertising contracts and questionable lead generation.

According to a March 31, 2025 article by The New Yorker, more than 200 formal complaints have been submitted to the FTC since 2018 regarding alleged fraud involving The Knot and WeddingWire. Coverage in other outlets such as the New York Post and Forbes has highlighted vendor frustration over perceived unfulfilled promises and disputed charges.

In one reported instance shared with Grassley’s staff, a small business owner said she was advised by a supervisor at The Knot’s customer support team to create fake accounts and leave her own business positive reviews after questioning why her company was listed incorrectly on the site and had not received legitimate leads. She recounted: “They are preying on small businesses who need help growing their audience and promising things that will never happen. They don’t seem to have an issue taking my money but not providing the advertising services they promised in the contract I signed.”

After raising concerns about promised discounts with customer service, this same business owner said her profile was removed from The Knot without explanation while charges for advertisement services continued.

Grassley emphasized that the volume of messages his office has received suggests these incidents are not isolated but reflect a broader national problem warranting investigation. He urged FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson for clarity on whether an investigation is underway and requested information about any findings related to these allegations.

The full text of Grassley's letter is available here.