LendingTree Faces New TCPA Class Action Over Alleged Caller ID Violations in Marketing Texts

Case Snapshot

• Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• Case: Model v. LendingTree, Inc., No. 8:26-cv-01749
• Filed: July 7, 2026
• Core Issue: Alleged failure to transmit required caller identification information with promotional SMS messages.
• Key Allegation: LendingTree sent telemarketing text messages that did not properly identify the sender as required under the TCPA.
• Court Status: Newly filed proposed class action. No ruling on the merits.
• Outcome: Pending.
• Notable Detail: The proposed class targets individuals who allegedly received two or more telemarketing communications within a 12-month period without the required caller identification information.

LendingTree Inc. is facing another Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) lawsuit, this time over allegations that its promotional text messages failed to include the caller identification information required under federal law. The proposed class action, filed July 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, adds to a series of recent TCPA challenges involving the online lending marketplace.

The lawsuit focuses on whether LendingTree’s marketing text messages complied with TCPA caller identification requirements by properly transmitting the sender’s identifying information. While the allegations have not been proven, the case highlights another area of TCPA compliance that companies using SMS marketing should evaluate.

Complaint Alleges Missing Caller Identification Information

In Model v. LendingTree, Inc., Case No. 8:26-cv-01749 (C.D. Cal.), plaintiff Erica Model alleges she received multiple promotional text messages from LendingTree. According to the complaint, more than one of those messages failed to disclose the identity of the telemarketer through caller identification information.

The complaint seeks to certify a nationwide class consisting of individuals who allegedly received two or more telemarketing calls within a 12-month period where the caller identification information did not include either Calling Party Number (CPN) or Automatic Number Identification (ANI) along with the name of the defendant or telemarketer.

The plaintiff alleges these practices violated the TCPA and seeks statutory damages on behalf of the proposed class.

LendingTree has not yet filed a response to the complaint, and the court has not ruled on the merits of the allegations.

Caller ID Requirements Remain a TCPA Compliance Issue

Although many TCPA lawsuits center on consent, automated dialing technology, or revocation of consent, the statute and implementing FCC rules also include caller identification requirements for telemarketing communications.

The new complaint argues that failing to transmit identifying information with promotional SMS messages can expose marketers to liability, even where the messages themselves are otherwise lawful.

Compliance with caller identification requirements can present operational challenges because SMS messaging platforms, carriers, and third-party vendors may not consistently support branded caller identification across all delivery methods. Nevertheless, plaintiffs have increasingly cited these technical issues as the basis for TCPA claims.

Another TCPA Challenge for LendingTree

The filing comes shortly after LendingTree resolved another significant TCPA matter involving its QuoteWizard business. The company also has faced litigation related to lead generation practices and the sale of consumer leads to third-party partners, several of whom have themselves become defendants in TCPA lawsuits.

The latest complaint involves a different legal theory and focuses specifically on the transmission of caller identification information in marketing text messages rather than consumer consent or lead generation practices.

For debt collectors, creditors, lenders, and other organizations that rely on SMS outreach, the case serves as another reminder that TCPA compliance extends beyond obtaining consent. Companies should also review whether their messaging vendors and platforms properly transmit required caller identification information where applicable.