Frequent Walmart shoppers may be entitled to financial compensation thanks to a new class action settlement.
IN a lawsuit that first filed in 2022 and then amended in 2023, the retailer is accused of three major fraudulent practices: falsely inflating the weight of products sold by weight; overpayment for products sold by weight that were in customs clearance; and mislabeling the weight of packaged products.
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“Walmart uses unfair and deceptive business practices to fraudulently, deceptively and unfairly rob, for Walmart's financial benefit, the hard-earned dollars of its customers,” the lawsuit states. “Walmart knew and calculated that its practices would deceive consumers and continued such practices despite knowledge of the deception and the harm it caused and is causing.”
The retailer reached a settlement late last year for $45 million, and now, any Walmart shopper who bought a weighed good (such as produce, meat, seafood) or bagged citrus in the U.S. or Puerto Rico from October 19, 2018, through January 29, 2024, may qualify for a refund of up to $500.
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Walmart denied the allegations and said CNN that the company plans to “continue to offer our customers everyday low prices to help them save money on the products they want and need. We still deny the allegations, however we believe a settlement is in the best interest of good for both parties.”
How to claim your share
Walmart has listed a few various forms of payment for those who qualify on its website. Customers with receipts can receive 2% of the total cost of goods purchased (weighed and citrus) up to $500. Shoppers without receipts can still get between $10 and $25, depending on the number of purchases.
Walmart did not immediately respond entrepreneurRequest for comment.
Customers can submit a claim here until June 5, 2024 and may attempt to obtain receipts from the online retailer.
A final settlement approval hearing is scheduled for June 12 and pending appeals, payments will then be processed and sent via ACH, Venmo, Zelle, a prepaid virtual Mastercard or a paper check upon request.