Attention Walmart shoppers: You may be eligible for compensation if you purchased bagged fruit or meat at a Walmart store between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024.
The nation’s largest retailer has agreed to pay $45 million to settle a class-action suit alleging the company sold food that was measured by weight for more than the advertised price. For example, the categories include weighted pork, meat, poultry and seafood products that have a price-embedded bar code.
The fruit includes organic oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and navel oranges sold in bulk in bags. The plaintiff in the suit claimed that Walmart’s point-of-sale machines would artificially raise the weight of the weighted goods, even if the products were marked at a discounted “Rollback” price. As a result, the bill was higher than it should have been.
According to Top Class Actions, the store advertised weights for the bagged fruit that didn’t match the actual weight. The complaint also alleges food sold by weight and that was marked down often had a discrepancy between the advertised per-pound price and the final price that the consumer paid.
Walmart disputes the charges leveled in the lawsuit but said it agreed to the settlement to resolve the matter.
Fairly small payments
As with most class-action settlements, individual consumers are not in line to receive a hefty payment. Those who have kept receipts will get the biggest payment.
“Claimants who attest to buying 1-50 products will receive $10; claimants who purchased 51 to 75 products will receive $15; those who purchased 76 up to 100 products will receive $20; and claimants who attest to purchasing 101 or more products will receive $25,” Top Class Actions reports.
Consumers with proof of purchase, on the other hand, could receive up to $500, but they would have to have a lot of receipts since payments will be 2% of the price of the covered food items.
Consumers can file their claims here. You’ll find a complete list of the covered meat and seafood products here.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-02-29 12:12:55
