When we decided to compile a list of class-action lawsuits paying out money to consumers, we didn’t think we’d see so many similarities among them, but it turns out, there’s a common thread linking together many of these lawsuits: Several of the brands on this list are being accused of falsely advertising their products as “natural.”
Consumers are questioning labels, and brands are settling to avoid further litigation. Yikes! We’re hopeful other brands will see these examples and work on more thorough labeling to be as honest and clear as possible.
Check out some recent class-action lawsuits related to this “natural” issue and others that just might owe you money. Be sure to pass along to friends and family who this might affect.
1. Utz And Bachman
Did you eat any “all natural” Utz or Bachman brand products in the last nine years? You may be entitled to $20 from Utz Quality Foods, LLC, which agreed to settle a lawsuit claiming the “all natural” label may be false. The Utz settlement, which has a pot of $1.25 million to pay to consumers, is one of many class-action lawsuits happening now.
People who think they are owed money from Utz have until July 28, 2019, to apply. This includes many types of products from Utz: Pretzels, potato chips, popcorn, tortillas, snack mixes … it’s a huge list. The snack company said it will stop using the “all natural” and “natural” labels.
2. Good Health Natural Products
This company is involved in a lawsuit claiming it used synthetic products but labeled them with the words “all natural.” Anyone who purchased a product by this brand from Sept. 6, 2010, through March 7, 2019, is eligible for a piece of the settlement — $1 million is available to split among consumers. You have until Nov. 2, 2019, to apply. Good Health is also an Utz brand.
3. Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent
Henkel Consumer Goods has settled a lawsuit covering all varieties and sizes of Purex Natural Elements products that have the words “natural elements” on the label. People who purchased this brand of laundry detergent from May 19, 2013, to March 8, 2019, are eligible to participate in the class-action suit if they file by Aug. 10, 2019. The settlement website does not disclose any monetary amounts that could go to plaintiffs.
4. Wesson Oil
A lawsuit claims ConAgra Foods, Inc. was not truthful in branding a variety of Wesson Oil products as “100% Natural” when they were actually made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The parties in this lawsuit settled to avoid further litigation.
The settlement covers multiple states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota and Texas. Residents of those states who bought Wesson Oil products with this label from 2007 through 2017 should check the list to see if they are eligible for money in this settlement. The amount that could go to each customer is not listed on the settlement website.
5. Samsung
One of the better-known class-action lawsuits is against Samsung over its top-loading washing machine. You may have heard about this: The lawsuit states the top-loader tops and drain pumps could detach while in operation. Samsung denies that any of this could happen, but the company settled anyway.
And there is a voluntary recall of the machines in place as well. The recall includes a rebate, or if you purchased one of these machines from 2011 to 2016, you may qualify for up to $400 from the settlement if you had to pay for repairs. The deadline to apply for money in the Samsung settlement is Aug. 6, 2019.
6. Comcast Premium Cable
Are you a resident of California, West Virginia or Washington who subscribed to Comcast’s Premium Cable service and paid a rental fee for a set-top box between 2005 and 2018? You may be entitled to funds from a settlement in a lawsuit alleging unfair trade practices. Submit a claim by Aug. 31, 2019, to participate. There is $15.5 million available to pay claimants, and each one could get anywhere from $10 to $15.
7. MyFord Touch
Consumers who have the MyFord Touch powered by a SYNC operating system in certain Ford models and live in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington may be eligible for a cash payment in this lawsuit settlement.
The suit alleges Ford knew it was selling defective MyFord Touch systems. If you bought or leased a model with this before Aug. 9, 2013, you may be eligible for a cash payment. The claim deadline is Sept. 24, 2019. Compensation will be $20-$55.
8. TransUnion
This is a big one: A lawsuit alleges TransUnion may have harmed consumers by including inaccurate civil judgments or tax liens on credit reports. People who may have been affected could receive a payment of $1,500 and even $2,000 in some cases.
In particular, this lawsuit says that if someone had a judgment or tax lien that got dismissed or appealed, TransUnion wasn’t properly following up to clear the item off the credit report. Claims in this settlement must be made by March 20, 2020.
9. Fiat Chrysler
Fiat Chrysler consumers may be eligible for a cash payment in this settlement in which the company is accused of violating consumer laws by having installed software that only turned on emission controls when certain vehicles were in a testing phase, and not during normal operations. This includes certain 2014-2016 Dodge Ram 1500s and Jeep Grand Cherokees that are equipped with 3.0L EcoDiesel.
More basically put, the claim is that Fiat Chrysler was allowing more pollution to be released than drivers were aware. Affected consumers have until Aug. 1, 2019, to apply to be part of this settlement. The payment will depend on what models were owned or leased and could be anywhere from $990 to $3,075.
10. National Securities
National Securities has settled a lawsuit claiming it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act with its telemarketing practices. If your telephone number was registered on the Do Not Call Registry between Nov. 11, 2010 and May 24, 2019 and you received a call from the company, you may be eligible for a cash payment. Claims must be made by Aug. 24, 2019. The company has set aside $325,000 to pay claimants.
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