Kohl’s Sued Over Alleged False Discounts

Kohl’s has become the latest retailer to be targeted with a possible class-action lawsuit for allegedly misleading consumers with phony sale prices. 

The suit, filed July 21 in California federal court, charges the department store chain with instituting fake discounts on a variety of Kohl’s propreitary brand products, including an Apt. 9 shirt, Jennifer Lopez dress, and Sonoma Life + Style robe.

The robe it says, appeared in a November ad for $26.99—40 percent off its original $46 price. But the robe never appeared at $46 in the three months before the ad ran, the suit says. It also claims that the 70 percent discount for the dress and the 60 percent discount for the men’s shirt were similarly “fictitious.” 

“The ‘regular’ and ‘original’ prices do not reflect a price at which the products are routinely, or ever, offered at Kohl’s,” it charges. “The plaintiffs were misled as to the value of the items they purchased.”

The suit claims the plaintiffs would not have made the purchases without seeing the sale prices and charges the retailer with false advertising, unfair competition, and other violations. It seeks class-action status. 

Kohl’s could not be reached for comment at press time.

In June, another attempt at a class-action lawsuit, also filed in California, similarly targeted the department store’s discount policies. J.C. Penney and Jos. A. Bank have faced similar suits, though the suit against Jos. A. Bank was dismissed.

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JCK News Director

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