Zazzle, the online marketplace that allows customers to purchase items created by independent artists or design their own personalized products, has been sued in a class action suit that accuses the company of misleading customers with fake discounts. Those involved in the lawsuit are alleging that Zazzle engaged in false advertising, fake discounts and violations of customer protection laws, all serious accusations that the company now has to weather.
The Zazzle class action lawsuit and the ramifications for the customers that made a purchase from the website
The case focuses on customers that made a purchase from Zazzle.com while in California or Washington between July 1, 2020, and September 25, 2023 as well as in Oregon between July 1, 2023, and September 25, 2023. According to the lawsuit, during these periods, the website chose to use shady pricing tactics, meaning that Zazzle chose to artificially inflate “regular” prices on the products displayed on the site to make it seem like customers were getting a discount when they made a purchase.
The plaintiffs in the case alleged that “the items were always sold at discounted rates”, so basically, customers thought they were saving money when really, the “sale” price was just the regular price all along. The person who filed the lawsuit says she and other buyers felt duped by this pricing strategy, as they thought they were getting a bargain, when in reality, there was never any real discount at all.
This might be a common marketing strategy that many companies use, especially ahead of sales periods like Black Friday, but that does not make the practice legal or especially endearing for customers, who now have to compare and contrast prices year round to ensure that they are not getting scammed.
Despite the evidence and the suit, Zazzle has not admitted to any wrongdoings and has decided to settle the case and make an offer of restitution to the affected customers. Those who made a purchase in the aforementioned states and during the specific times will receive an automatic $5 voucher to use on Zazzle. Those who spent more than $35 on allegedly discounted items during this same period, will get an extra $5 voucher, totaling a $10 discount for future purchases.
As an additional perk, the voucher also gets you a free one-month Zazzle Plus membership, which includes free shipping on that order and unlimited free shipping for the rest of the month. The good thing about this compensation offer is that it is automatic and customers will not need to apply for the vouchers or the free shipping, as long as you meet the conditions established in the lawsuit and you do not choose to opt out of the settlement (which some people might do if they think they have a case that they would like to pursue separately) you will get this benefit and it will be automatically put into your Zazzle account.
If you wish to be excluded from the settlement, you need to do that by April 28, 2025, otherwise the final court hearing to approve everything is scheduled for June 27, 2025.
For those who wish to learn more about this case, it is officially called Debbie Lei v. Zazzle Inc., Case No. 24CU027803N, and it was filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. If you have questions, the settlement administrator can be reached at 888-998-4095 or by mail:
Lei Pricing Settlement
1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103
The legal teams on this case include Dovel & Luner LLP for the class and Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP for Zazzle.