L’Oreal USA, Inc. makes beauty products that appear to have a connection to Paris and France. The complaint for this class action alleges that the company uses the word “Paris” and French words on the labels to give the impression that the products are imported from France, to make them seem more desirable, when in reality, it says, they are made in Arkansas.
The Nationwide Class is all persons who bought a L’Oreal product in the US during the applicable statute of limitations. The complaint also announces its intention to bring certain claims on behalf of a subclass comprised of consumers who live in certain states.
Consumers see beauty products that are made in France as “high-end, luxury items[,]” the complaint says. To suggest this origin, to increase consumers’ demand for the products, and to get consumers to pay more for them, the complaint claims, companies often put the word “Paris” on the packaging and include French words in the descriptions.
Page 1 of the complaint shows an image of a L’Oreal foundation, which shows the word “Paris” directly under “L’Oreal” and a French version of most of the words on the front label, for example, “Foundation. Fond de Teint” and “Matte Finish. Fini Mat.”
The complaint alleges, “The Paris Representation, and the French text, is designed to convey to US consumers that the products are made in France and imported into the US. And L’Oreal charges US consumers a corresponding price premium, compared to similar beauty products that lack the Paris representation.”
However, the complaint asserts, products for L’Oreal’s US market are not made in France; they are designed by L’Oreal USA (which is based in New York) and made in factories in Arkansas or elsewhere in the US or Canada.
The complaint shows images of a variety of products that have a similar “Paris” representation directly under the brand name, all of which are actually imported from Paris.
Furthermore, it claims that the French words on the L’Oreal products suggest that they are sold to and used by French consumers. According to the complaint, only “on the back of each product in tiny print (where consumers are not looking), each Product bears the stamp of the company that is actually responsible for designing them: ‘L’Oreal USA, New York, NY.’”
The complaint also points out that the word “Paris” is not part of the company’s name. The complaint shows an image of the interior of its New York headquarters which has the name “L’Oreal Americas” on the wall, and another of a sign outside its Arkansas plant that says, “L’Oreal USA.”
The counts include violations of state consumer protection laws, breach of express warranty, and negligent misrepresentation, among other things.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
L’Oreal Beauty Products Place of Origin Not Paris Class Action
February 18, 2022
L’Oreal USA, Inc. makes beauty products that appear to have a connection to Paris and France. The complaint for this class action alleges that the company uses the word “Paris” and French words on the labels to give the impression that the products are imported from France, to make them seem more desirable, when in reality, it says, they are made in Arkansas.
L’Oreal Beauty Products Place of Origin Not Paris Class ActionCase Event History
L’Oreal Beauty Products Place of Origin Not Paris Class Action
February 18, 2022
L’Oreal USA, Inc. makes beauty products that appear to have a connection to Paris and France. The complaint for this class action alleges that the company uses the word “Paris” and French words on the labels to give the impression that the products are imported from France, to make them seem more desirable, when in reality, it says, they are made in Arkansas.
L’Oreal Beauty Products Place of Origin Not Paris Class Action