Paparazzi, LLC is a multi-level marketing business that offers jewelry and accessories. It sells bulk amounts of the products to its consultants, who in turn sell to consumers. The complaint for this class action claims that Paparazzi originally marketed the jewelry as being “lead-free and nickel-free,” but that the items contained “detectable levels of lead and nickel, among other heavy metals.”
The National Class for this action is all persons who bought the products in the US within the applicable time period. The complaint also proposes a California Subclass, for all those within the above class who live in California.
Why were these two products singled out? As to nickel, the complaint claims that about ten percent of the US population has a nickel allergy, in which contact with nickel can cause “itchy, inflamed rashes, hives, and sometimes headaches, vomiting, and fatigue.”
Lead, it says, makes a piece of jewelry “heavier, more stable, brightens the paint, or softens the plastic.” But lead is also a toxic substance that cause health problems, such as “learning disabilities, anemia, and organ failure” and a long list of other problems. The complaint asserts, “Some studies have shown that lead can be absorbed through the skin” meaning that its presence in jewelry, which is worn against the skin, could be harmful.
Paparazzi used to market its jewelry as being lead-free and nickel-free. Page 5 of the complaint shows two screenshots of Paparazzi’s website, one showing these representations and the other showing the same webpage after the representations were removed. The complaint alleges that Paparazzi made these representations as recently as November 9, 2021 but that it had removed them by at least January 9, 2022.
However, the complaint claims that these representations were never true, because “the Products contain toxic heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, and lead, as well as nickel” and that if consumers had known this, they would not have bought or used the jewelry.
The three plaintiffs in this case, Nelisha Rodriguez, Irene Burgess, and Deanna Jackson, all bought the jewelry and had reactions to it. Rodriguez has a nickel allergy and got skin rashes where she wore the jewelry; Burgess had an allergic reaction with redness and itchiness at the place where she wore the jewelry; and Jackson had itchiness and discoloring where she wore the jewelry.
The complaint alleges that Paparazzi “has had actual knowledge that the marketing, packaging, and labeling of the Products was deceptive and misleading because the Products undergo regular testing for all heavy metals including lead, nickel, and cadmium.” However, the complaint claims, it went ahead and marketed the jewelry as being “lead-free” and “nickel-free.”
The complaint claims that because the company knew that it was fraudulently concealing the presence of lead and nickel in its products, the statutes of limitations for the claims of the class action should be tolled.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Paparazzi Jewelry Not “Lead-Free and Nickel-Free” Complaint
May 23, 2022
Paparazzi, LLC is a multi-level marketing business that offers jewelry and accessories. It sells bulk amounts of the products to its consultants, who in turn sell to consumers. The complaint for this class action claims that Paparazzi originally marketed the jewelry as being “lead-free and nickel-free,” but that the items contained “detectable levels of lead and nickel, among other heavy metals.”
Paparazzi Jewelry Not “Lead-Free and Nickel-Free” ComplaintCase Event History
Paparazzi Jewelry Not “Lead-Free and Nickel-Free” Complaint
May 23, 2022
Paparazzi, LLC is a multi-level marketing business that offers jewelry and accessories. It sells bulk amounts of the products to its consultants, who in turn sell to consumers. The complaint for this class action claims that Paparazzi originally marketed the jewelry as being “lead-free and nickel-free,” but that the items contained “detectable levels of lead and nickel, among other heavy metals.”
Paparazzi Jewelry Not “Lead-Free and Nickel-Free” Complaint