Free Items Not Really Free

American Airlines Baggage Fee Settlement

A settlement of $7.5 million is resolving a class action alleging American Airlines, Inc. charged certain passengers to check their bags when they had been told they could check them for free. Passengers may check a certain number of bags for free under some conditions, such as their route of travel, class, frequent flyer status,  Read more

H&R Block False Online “Free” Filing Programs Class Action

Did you know that H&R Block has a free filing program for persons who earn less than $66,000 per year? No? The complaint for this class action says that’s no accident. While the company is in the Free File Program, the complaint says, it deliberately hides that program from taxpayers and attempts to divert them  Read more

TurboTax Deceptive “Free Filing” Program Class Action

Is TurboTax’s advertised “free” filing service really free? The complaint for this class action alleges that Intuit, Inc., the company behind TurboTax, purports to offer “free” tax services, then steers consumers to paid options. But this is not all: TurboTax is actually required to offer truly free tax services to certain people as part of  Read more

For Your Entertainment Free-to-Pay Deceptions Massachusetts Class Action

Trans World Entertainment Corporation, this complaint alleges, uses “highly aggressive sales tactics[.]” To sell its merchandise? No, the complaint claims—to deceive people into signing up for “loyalty memberships” and magazine subscriptions, using tactics called “negative option marketing” or “free-to-pay.”  Read more

TurboTax Violates “Free” Filing IRS Agreement Class Action

How many people know that TurboTax must allow some users to file their taxes for free? The complaint for this class action alleges that Intuit, Inc., the company that makes TurboTax, has violated an agreement with the federal government because it diverts filers to paid options.  Read more

For Your Entertainment “Free” Membership and Magazine Offers Class Action

Trans World Entertainment Corporation runs For Your Entertainment (FYE), which sells entertainment, video, and music products; Synapse Group, Inc. is a magazine marketer. The complaint for this class action claims that the two companies partnered to charge consumers for memberships and magazine subscriptions that they had not agreed to purchase.  Read more

Telebrands “Buy One Get One Free” Offers Settlement

Telebrands is settling a class action alleging that it marketed certain products as “buy one, get one free” but in reality required consumer to pay for the “free” item via shipping, processing, or handling charges beyond those permitted by law. California’s Fair Advertising Law forbids companies from claiming consumers will receive a “free” gift but  Read more

Visionworks “Buy One, Get One Free” Class Action Settlement

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit allege that Visionworks' "Buy One, Get One Free" eyeglasses offer was misleading because the price of the first pair of eyeglasses was significantly increased.  Read more

Shell Ski Free® Class Action Settlement

The lawsuit claims that the Ski Free® promotion at many Shell-branded fuel stations in Oregon, Michigan, Washington, and California is in fact not a free skiing program, rather it is a "buy one get one free" voucher.  There are also many date, time, resort, and other limitations.  The plaintiffs claim that this violates various state consumer  Read more

Six Continents Hotel Group Cancellation Policy Class Action

This lawsuit alleges that Six Continents Hotels violated state consumer protection laws by how it enforced its cancelation policy for hotel room reservations.  Read more