Asahi Beer Settlement Checks Mailed

Top Class Actions viewers are starting to receive checks in the mail from the Asahi Beer class action settlement worth as much as $10.

Class Members in the Asahi Beer settlement included those who purchased the beer outside of Japan for personal consumption from April 5, 2013, through Dec. 20, 2018. Claim forms were due May 3, 2019 and a final hearing was held on July 16, 2019.

Lead plaintiffs in the Asahi Beer lawsuit alleged that the adult beverage was falsely advertised. According to the complaint, the labeling on the beer made consumers think that it had been brewed in Japan. However, the product was actually brewed in Canada by the Molson brewery, said the plaintiffs.

According to the Asahi Beer class action lawsuit, Asahi Beer U.S.A “has marketed and sold the Product with labeling, packaging, and advertising that makes references to Japan, Japanese words, and Japanese characters. The Product’s labeling, packaging, and marketing led Plaintiffs and other consumers to reasonably believe that they were purchasing beer that is brewed in Japan.”

Each of the plaintiffs contended that they were under the impression that they were purchasing beer that had been brewed in Japan when they purchased Asahi Beer in various California locations. They said that they and other consumers relied on the product’s packaging, which included Japanese characters and other references to Japan when deciding to purchase the beverages.

“The overall brand image of Asahi beer, including its name, is centered around Japan,” noted the Asahi Beer lawsuit.

“Defendant uses references to Japan, Japanese words, and Japanese characters/script on the Product label and its packaging, creating the impression that the Product is brewed in Japan. The following, taken in isolation and as a whole, create a misleading perception that the Product is brewed in Japan.”

The Asahi Beer class action lawsuit argued that where the beer was brewed was material to the purchase. The plaintiffs contended that they and others ended up paying more for the falsely advertised product than they would have had they known it had not been brewed in Japan.

“The Asahi beer distributed and sold in Japan contains water from the site of the brewery in which it is produced,” noted the plaintiffs in their complaint.

“For example, Asahi Breweries, Ltd.’s original brewery, the Suita Brewery, uses water from the water springs in Suita city in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan. The Osaka Prefecture is known for its good quality spring water, which is influential in the taste and quality of the beer.”

The Asahi Beer brewed in Canada and sold in California uses water located around the Molson Coors breweries, noted the complaint.

While never admitting any liability, the maker of Asahi Beer agreed to settle the class action lawsuit by offering Class Members a $10 cash award based on the products they purchased from the company.

Under the terms of the Asahi Beer class action settlement reached in 2019, the company agreed to pay Class Members up to $10 per household for the products they had purchased between 2013 and 2019.

Class Members could claim 10¢ per big bottle of Asahi Beer, 50¢ per six-pack of Asahi Beer bottles or cans, $1 per 12- pack of Asahi Beer cans, and $2 per 24-pack of Asahi Beer cans, for a total of $10.

If you submitted a claim in the Asahi beer lawsuit and are wondering where your settlement check is, keep an eye on your mailbox. According to comments and posts on the TCA Facebook page, Class Members who submitted timely and valid claims for the Asahi Beer settlement started receiving checks worth as much as $10 recently. Class Members may also receive their payments via PayPal.

Did you get a settlement check from the Asahi Beer lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below! 

Congratulations to our Top Class Actions readers who submitted a valid claim and got PAID! If you missed out, sign up for our free newsletter to receive updates on new class action lawsuits and settlements. You can also check out which class action settlements are still accepting claims in our Open Class Action Settlements section.

The lead plaintiffs and Class Members are represented by Benjamin Heikali and Timothy J. Peter of Farqui & Farqui LLP, Michael R. Reese of Reese LLP, and Clayton D. Halunen and Amy E. Boyle of Halunen Law.

The Asahi Beer Class Action Lawsuit is Matin Shalikar v. Asahi Beer USA Inc., Case No. BC702360, in the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Los Angeles.

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