A class action lawsuit claims that Rite Aid automatically opts customers into donating to the KidsCents charity without their consent.
Plaintiff Katherine Martinez says a KidCents donation was regularly charged to her without her knowledge during multiple purchases she made from Rite Aid’s stores.
The Rite Aid class action lawsuit states that the company’s practice of enrolling customers into the charity program without their knowledge or consent violates multiple California statutes that aim to protect consumers.
The plaintiff is seeking an injunction to prevent the company from continuing to violate these statutes.
Martinez claims that sometime before December 2018, she made a purchase from a Rite Aid location in San Diego.
The Rite Aid class action lawsuit states that during the checkout process, she was opted into the Rite Aid Foundation’s KidsCents program, and as a consequence, Rite Aid rounded every transaction associated with Martinez’s Wellness card to the whole dollar.
Rite Aid reportedly retains the difference to donate to the KidsCents charity after taking a percentage for itself.
According to Martinez, this process continues indefinitely or at least until the customer opts out of the program.
The Rite Aid automatic charity donation class action lawsuit argues that at no time did Martinez knowingly consent to donate to the charity on a continuing basis. She says that over the course of a few months, Rite Aid took a total of $2.56 from her without her knowledge or consent.
Allegedly, Rite Aid sets up the donations in a way that is “inherently misleading and confusing to consumers,” especially to senior citizens.
The Rite Aid KidsCents class action claims that this practice has resulted in money being taken from Martinez and other customers without their consent.
Martinez’s Rite Aid class action lawsuit asserts that Rite Aid knew or should have known that the donations were misleading, because many consumers have complained about being opted into the program without their consent, but the company has taken no action to correct the problem.
The Rite Aid KidsCents class action asserts that a review of the online comments about the program indicates that a majority of consumers were opted into the program without their knowledge.
According to Martinez, since 2014, customers have complained that the opt-in is misleading, and that nothing warns customers of the program details. Some consumers have reportedly criticized Rite Aid for this “underhanded way to get people to contribute to a charity.”
Allegedly, Rite Aid ties all donations to the KidsCents program to a Wellness card, and every time a customer enters in their phone number associated with their card or swipes their physical card, they can have the donation charged to them.
According to the Rite Aid charity class action, after a cardholder is opted into the program, any time they use their Wellness card, they will be charged for the KidsCents program.
Martinez is represented by Abbas Kazerounian, Jason Ibey, and Nicholas Barthel of Kazerouni Law Group APC, and by Joshua B. Swigart of Hyde & Swigart.
The Rite Aid KidsCents Charity Donation Class Action Lawsuit is Katherine Martinez v. Rite Aid Corporation, Case No. 3:19-cv-00569-H-NLS, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
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253 thoughts onRite Aid Class Action Says Charity Donations Collected Without Consent
The automatic Kidcents donations at Rite Aid have been bothering me for a very long time and yesterday was the last straw! I purchased a birthday card for $4.49 and a bag of candy for $5.99. When those 2 items were rung up at the register the cashier told me my total was $12.00. I should have said something right then and there but I didn’t. I NEVER consent to these “donations” and watch every dime I spend. It’s underhanded, sneaky, deceptive and infuriates me. I had 83 cents taken for Kidcents. So much for the dollar off the bag of candy. Don’t expect to save money at Rite Aid, expect to get ripped off! After a month of regular shopping what do all of these “donations” add up to for the consumer? At least CVS gives the customer an option and so do other stores. I’m DONE shopping at Rite Aid and would like to get in on this class action lawsuit if there is one. Rite Aid is ripping people off. They lost me as a customer. I hope others follow suit. They need to stop stealing money from customers. I have no problem with donations if I am asked first and if I can afford it that week.
Me too I agree totally done with RiteAid. They are a fraudulent, deceptive and greedy corporation especially now with inflation. Really RiteAid??? WOW you guys are just evil.
Realized today that this was happening with every purchase. Had no idea, and the cashier merely says « the total with tax is…… » without mentioning the « donation ».
I’ve been trying to get out of this…for years…Is there a place we can find how much kid cents has taken maybe using our RiteAid Number (the phone number on file?
They leave you with no other choice. It’s it’s mandatory. It’s not a donation. It’s a ROBBERY! I complained multiple times already. Nothing happened.
i opted out of this sneaky donation on each purchase years ago. i just looked at some recent receipts and kidscents donation (that i never agreed to!) is back on every receipt. this is so WRONG, they have no right to take my money without my consent. is there still a class action against rite aide? if so, i want to join.
I just learned about this today I don’t even know how long I have been in the middle of this completely wrong. I was shopping today and the cost came up to more than the item was. I have shopped at Riteaid for many many years can’t even imagine how much they have taken
This is heartbreaking. I am a rite aid employee, only have been for 2 months. When it pops up I let them know where it’s at they have an option to opt out or to opt in just the one time or indefinitely. Sometimes customers ask for it’s for and I tell them the only thing I know. It donates money to different types of kid charity’s. But I don’t know much about it yet as I’m still learning. To hear about all of this that is happening breaks my heart. I apologize to every single person on here who has been scammed..ect.. I am truly sorry that this has happened to all of you. I had no idea that is what is going on, I’m truly livid.
Please add me! Not only are they taking this money without my consent, they hide the contribution in the middle of your itemized receipt!
I just need to opt out ……
HOW ????
Next time you go to Rite Aid, either do not use your Rite Aid wellness card and do not put your phone number in OR tell the clerk you want to opt out. I just became aware of this and called them and this is what they told me.
IT is very upsetting. Rite aid is taking donation cents from me since last year without my consent. It is very disrespectful to the client indeed. somebody needs to stop such abuse. To me it is no about t he 60 cents or seventy cents every time I go to the store but about the way they are doing it. Very sneaky and disrespectful way. I’m a caregiver consequently I go to the store frequently to the pharmacy or regular store, whether for me or my clients. something has to be done.
Happen to me last few times I shopped there and I was told I selected an option for the year, which I never did. Only way to change this option is to call corporate, they can’t do it at the registers. What a scam. This ends up being so much, which who knows how much helps any children. I won’t be shopping at rite aide anymore!
Please add me. This is simply not okay! Especially if they keep some of the funds for themselves. I give to the charities I choose and do not appreciate being forced to contribute without consent. If they want to make contributions to a charity that they choose, they should use their own money, not make a profit from collecting funds from others! Especially their loyal customers.
They have been doing it to me for years now…so you get a percentage and you get to claim it as a donation for your taxes? Is that double dipping or what? Add me to the action too…I know they have gotten hundreds of dollars from me without me signing up for anything.