Walmart+ subscription class action overview:
- Who: A Walmart customer is suing the retailer over its Walmart+ subscription service.
- Why: The plaintiff says the company misleads customers and tricks them into subscriptions they don’t want.
- Where: The Walmart+ class action was filed in a Michigan federal court.
Walmart misleads customers and tricks them into subscriptions they don’t want through its subscription service Walmart+ , a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Ryan Lee filed the class action lawsuit against Walmart, Inc. Sept. 23 in a Michigan federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
According to the lawsuit, Walmart Inc. markets and sells a subscription service known as Walmart+. The service is marketed as costing $12.95 per month or $98.00 per year, and tells customers they can “save $1,300+ a year*” through “free delivery, fuel discounts, & more!”
Potential customers are enticed to “Save $800+ with free delivery” and “$500+ on shipping fees,” the lawsuit states.
However, these benefits are “potentially illusory,” as disclosed by the fine print for the service, Lee alleges.
Walmart’s reported savings not based on reality, lawsuit alleges
Walmart’s small print explains that its marketing compares itself to those who make two orders a week.
“However, Defendant’s records would reveal that an average customer does not place orders for two deliveries per week nor make two orders from Walmart.com for less than $35 per week,” the lawsuit states.
While the marketing promotes “Free delivery from your store” and “$0 delivery fees,” the small print below reveals there is a “$35 order minimum,” subject to additional restrictions including the fact it excludes most marketplace items, the Walmart+ lawsuit adds.
Lee also takes issue with the Walmart+ default auto renewal policy.
“By adopting a default auto renewal, Defendant takes advantage of consumer inertia because auto renewal users are seven times more likely to ‘continue,’ or not cancel, their subscriptions, compared to users enrolled in an auto cancel subscription,” he says.
The plaintiff is looking to represent a Michigan class of consumers who subscribed to Walmart+ and a consumer fraud multistate class of consumers from Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Alaska, Arkansas, Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.
He’s suing under state consumer laws and for breach of warranty and fraud, and seeking certification of the class action, fees, costs and a jury trial.
Meanwhile, Walmart has been the target of numerous class action lawsuits in the past month with claims ranging from false advertising to misleading representations and failing to properly monitor its money transfer service. Click here to read more.
Do you have a Walmart+ subscription? Let us know your experience in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C.
The Walmart class action is Ryan Lee v. Walmart, Inc., Case No. 1:22-cv-12258 in a U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan Northern Division.
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41 thoughts onWalmart class action alleges company misleads consumers as to Walmart+ subscription benefits
Cancelled the subscription, they “returned” the money only to find out the very next morning that they had taken my money again, even though I had spoken to Walmart Plus Customer Service and this was cancelled.
I’ve been getting doubled billed over a year
I never authorized Walmart to charge me for a Walmart + membership. I saw a charge of $14.02 on my Chase credit card. I called the 800 number on the charge and asked for a refund of the $14.02 that was placed on my Chase card on April 13, 2023, so apparently they are still charging people for the membership even though they never asked for it. The Walmart rep told me that I will be issued a credit for the charge on my Chase card, so as far as I know, the matter has been resolved.
I just noticed mine was activated and last month I saw some fraudulent charge on my debit for Walmart something and they canceled the card well now this month they tried to charge my capitol one card . I figured out that I was signed up for Walmart plus . I called Walmart they insisted I clicked the free trial . I know for a fact I didn’t . So did you get ur refund but they said I was only getting one refund . Crazy
I subscribe to Walmart+. I have been scheduling a delivery since April 6 but each time I get a message that my order is delayed but will be delivered within 2 hrs. However, the delivery never comes nor do I get another email so I’m waiting all day. I then contact their customer care and told to cancel that order and reorder it for another delivery time. This has happened 4 times since April 6th and I still have not received an order. I was told their 3rd party is not picking up the order. I’m paying for this subscription but they are not honoring it.
The EXACT same thing has happened to me at LEAST a dozen times. It’s always the same — Delayed is delivery and should be delivered within 2 hours, and then left completely IN THE DARK for sometimes the entire rest of the day and even the entire next day on several different occasions. Just as you experienced, I was also told to cancel and start over. Unbelievably frustrating. It’s wrong to not update waiting customers when the 2 hr time frame has also been surpassed, leaving people waiting. Who has time for that? Even worse, we are forced to then have to then take it upon ourselves to call customer service to request an update or the current status. The only thing ever offered to compensate for all the wasted time and effort, is an offensive $10. It’s truly comical. $10, really??
It’s April 2023 and Walmart is still automatically signing people up, storing their bank information, and charging them $12.95 a month without authorization. I had no idea I was signed up for it until I saw the charges on my bank account and started looking backwards in my statements. They’ve been taking my money for months when sometimes I can’t even afford milk for my kids!! I am NOT HAPPY.
Same experience. Not sure how I got signed up. Got charged 104.95 today
I would like to be added to this. I signed up at the end of 2022. One of the benefits advertised is the fuel discount. I have used Sam’s Club to purchase my gas and the fuel discount has not worked, not one time. I’ve done everything that customer service advises to do, update the app, remove the app, etc., and I still do not receive the discount. Last evening my app gave me congratulations for using the app and receiving the gas discount. The receipt said the exact same amount as what was on the sign and the fuel tank.
Please add me I’ve tried to cancel twice they gave me the run around
They charged me for a subscription I canceled the exact same day I got it.when I called them I was told by a lady with a crying baby in the background, which led me to believe she was just trying to get me off the phone. That she couldn’t help me,she told me to call my credit card company
Add me. They are LIARS And thieves. They hold money yet cancel deliveries
Please add me as well