Sun Products Class Action Says Detergent Packaging is Misleading

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Laundry detergent from Sun Products Corp. is packaged to make consumers think they’re getting more of it than they actually are, according to a new class action lawsuit.

Plaintiff Darlene Williams claims that Sun Products has been underfilling its 32- and 50-ounce containers of All brand liquid laundry detergent, leaving the containers up to 17 percent empty.

Even with an integrated pour spout that reaches into the space at the top of the bottle, she says, the company still leaves empty space that a reasonable consumer would assume contained detergent.

The oversized containers give consumers the false impression that they are filled with more product than they actually are, Williams argues.

Since the bottles are opaque, she says, the consumer can’t see the empty space before deciding whether or not to purchase the product. Williams claims that consumers would reasonably presume the container would be filled to capacity and not so much empty space.

Williams also alleges that Sun Products is using an oversized container to maximize the shelf presence of its products, to help them visually crowd out competitor products.

The Sun Products class action lawsuit claims that the oversized containers are purposely designed to increase the company’s sales, while at the same time deceiving and misleading consumers. They induce consumers to pay a premium over what they would pay for other available detergent products, she claims.

Williams says she bought a 32-ounce bottle of All liquid detergent sometime around December 2014. She discovered only later that the container was not filled to capacity, she alleges.

She claims she relied on the size of the packaging to give her an idea of how much detergent was inside it. Williams says that had she known the container held so much empty space, she would not have bought that product or would have been willing to pay significantly less for it. She argues that she lost money as a result of the underfilled container, having paid for more product than she ended up actually getting.

According to the class action lawsuit, Sun Products Corp. is a Connecticut-based manufacturer of several brands of laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and other household care products. In addition to All, the company’s well-known brands include Sun, Surf, Wisk, Sunlight and Snuggle. Williams reports the company’s annual sales reach approximately $2 billion.

Williams seeks to represent a proposed nationwide Class encompassing all persons in the U.S. who purchased Sun detergent within the applicable statute of limitations period, plus a proposed subclass of all Class Members who are New York residents.

Her Sun Products class action lawsuit seeks an award of compensatory and punitive damages, restitution, court costs and attorney’s fees. Williams also seeks an order requiring Sun Products to repackage its products without the alleged empty space.

Plaintiff’s counsel are C.K. Lee and Anne Selig of Lee Litigation Group LLC.

The Sun Products Laundry Detergent Class Action Lawsuit is Darlene Williams v. The Sun Products Corp., Case No. 1:16-cv-04470, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.