Target to Issue Refunds for Fake Egyptian Cotton Sheets

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Target is refunding millions of dollars to customers for pillowcases and sheets that were falsely labeled as Egyptian cotton but were actually made from another fiber.

According to Target, 750,000 pillowcases and sheets from Welspun India Ltd. were labeled as Egyptian cotton but actually made from another material.

The affected bedding, sold from August 2014 to July 2016 includes Fieldcrest 500 thread count Satin-Stitch Damask Egyptian cotton sheets and 500 thread count Geo Pattern Egyptian cotton sheets, which sold for as much as $175 per set according to Target’s website.

“One of Target’s vendors, Welspun Global Brands (Welspun), was one of the producers of Egyptian Cotton 500-thread count sheets under the Fieldcrest label for Target,” Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman told Consumerist.

“After an extensive investigation, we recently confirmed that Welspun substituted another type of non-Egyptian cotton when producing these sheets between August 2014 and July 2016. Neither Target nor Fieldcrest had any knowledge of this substitution. These sheets were produced by a number of vendors and only one of those vendors was substituting product,” Target said in a statement.

While Target has confirmed that the sheets were indeed made from cotton, just not Egyptian cotton as advertised, they have pulled them from store shelves and its website, and now the company is offering a full refund to anyone who bought the sheets between August 2014 and July 2016.

Target has already started contacting REDcard and Target.com customers that purchased the fake Egyptian cotton sheets during the above-mentioned times. It also notes that it is in the process of terminating its relationship with Welspun Global Brands due to the issue.

“This was a clear violation of both Target’s Code of Conduct and our Standards of Vendor Engagement, and was contrary to the high ethical standards to which we hold ourselves, and our vendors,” Target said in a statement concerning the fake Egyptian cotton sheets.

Target also notes that the fake Egyptian cotton sheets sold between August 2014 and July 2016 pose no danger to customers and that they can continue to use them.

Following Target’s announcement of the fake Egyptian cotton sheets, a proposed nationwide consumer class action lawsuit was filed against Welspun for fraudulently marketing these bed linens as made from 100% Egyptian cotton.

According to lead plaintiff Meghan Abbott of North Carolina, Welspun used inferior and less expensive cottons in many of its allegedly “100% Egyptian cotton” bed linens. As a result, Abbott says consumers overpaid for an inferior product.

In some cases, consumers are believed to have paid close to $200 for sheets that were falsely marketed as being made of 100% Egyptian cotton.

Abbott contends that despite Target’s probe into the alleged fake Egyptian cotton sheets sold under the Fieldcrest label, Welspun continues to sell the sheets in question on its website as “100% Egyptian Cotton.”

Along with punitive damages and restitution, Abbott is requesting an injunction requiring Welspun to stop its purported deceptive advertising practices.

Numerous retailers have been evaluating bed linens and cotton certification records for bed linens made by Welspun.

Besides, Target, retailers such as Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, and J.C. Penney also carry or have carried Welspun products under the Crowning Touch brand. Wal-Mart also recently announced that is has pulled the affected fake Egyptian cotton sheets from their shelves as well.

Target customers who bought the Egyptian Cotton 500-thread count sheets from the retailer that were part of the Fieldcrest label can request a Target gift card refund option by clicking here and selecting “Egyptian Cotton Sheets” form the drop down menu.

Abbott is represented by Jason A. Zweig, Robert B. Carey, and Leonard W. Aragon of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and Stuart M. Paynter of The Paynter Law Firm PLLC.

The Welspun “Egyptian” Cotton False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Meghan Abbot v. Welspun India Ltd., et al., Case No. 1:16-cv-6792, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

UPDATE: On Oct. 11, 2016, Top Class Actions readers who submitted timely refund requests from Target began receiving store gift cards worth as much as $259.96.