Courtney Jorstad  |  December 11, 2014

Category: Consumer News

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lumber-liquidators-logoLumber Liquidators, Inc. was hit with a false advertising class action lawsuit Monday over its bamboo flooring, alleging that it is prone to cracking, warping and shrinking long before it should begin to have such problems, according to the warranty.

Plaintiff Dana Gold of Lafayette, California had Lumber Liquidators’ Morning Star Bamboo Flooring installed in October 2013.

According to the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuit, Gold began noticing defects in the product “while the home remained unoccupied.” She noticed that “the product was scratching easily and splintering.”

On Oct. 30, 2013, she called Lumber Liquidators and notified the company of the alleged defects by phone, in which she was advised by the customer service representative to begin the claims process by completing a “General Disclosure Statement,” which she did.

Lumber Liquidators retained Richard King of Inspect Solutions to do an inspection of the bamboo flooring, which he did on Dec. 2, 2013.

“He drafted a report on or about Dec. 6, 2013, in which he concluded plaintiff and the installers were completely at fault and no product defects existed,” Gold explained in her Lumber Liquidators bamboo flooring class action lawsuit.

The California woman claims that Lumber Liquidators advertises the Morning Star Bamboo flooring as “finely crafted,” “free of defects,” “exceptionally durable,” and is able to withstand “pretty much anything you can put it through.”

On the contrary, Gold says that the bamboo flooring is “susceptible to warping, splitting, shrinking and splintering” because it is “defectively designed, tested and manufactured, and will warp, buckle, splinter and unreasonably scratch and dent when used in its intended manner.”

In addition, the bamboo flooring class action lawsuit alleges that “this failure is common in the [bamboo flooring], regardless of when, where or how it is installed.”

The bamboo flooring is sold with a 30-year warranty, but the class action lawsuit alleges that it fails long before it reaches the end of this warranty period.

Because of the alleged defective nature of the flooring it could potentially damage “other building elements, causing continuous and progressive damage to property, and requiring [the class] to expend thousands of dollars to repair or replace the flooring long before the expiration of the ‘useful life'” of the flooring as advertised by Lumber Liquidators.

Gold alleges that Lumber Liquidators knew or should have known that its bamboo flooring was defective, but it “intentionally concealed” this fact from its customers, while it continues to advertise the flooring as “durable, long-lasting, and fit for its intended use.”

When problems are reported, Lumber Liquidators commissions “sham inspections” of the alleged defective flooring, the class action lawsuit claims.

Gold included comments in her class action lawsuit from other Lumber Liquidators customers who purchased the Morning Star Bamboo flooring who also claim that within months of having the flooring installed, it began to show problems such as gaps, shrinkage, buckling, cupping, and scratching, and when Lumber Liquidators was contacted over the problem, it claimed it was not at fault.

The California woman is seeking to represent a nationwide class and a California class of individuals “who own homes and other structures where Morning Star Bamboo Flooring, manufactured and sold by Lumbar Liquidators Inc., is installed, or who paid to replace Morning Star Bamboo flooring products, manufactured and sold by Lumbar Liquidators due to product performance.”

Gold is charging Lumber Liquidators with violating the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, violating the Unfair Competition Law and engaging in unfair business practices.

She is asking for injunctive relief and for Lumber Liquidators to refund all the money plaintiffs paid for the bamboo flooring.

Gold is represented by Jeffrey B. Cereghino, Michael F. Ram, Susan Brown and Matt Malone of Ram Olson Cereghino & Kopczynski LLP, and Beth E. Terrell and Mary B. Reiten of Terrell Marshall Daudt & Willie PLLC.

Attorney information for Lumber Liquidators is not yet available.

The Lumber Liquidators Defective Bamboo Flooring Class Action Lawsuit is Gold v. Lumber Liquidators, Inc., Case No. 4:14-cv-05373, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

UPDATE: On Oct. 4, 2019, Lumber Liquidators reached a $30 million settlement with customers who claim that the company’s Morning Star Bamboo Flooring is defective.

UPDATE 2: December 2019, the Lumber Liquidators flooring class action settlement website is active. Click here to learn more.

UPDATE 3: January 2020, the Lumber Liquidators flooring class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.

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108 thoughts onLumber Liquidators Facing Bamboo Flooring Class Action

  1. Shannon Kent says:

    I filed a claim sent pics and receipts never heard from anyone or recieved anything to fix my flooring. Help please I have tried to contact anyone I know about this and it was bought I’m Pelham AL under my name

    1. Shannon Kent says:

      I filed a claim in 2018 about the morning Star bought a lot of this with padding a T’s to fit inside our door. When will I receive any information . It has been a very long time I do not know a claim number but if I need to go to them directly I can get an old receipt. Thanks

    2. Todd Crochet says:

      Settlements are coming. Mine just showed it will be delivered tomorrow from USPS Informed Delivery.

  2. Mark Datcher says:

    I file a claim. I wanted to know what when the settlement comes for me?

  3. Lawrence keefe says:

    Have stairs andThree bedrooms With bamboo flooring from lumber liquidators they are so scratched and pitted they need to be replaced only down three years

  4. Amanda says:

    I’m confused…What happened to the previous claim I filled out? Why is it open again for claims?

  5. Sallie DUNLAP says:

    Please add me to this class action suit and tie have bought flooring I spent $1,000 and it is nothing but a piece of crap everything about it is a lie

  6. Billie Jo Garber says:

    We purchased and installed Morning Star Jefferson County bamboo in our family room and steps December 2016. I have been telling my husband something doesn’t seem right with the floor for the last 9 months. I still have a partial box of unused flooring. When comparing the unused flooring to the installed flooring, there is definitely a difference between the wood. I have all my receipts for the flooring and installation. I also have the partial box of unused flooring as previously mentioned.

    In addition, if the issue of Morning Star Bamboo flooring was originally addressed in 2014, why did Lumber Liquidators continue selling the flooring through 2019? This in itself is a deceptive trade practice.

    Is it still possible to become a member of the Class Action? If so, can the information to join be published somewhere?

    Thank you.

  7. Jacque walker says:

    Same problem. Haven’t had them down a year and they started warping and peeling and bulking. Worst mistake I ever made was buying that laminate.

  8. Pat H. says:

    Installed solid bamboo flooring over brand new subfloor as per instructions and by a professional home builder in 2015/2016. Buckled in many spots within first six months, and is still buckling in different spots. Told by LL that we must not have installed it properly (and they listed about 10 reasons why we might not have installed it properly) or got water on it or stored it improperly, etc. The never even would send anyone to inspect it. We sent photos with proof. They blamed it on anything other than the fact that what we were told was the toughest flooring we could buy was anything but!

  9. Mary Kennedy says:

    Same problem. Bought in April of 2016 placed in room to equalize temperature for almost 2 weeks. Put down with their recommended glue. Warped, bowed up on edges.

  10. Clark Shingledecker says:

    Same problem. Cupped and warped. Bought adhesive sold by LL to me for concrete floors and installation contractor recommended by LL store. Flooring acclimated in our home 6 weeks before installing started. Warping and cupping started within a year.

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