Purchasers of Molded Composite Interior Doors Allege Price Fixing

A purchaser of molded composite interior doors has initiated a lawsuit against Jeld-Wen and the Masonite Corporation. Plaintiffs Allison D. and Craig W. have initiated a class action lawsuit regarding molded composite interior doors.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of purchasers who were negatively affected by an alleged price fixing scheme by those who supply molded composite interior doors. The lawsuit says that Masonite Corporation and Jeld-Wen have violated federal and state antitrust, consumer protection, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition laws with regard to a component of the doors called a doorskin.

According to the lawsuit, in 2014, another company, Masonite, exited the doorskin market. Prior to that point, Jeld-Wen and Masonite were the only suppliers of interior molded doorskins in North America. The lawsuit says that these two companies are responsible for colluding to fix the price of these products.

The lawsuit says that there is an illegal agreement between the only two manufacturers of molded composite interior doors and door skins in North America to fix the prices of those interior molded doors.

The class action lawsuit represents three different Classes involving people who purchased residential molded composite interior doors in the U.S. from as early as October 2012 through the filing of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says that molded composite interior doors are a form of interior doors made by putting a wood frame between a hollow or solid core and two molded door skins. These molded door skins are made up of a high-density fibrous mat and then raised into a panel design. These are the most popular type of molded composite interior doors in North America.

Molded composite interior doors simulate the aesthetics of solid wood doors at a lower price point. According to the class action lawsuit, the defendants control the market and an illegal agreement between them has forced purchasers of these doors to pay higher prices.

The vast majority of the cost associated with molded composite interior doors have to do with the interior molded doorskins. According to the lawsuit, the doorskins make up around 70 percent of the overall cost.

Doorskins come from limited productions say the plaintiffs. The purchasers of these products allege that the company gains profits by participating in a price fixing scheme that raises the cost for purchasers of the doors and doorskins.

Antitrust laws exist to protect consumers from being harmed when companies engage in anti-competitive practices that put customers at a disadvantage, such as price fixing schemes that artificially inflate prices for consumers. When one company owns much or all of the market for a particular product, buyers have limited options in the face of high prices. However, antitrust laws protect consumers from illegal price gouging.

The Molded Composite Interior Doors Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-00861 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.

Join a Free Interior Molded Doors Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own or work for a company that sold Jeld-Wen and/or Masonite interior molded doors from October 2012 to the present or if you purchased the doors from a retailer, you may have been the victim of an antitrust price-fixing conspiracy. Legal help is available.

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