Best Buy accused of using fake reference prices to create illusion of savings

Best Buy class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Lauren Morgan filed a class action lawsuit against MN Best Buy Co. Inc.
• Why: Morgan claims Best Buy misleads consumers by advertising illusory reference prices on its products.
• Where: The Best Buy class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new Best Buy class action lawsuit accuses the company of misleading consumers by advertising illusory reference prices on its products.

Plaintiff Lauren Morgan claims Best Buy routinely advertises “Reg” and “Comp. Value” prices and corresponding “Save” calculations that never reflect the genuine prevailing retail price for the 90 consecutive days immediately preceding the sale, as required by California law.

“These tactics are used not to convey accurate information about a product’s market value, but to manufacture the artificial appearance of consumer savings,” the Best Buy class action lawsuit says.

Morgan wants to represent a California class of consumers who purchased one or more products from Best Buy at BestBuy.com or at a California retail store location that was advertised with a “Reg,” “Regular,” “Save $X.XX” or “Comp. Value” reference price.

Best Buy allegedly uses inflated reference prices to imply genuine discount

Morgan claims Best Buy’s deception is particularly brazen with respect to its own private-label brand, Insignia, which is sold exclusively through Best Buy and Amazon.com.

“No retailer sells Insignia products at the ‘Comp. Value’ or ‘Reg’ reference prices Best Buy advertises — the only other channel, Amazon, sells them at approximately Best Buy’s own sale price,” the Best Buy discount class action lawsuit says.

Morgan claims Best Buy’s “Comp. Value” representations are “inherently false because no retailer in the marketplace charges those prices.”

The plaintiff claims Best Buy is guilty of violating California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law and the Consumers Legal Remedies Act.

Morgan demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of restitution, actual and punitive damages and pre- and post-judgment interest for herself and all class members.

Last year, Best Buy was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertised discounts on TVs and major appliances.

Have you ever purchased a product from Best Buy that was advertised with a “Reg,” “Regular,” “Save $X.XX” or “Comp. Value” reference price? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Mark L. Javitch of Javitch Law Office and Kevin J. Cole and William Blair Castle of KJC Law Group APC.

The Best Buy class action lawsuit is Morgan v. MN Best Buy Co. Inc., Case No. 8:26-cv-00836, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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