Charlotte Russe accused of tricking online shoppers with hidden junk fees

Charlotte Russe class action overview:

• Who: A customer filed a class action lawsuit against CR Clicks Ecomm Inc., doing business as Charlotte Russe.
• Why: The plaintiff alleges Charlotte Russe adds a hidden “Route Package Protection” fee to online orders without consent.
• Where: The Charlotte Russe class action was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges that Charlotte Russe charges customers a hidden “Route Package Protection” fee on all orders placed on its website without their consent.

Plaintiff Keionas Williams filed the class action complaint against clothing merchant Charlotte Russe on March 18 in California federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

Williams alleges that when consumers make a purchase on the Charlotte Russe website, they go through a standard online purchasing process. However, on the final payment screen, Charlotte Russe secretly adds a “Route Package Protection” fee, which is a percentage of the transaction, to all orders.

Williams argues that this practice is a “digital dark pattern”, or a type of drip pricing, designed to trick or manipulate consumers into making choices they might not otherwise make.

Charlotte Russe fee is unfair and deceptive, lawsuit alleges

The Charlotte Russe class action lawsuit claims that the automatic fee is unfair and deceptive because the company automatically adds it without customer consent at the last of a multi-step purchasing process. 

Additionally, the fee is deceptively named and described and can only be removed if a consumer unselects the prechecked box, displayed separately and apart from their shopping cart, the class action explains.

“Hundreds of thousands of Charlotte Russe customers like Plaintiff have been assessed a hidden fee for which they did not bargain,” the lawsuit alleges.

Williams is looking to represent anyone who ordered products from charlotterusse.com and was assessed a “Route Package Protection” fee. 

She is suing for violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law, False and Misleading Advertising and Consumers Legal Remedies Act and seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

In related news, World Market LLC and Cost Plus World Market LLC faced a class action lawsuit in February over allegations that they unlawfully charged consumers “junk fees” when shopping on the company’s website.

What do you think of the claims in this Charlotte Russe class action? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Scott Edelsberg of Edelsberg Law P.A.

The Charlotte Russe class action lawsuit is Williams v. CR Clicks Ecomm Inc. d/b/a Charlotte Russe, Case No. 2:25-cv-02356, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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