JC Penney Jewelry Class Action Lawsuit

By Sarah Mirando | March 7, 2012

Category: Legal News

By Mike Holter

A federal class action lawsuit claims JC Penney has falsely advertised hundreds of items of jewelry it sells, including diamonds, over a period of multiple years.

“JC Penney engaged in a pattern and practice of deceiving consumers through false advertising about the true characteristics of the jewelry it sells via catalogs, in stores, and via the Internet,” the JC Penney jewelry class action lawsuit states.

Specifically, JC Penney is accused of:

— failing to disclose the use of less-desirable metals, such as rhodium, as plating or finishes over precious metals;

— failing to properly identify the country of origin;

— failing to properly disclose the size of diamonds in its jewelry;

— misrepresenting the number of diamonds in its jewelry;

— failing to disclose the use of alternative, cheaper, less-desirable, or non-precious metals or metal alloys, such as hollow or rolled gold; and

— otherwise failing to comply with the FTC Guides for the Jewelry Industry.

The JC Penney jewelry class action lawsuit is seeking damages and equitable relief for a proposed class of all JC Penney jewelry customers in California who were deceived into purchasing jewelry that was falsely advertised, marketed or promoted during the past four years.

A copy of the JC Penney Jewelry Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.

The case is Maria Torres, et al. v. JC Penney Corporation, Inc. and JC Penney Company, Inc., Case No. 12-cv-1105, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.