Scentportable Class Action Says Leaky Air Fresheners Ruin Car Interiors

A class action lawsuit filed by a Florida woman says Scentportable air fresheners leak a fluid that ruins nearby surfaces.

Plaintiff Kira Zander is taking issue with the Scentportable air freshener marketed by Bath & Body Works, one of the brands owned by defendant L Brands Inc.

Zander says the Scentportable mountable fragrance dispensers leak and melt, causing damage to surrounding surfaces.

Bath and Body Works’ marketing for Scentportables says the dispensers are designed to be placed just about anywhere. Inside a car, they can be attached to interior features like air vents or sun visors.

The interior of a car is vulnerable to the fluid that allegedly leaks out of the dispenser, according to the Scentportable class action lawsuit.

Zander says the perfumed fluid can strip material off of car seats and cause enough damage to a dashboard that it would have to be completely replaced.

According to the class action lawsuit, that’s what happened to Zander’s car this past summer. In June 2016, she says, she bought several Scentportables from Bath & Body Works.

The next month, a Scentportable that she had attached to an air vent inside her car allegedly melted over the car’s console. In addition to making a mess, she says the fluid actually damaged the console, which now has to be replaced.

The plaintiff claims that if she had known about the risk of damage associated with Scentportables, she either would not have bought them or would have paid less for them.

Zander says the packaging for Scentportables makes no mention of the risk that they may melt and leak.

Though the label warns that the fragrance oil can irritate eyes and that it shouldn’t be swallowed, it gives no indication that the leaking fluid is harsh enough to damage surrounding surfaces, nor does it list exactly what harsh chemicals are contained in the fluid, she says.

“At no time does Defendant provide any instruction about limited proper uses or warning about explicitly improper uses (apart from the ‘eye irritant’ and danger ‘if swallowed’ warnings) … Moreover, the Product’s labels do not contain a list of ingredients, or even warn that any of the ingredients contained in the Fragrance Refill can be destructive to personal property,” the Scentportable class action lawsuit states.

Apparently Zander is not the only consumer who has had trouble with Scentportable air fresheners. She quotes several negative online product reviews in which consumers report the leaking fluid ate through upholstery and left damage on dashboard that resembled acid burns.

Zander is proposing to represent a nationwide Class consisting of all persons in the U.S. who purchased Scentportables during the Class period. She also proposes a subclass consisting of Class Members from Florida.

She seeks an order requiring the defendant to stop the allegedly unlawful practices complained of, either by addressing the products’ defects directly or by adequately disclosing the associated risks. She also seeks an award of damages, court costs, attorneys’ fees and expert witnesses’ fees.

Zander is represented by attorneys Richard J. Lantinberg and Norwood S. Wilner of The Wilner Firm and Janine L. Pollack and Correy A. Kamin of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.

The Scentportable Defective Product Class Action Lawsuit is Zander v. L Brands Inc., Case No. 3:16-cv-1328, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.