Whitepages class action claims company sends advertising email with false, misleading info

Whitepages false advertising class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Rosa Lee Klaneski filed a class action lawsuit against Whitepages Inc. 
• Why: Klaneski claims Whitepages sends unsolicited commercial emails to its users that contain false and misleading information. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Washington federal court. 

Whitepages sends unsolicited emails to members of its online service directory that contain misleading information about individuals they previously searched, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Rosa Lee Klanesk claims Whitepages attempts to entice members into buying pricier background reports by falsely advertising “new” information about individuals they searched before.  

The allegedly misleading emails are said to provide ongoing revenue to both click-through advertisers and Whitepages itself by upselling pricier personal data products the lawsuit claims regularly contain misleading and false information.

“The Defendant engages in the regular business of sending unsolicited commercial emails to its users to entice them to purchase more expensive background checks, the contents of which repeatedly demonstrate an objectively misleading advertisement was sent,” the Whitepages class action states. 

Klaneski wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who have ongoing monthly billing plans with Whitepages.com and who received email solicitations to purchase additional background check services over the last six years. 

Whitepages markets old, irrelevant data as new, class action says

Whitepages markets irrelevant personal data from more than 10 years ago as new to the company, the class action claims.

Whitepages attempts to hide its malfeasance by allegedly forcing its users to comply with terms of service containing several unconscionable provisions that allows it to avoid actual liability for its ongoing scheme, the Whitepages lawsuit alleges. 

Klaneski claims Whitepages is guilty of breach of contract, tortious interference with business expectancies, unjust enrichment and violations of Washington’s unfair competition law and the CAN-SPAM Act. 

He demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

In 2022, Whitepages agreed to pay $4.1 million to resolve claims made by a class of Ohio and Illinois residents who argued the company unlawfully used their profiles to advertise the website. 

Have you received an email solicitation from Whitepages? Let us know in the comments.

The Whitepages false advertising class action lawsuit is Klaneski v. Whitepages Inc., Case No. 2:24-cv-00121, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

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