(NEXSTAR) — Walmart shoppers may be entitled to a cash payout as part of a proposed $45 million settlement over allegations that the retail chain overcharged for grocery items.
A lawsuit filed in October 2022 (and since revised) had accused Walmart of “falsely inflating” the weights of certain sold-by-weight groceries at the register, thereby negating any sale pricing (or “rollback” pricing) that shoppers may have believed they were paying, court documents say. The lawsuit also accuses the retailer of incorrectly labeling certain sold-by-weight bagged produce items and sold-by-weight clearance items, leading the consumer to unknowingly pay more for the amount they were getting. The grocery items included meats, seafood, poultry and pork, as well as a variety of bagged citrus items.
Walmart denies any wrongdoing or deceptive practices. But in November 2023, the company reached a deal to settle, according to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
A hearing to determine whether the proposed settlement can move forward will be held later this year.
Until then, customers can submit claims online or by mail for a share of the proposed $45 million at WalmartWeightedGroceriesSettlement.com.
To qualify, Walmart customers needed to have purchased the aforementioned sold-by-weight items between Oct. 19, 2018 and Jan. 19, 2024. Customers need not provide any proof of purchase to file, though payouts without receipts or other documentation are capped at $25 per person depending on the amount of claimed purchases (to those who qualify). Customers with receipts or other proof of purchase may be eligible to receive up to 2% back on the total amount paid for the groceries, but capped at $500.
Consumers may also opt out of the settlement, if they wish to take separate legal action against Walmart, according to the settlement website.
The hearing to determine approval of the proposed settlement is scheduled for June 12, 2024, in Tampa. More information on the settlement agreement, and instructions for filing a claim, can be found on the settlement website.
