There’s more bad news for textile manufacturer Welpsun: after Target cut ties with the company, and Walmart pulled its sheets from shelves, U.S. consumers have filed two lawsuits claiming the textile manufacturer fraudulently labeled its bedding as premium Egyptian cotton when it was in fact made from lower quality fibers.
Both lawsuits point to the fact that Welspun responded to Target’s decision by saying, “[w]ithout any
ambiguity, the fault is on our side” as evidence of unlawful conduct.
In the first lawsuit, [PDF] was filed on Aug. 29 in New York District Court by a plaintiff who says she purchased Fieldcrest bed linens by Welspun from Target that purported to consist of “100% Egyptian Cotton” and have a 500-thread count. She relied on the fact that they were enabled as such, and believed they were “higher quality, softer, more durable bed linens” as a result, the complaint states, so she was prepared to pay a premium for them.
“‘Your comfort is our commitment’ claims Defendant Welspun India in corporate presentations,” the complaint states. “In fact, Defendants’ commitment is to their own profits rather than the consumer.” The lawsuit claims that Welspun committed a “widespread fraud” in which “consumers who have purchased Welspun bed linens have overpaid for an inferior product.”
The second lawsuit was filed in Aug. 31 (and amended Sept. 2 [PDF]) in a St. Louis federal court.
“By attempting to pass off the Indian cotton as Egyptian cotton, Defendant is able to entice consumers like Plaintiff and the class members to pay a premium for the Products or pay more for them than they otherwise would have had the truth be known,” the suit states.
Both lawsuits claim minimum damages of $5 million each, and class-action certification, while also filing suit against subsidiary Welspun USA.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
No comments:
Post a Comment