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Walmart Grocery Settlement: Still Time to Claim Up to $500 Cash

Find out if you are eligible for this class action settlement

By

Donna Fuscaldo,

 
AARP
Comments
Published April 08, 2024
/ Updated May 29, 2024
a man buys steak and other groceries
A customer scans a package of meat at a self-checkout kiosk at a Walmart store in Burbank, California.
Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you purchased certain groceries from Walmart in recent years, you may be eligible for up to $500 in cash as part of a settlement in a class action lawsuit but you have to act soon. The deadline to submit a claim is June 5. The lawsuit alleges Walmart overcharged customers who purchased certain sold-by-weight products, including poultry, pork and seafood, and certain organic oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and navel oranges sold in bulk in mesh or plastic bags. Walmart denies any wrongdoing but agreed to pay affected customers $45 million in the settlement.

Are you wondering if you are among the Walmart shoppers who are eligible for a payment? Given that according to data from Numerator, a market research company, 38 percent of Walmart shoppers in the U.S. are baby boomers, 31 percent are Gen X, 25 percent are millennials and 7 percent are Gen Z, chances are you could be. Read on to find out.

What happened?

The class action lawsuit alleges Walmart engaged in three deceptive tactics that resulted in customers paying more than the sticker price for meats, poultry, seafood and certain produce. According to the lawsuit, when customers checked out, Walmart’s point-of-sale system “artificially” increased the weight of the product, resulting in an overpayment. The lawsuit also alleges Walmart mislabeled the weight of bagged organic oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and navel oranges so that they were “materially more” than the actual weight of the bag. Walmart also allegedly overcharged the sticker price on certain sold-by-weight clearance products. 

“Walmart’s conduct is systemic and driven by its POS System and software that is programmed to falsify weights and, thus, overcharge the customer for the products,” the lawsuit argued. “Plaintiff’s experiences and counsel’s investigation reveal that the frequency and consistent pattern of the falsification practices are not mere errors. Rather, they are symptomatic of a programmed fraudulent scheme.”

What is Walmart saying?

Walmart denies the plaintiff’s allegations and denies “any and all wrongdoing or liability” with respect to the claims asserted in the lawsuit. Walmart noted that neither the court nor a jury considered or decided the merits of the allegations in the lawsuit. Instead, Walmart decided to settle to avoid the costs and risks of a trial.

Who is eligible for a payment?

All shoppers who purchased weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person at a Walmart retail store, supercenter or neighborhood market in the U.S. or Puerto Rico from Oct. 19, 2018, through and including Jan. 19, 2024, may be eligible for a cash payment.

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No documentation is required to be eligible to receive a payment. You may submit a claim even if you no longer have receipts. The settlement doesn’t cover any purchases made online.

Your claim must be postmarked or submitted online by June 5, 2024. 

How do you file a claim?

To qualify for a payment, you must submit a claim form, which can be found here. You can submit it electronically or mail a physical claim form to the Claims Administrator at 1650 Arch St., Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Alternatively, you can call the claims administrator toll-free at 833-987-9998 to receive a paper copy of the claim form.

How much is the payout?

  • $10 if you don’t have receipts, proof of purchase or other documentation but attest to purchasing up to 50 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person in a Walmart store during the settlement period.
  • $15 if you don’t have receipts, proof of purchase or other documentation but attest to purchasing 51 to 75 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person in a Walmart store during the settlement period.
  • $20 if you don’t have receipts, proof of purchase or other documentation but attest to purchasing 76 to 100 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person in a Walmart store during the settlement period.
  • $25 if you don’t have receipts, proof of purchase or other documentation but attest to purchasing 101 or more weighted goods and/or bagged citrus in person in a Walmart store during the settlement period.
  • Up to $500 if you have receipts, proof of purchase or other documentation that substantiates each weighted good and/or bagged citrus purchased in person in a Walmart store during the settlement period. You can get back 2 percent of the total spent, up to a maximum of $500.

How is it paid out?

There are several ways to receive your payment, including via Venmo, Zelle, ACH or virtual prepaid MasterCard. You can also request a paper check if you are unable to receive an electronic payment. You select the payment method when completing the claim form.

When will you get a payment?

It could take months to receive your payment, so be patient. The final approval hearing is slated for June 12, 2024. Barring any delays or appeals, the payment processing will start then. Walmart plans to provide updates regarding the settlement and when payments will be made here.

Can you exclude yourself from the settlement?

You can opt out of the settlement and maintain your right to sue Walmart separately about the claims made in the lawsuit. To do so, send a written request to:

Walmart Weighted Groceries Settlement
​Attn: Exclusions​
P.O. Box 58220
​Philadelphia, PA 19102

Your request for exclusion must be postmarked no later than May 22, 2024.

What if you do nothing?

If you do nothing, you won’t receive a payment from the settlement and you give up your right to sue, continue to sue or be part of a lawsuit against Walmart for the claims resolved in the settlement.

Donna Fuscaldo is a contributing writer and editor focusing on personal finance and health. She has spent over two decades writing and covering news for several national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investopedia and HerMoney.

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