JC Penny is in some hot water right now. A class action suit against the retail store was certified by a Los Angels judge. The plaintiffs are accusing JC Penny for marking items as on sale, but had actually been the original price all along. According to Reuters, the lead plaintiff, Cynthia Spann, said, “she discovered this after buying three blouses for $17.99 each, a 40 percent discount from the ‘original’ $30 price, only to learn the price was never above $17.99 in the prior three months.”
For the lawsuit, the court will recognize items from November 5, 2010 to January 31, 2012. This is because JC Penny adopted everyday low pricing and hasn’t done as many sales or discounts. The plaintiffs are accusing JC Penny of violating consumer protection laws.
Again from RushHourDaily, “The Federal Trade Commission has said retailers are supposed to sell items at original prices for a ‘reasonable length of time’ before marking them down if they wish later to provide the original prices to consumers who compare prices.”
JC Penny has not released a statement in response to the lawsuit. The spokesperson, Kate Coultas, has said that they will not discuss anything pending litigation.
Photo: Mike Mozart
