Back in March, a class action suit was filed in an Illinois federal court for Costco costumers to recoup costs from Trump’s unconstitutional tariffs. And while it is understandable that Costco customers would go to great lengths to get their money back — you don’t shop there without a certain obsession for hunting good deals — it also makes sense that Costco is doing their best to wipe the class action under the rug. Reuters covered the bulk seller’s recent attempt to get the suit dismissed:
Costco Wholesale has asked a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action claiming the retail giant owes customers refunds for higher prices it charged before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
In a filing on Monday in Chicago federal court, Costco called the lawsuit speculative and said the customer who lodged the case suffered no harm. “His own allegations establish that he freely chose to purchase valuable products for accurately posted prices,” Costco said. It said the plaintiff “got what he paid for, and Costco never suggested that it would (or even might) later refund part of the purchase price.”
It is admittedly hard to see $1.50 hotdog combos and $4.99 rotisserie chickens as sites of suffering. That said, if the company does receive a refund for the changes in price caused by IEEPA, the customers may have a stronger case. For the best chances of getting their money back, perhaps Costco customers should ingratiate themselves to Donald Trump a bit so he can raid and disperse the government’s coffers like he did with the recent Jan. 6th slush fund. I’d much rather see tax dollars bail out shoppers who bought a roll or eight of expensive toilet paper than child predators who rushed the Capitol and tried to call it freedom fighting.
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Costco Urges US Judge To Reject Consumer Class Action Over Tariff Refunds [Reuters]
Earlier: Costco Member Starts Class Action To Make Sure Customers Get Their Share Of Tariff Refunds
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.