Who is a Class Member
The Walmart Coupon class action settlement includes “all individuals who (a) on or after June 8, 2007, purchased any item(s) from a Walmart store in Pennsylvania that was subject to payment of sales tax, (b) received a discount on that item or those items by virtue of a “buy one, get one free” discount or coupon, a store coupon, or a manufacturer’s coupon, and (c) was charged or paid sales tax on the original purchase price of the item(s) without deducting the amount of the discount before calculating the sales tax.”
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- Between $21,500,000.00 and $45,000,000.00
Estimated Award
- Gift Card of up to $100
After payment of Settlement costs, attorneys’ fees and plaintiff service award, it is expected that Class Members will be eligible to receive a Gift Card of $30, up to a maximum of $100.
The total amount that will be paid to the Class Members depends on several factors, including the number of claims submitted, the number of Class Members who elect to “opt-out” of the Settlement, the fees and costs incurred in addressing any objections, and the approval of the Settlement by the Court.
Class Members who submit proper, timely, and verified claim forms will receive a Gift Card that can be used at any Walmart or Sam’s Club store, or online at walmart.com or samsclub.com. There will be no minimum purchase requirement to use the gift card.
Proof of Purchase
- N/A
Claim Form
PA Walmart Coupon Settlement Notes
- Farneth v. Walmart Stores Inc.
- Case No. GD13-11472
- Pending in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
In June 2013, plaintiff Brian Farneth filed this class action lawsuit against Walmart alleging the retail giant violated a Pennsylvania law requiring retailers to deduct the value of coupons used in a purchase before calculating the amount of sales tax owed on the purchase.
Farneth contends that when he purchased 2 cans of shaving gel at a Pittsburgh Walmart store, he presented the cashier a “buy one, get one free” coupon. He was charged sales tax of $0.42 on the sale. Walmart’s computation of the sales tax did not take into account reduction of the sales price attributable to the coupon. The 42 cents of sales tax was determined by multiplying .07 times the sale price of 2 cans of shaving gel of $5.94 (each can cost $2.97), even though Farneth only paid $2.97 for the 2 cans of shaving gel.
Pennsylvania law provides that “sales tax is imposed upon each separate sale of tangible personal property within the state equal to 6% (7% in Allegheny County) of the “purchase price”, which shall be collected by the vendor from the purchaser.” However, even though Walmart was required to, it failed to deduct the amount of the coupon from the taxable portion of Farneth’s purchase price.
“It is believed and therefore averred that Walmart overcharges, continues to overcharge, and has in the past overcharged sales tax to Pennsylvania residents,” the Walmart coupon class action lawsuit states. Further, it is alleged that Walmart actually benefits from overcharging sales tax because it is entitled to a 1% commission of taxes improperly charged.
The Pennsylvania Walmart Coupon class action lawsuit also alleged that Walmart’s receipts were confusing regarding the sales tax that was collected.
Walmart denies that it did anything wrong, and contends that, among other things, based on the information it provided to the Department of Revenue, it received an opinion from the Department allowing Walmart to collect the tax. Complete details about the case and settlement are provided on the Walmart Coupon settlement website.
Important Dates
- 11/22/18: Claim Form Deadline
- 11/14/18: Objection or Exclusion Deadline
- 11/15/18: Final Hearing at 8:30 am ET* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
*Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check www.WalmartCouponClassAction.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: Walmart Coupon Class Action Settlement, Claims Administrator, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173053, Milwaukee, WI 53217
- Phone: 1-855-569-5890
- Email: info@walmartcouponclassaction.com
Class Counsel
- Frank G. Salpietro of Rothman Gordon PC
Settlement Website