Forever 21 has been known for its legal battles -- even its own employees have filed suit against the mass retailer. And while we're not fazed by any more copyright infringement debacles from the fast-fashion empire, we're a little amused by their latest lawsuit.
Carolyn Kellman, a Florida-based lawyer touted as a "fashionista" by the Miami Herald in 2007, has filed a class action suit against Forever 21, citing breach of contract, unfair and deceptive practices and unjust enrichment. According to the complaint, Kellman paid $14.46 for a pair of black shorts at Forever 21 on May 12, but was only credited $14.45 ("'exactly $0.01 less") upon returning them on May 30.
Kellman had a similar experience on July 13 when she returned a $11.57 skirt to Forever 21 only to receive $11.56 in return. Now Kellman's alleging that the store is involved in a mass penny-pinching scheme and she has the receipts to prove it. This type of case isn't rare though -- Chipotle was recently slammed for rounding up their checks in a similar manner.
While we still can't wrap our heads around why a woman who was photographed in Christian Louboutin heels holding a Balenciaga bag in the Miami Herald is one to count pennies, the most astounding part of this is how Kellman was able to file a class action lawsuit in the first place. The threshold for civil actions in her court district is $15,000 -- meaning, she had to find enough people to join the case so that she could cite 1.5 million pennies in damages (that's 750,000 customers since 2007, in case you were wondering).
The suit encompasses anyone in the last five years who claims they were charged one cent more or refunded one cent less than they should have been by Forever 21. "It might not be a lot of money, but nonetheless it's a violation," Kevin Love, Kellman's attorney who filed the complaint, said.
Do you think this lawsuit is merited? Have you had a similar experience with Forever 21?
Check out some designer collaborations from fast fashion retailers.
