Consumers v L'Oreal
Lawsuit Filed Against L'Oreal Over Garnier Fructis Deceptive Advertising
A consumer class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of persons who purchased Garnier Fructis hair products during the past four years, believing they actually strengthened hair. Both the labeling and advertising of defendant L'Oreal's Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners claim to make hair five times stronger and five times smoother.
According to the Complaint, filed in San Diego Superior Court, L'Oreal "falsely promoted" its products "as able to make hair '5x stronger,' '5x smoother,' and 'stronger with 80% less breakage.'" Garnier Fructis products, however, do not have any consumer perceptible strengthening effect and L'Oreal's claims of their strengthening efficacy misled or had the tendency to deceive the public.
Plaintiffs believe that the Garnier Fructis products, which are the subject of "a pervasive, widespread, repetitive advertising and marketing campaign," are in fact "nothing more than deceptively packaged goods designed to take advantage of the market for a product to strengthen hair." Plaintiffs and seek injunctive relief, restitution, damages, disgorgement, and corrective advertising concerning the sale of these products.
"We believe that as a result of the misleading advertising, anyone who bought a Garnier Fructis hair product during the class period had expectations that they were purchasing products that would strengthen their hair by a perceptible margin" said a lawyer for the plaintiffs. "Our research indicates there is absolutely no perceptible hair strengthening effect, and the Defendant should not continue profiting from the sales of products that were deceivingly represented and marketed."
Over the past year, L'Oreal sold more than $70 million worth of Garnier Fructis shampoo products, which according to the suit falsely claimed to strengthen hair.
The lawsuit is open to any person that purchased L'Oreal's Garnier Fructis shampoo or conditioner who had expections of their hair becoming stronger after many uses.
