Effy Jewelry, the New York-based brand operating as Effy Worldwide Corp., is currently defending a proposed class action settlement over website accessibility in Pennsylvania and has faced earlier lawsuits over design patent infringement, an intellectual property dispute with Cartier, and an unpaid wages case brought by employees in St. Maarten. The active matter most likely to affect consumers is the ADA class action, where a settlement has been proposed but not yet approved by the court.
The Pending ADA Website Accessibility Class Action
The current case is Douglass v. Effy Worldwide, Corp., Case No. GD-25-No. 010640, filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It alleges that effyjewelry.com and the company’s mobile applications are inaccessible to people who are blind or have visual disabilities and rely on screen readers or other auxiliary aids, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.1Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement Effy denies liability and says its practices comply with the law.2Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement
What the Settlement Would Do
If approved, the deal would require Effy to bring its website and mobile apps into compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the A and AA levels. Effy would designate an internal Accessibility Coordination Team, retain an outside accessibility consultant to conduct audits and user testing, publish an accessibility statement, train staff on accessible design, and change its processes to prioritize accessibility bugs.1Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement
The settlement class includes everyone in the United States who is blind or has a visual disability, uses auxiliary aids and services, and has accessed or tried to access effyjewelry.com. There is no money fund. Relief is entirely injunctive, aimed at fixing the website rather than paying class members. The named plaintiff would receive a $2,500 incentive award, and class counsel’s fees are capped at $49,000 initially, with potential additional payments of up to $15,000 for each of two subsequent years of monitoring.1Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement Class members other than the named plaintiff are not releasing any claims for monetary damages, so they can still pursue individual compensation on their own.2Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement
Key Dates and DOJ Scrutiny
The deadline for class members to object is May 5, 2026. The final fairness hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2026.2Effy Jewelry. ADA Settlement The settlement is not yet final.
In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest opposing a similar website accessibility settlement in Alcazar v. Fashion Nova Inc., arguing it offered “little value to consumers with vision disabilities” while disproportionately enriching attorneys and lacked a meaningful enforcement mechanism.3U.S. Department of Justice. Department of Justice Opposes Unfair Class Action Settlement Involving Accessibility Website Whether the DOJ will weigh in on the Effy deal is not known.
The Earlier Calcano Case
This is not Effy’s first accessibility suit. In September 2021, Calcano v. Effy & Co., Inc. was filed in New York with similar allegations about effyjewelry.com. A scan of the site shortly after that filing detected the use of an accessibility overlay tool rather than native accessibility features.4Accessibility.com. Evelina Calcano v Effy and Co Inc
Design Patent Infringement: Duelle v. Effy Jewelers
In 2018, Duelle, LLC sued Effy Jewelers, Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Case No. 1:18-cv-11513, alleging infringement of U.S. Design Patent No. D650,304, titled “Changeable Multiple Position Jewelry.” The complaint accused Effy of promoting, distributing, and selling jewelry that copied the patented ornamental design.5Scribd. Duelle v Effy Jewelers Complaint The available record shows only the initial complaint; no outcome has been identified.
Cartier International AG v. Effy Jewelers
Cartier International AG sued Effy Jewelers, Corp. in the Southern District of New York in 2015, Case No. 1:15-cv-09202, before Judge Valerie E. Caproni. Docket records categorize the case under copyright and include both patent/trademark and copyright forms, indicating an intellectual property dispute. The specific allegations and outcome are not detailed in available records.6PlainSite. Cartier International AG v Effy Jewelers Corp
St. Maarten Employees Won an Unpaid Wages Case
Five employees of Effy Jewelers in St. Maarten sued the company after it applied what it called a “coronavirus deduction” starting in April 2020, cutting their pay. By July 2020, they said they were receiving no salary at all, even though the company reportedly received payroll support through the St. Maarten Stimulus and Relief Plan. A complaint to the Department of Labor and Social Affairs did not produce a settlement, and the case went to court.7721news. Five Effy Employees Win Their Court Cases for Outstanding Wages and Commission Payment
On December 29, 2020, the court ruled fully for the employees. It ordered Effy to pay all outstanding salaries and average commissions, plus a 10% increase for late payment, legal interest, and attorney fees, and rejected the company’s “no-work-no-pay” defense along with its attempt to cut salaries and stretch payments into installments.8The Daily Herald. Five Effy Employees Win Court Case for Outstanding Wage Commission Payment
Effy did not comply. In February 2021, the company sought a court injunction to terminate the five employees. The judge denied that request at the end of June 2021 and again ordered full payment. As of July 2021, the workers said they still had not been paid and had not been placed on work schedules.9The Daily Herald. Workers of Effy Demand Their Salary Payments After Winning Court Case
Consumer Complaints, Especially From Cruise Buyers
Separate from formal lawsuits, Effy’s Better Business Bureau profile shows 91 complaints filed in the last three years, with 28 closed in the most recent 12 months. The largest categories are service or repair issues (39) and product issues (33), followed by billing, sales and advertising, and delivery complaints. Effy still holds an A+ BBB rating and is listed as accredited.10Better Business Bureau. Effy Jewelry Complaints
A recurring pattern involves purchases made on cruise ships. Effy operates boutiques on Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, and MSC, among others.11Cruise Retail Academy. Who’s Who in Cruise Retail Customers who buy jewelry on board and later seek a refund report being told to contact the cruise line, not Effy. The company states that “all purchases made in Effy stores aboard individual Cruise Lines are paid and refunded by the cruiseline itself.”12Better Business Bureau. Effy Jewelry Complaints – Page 5 Other complaints involve non-refundable deposits that Effy converts to store credit, and repair timelines that customers say stretch to eight to twelve weeks.10Better Business Bureau. Effy Jewelry Complaints If your purchase was made on board a cruise ship, the refund path likely runs through the cruise line rather than Effy.