The Kohl’s settlement most people are searching for is Russell v. Kohl’s Department Stores, a $6.15 million California class action over inflated “original” prices that received final court approval in October 2016 and closed to claims in 2017. A newer nationwide lawsuit over Kohls.com pricing is pending, but no settlement terms, fund amount, or claim deadline have been publicly announced.
What the Russell Case Was About
The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California in 2015, alleged that Kohl’s inflated the “original” and “regular” prices printed on tags so advertised discounts looked steeper than they actually were. A sweater marked “Original $60, Now $24” had, according to the complaint, never meaningfully sold at $60.1Lexology. Deceptive-Pricing Class Action Costs Kohl’s $6.15M
Who Qualified
Eligibility was narrow. The class covered shoppers at 116 Kohl’s stores in California who bought at least one item advertised at 30 percent or more off its “original” or “regular” price between June 11, 2011, and preliminary approval in 2015. Shoppers outside California, and buyers of items at smaller advertised discounts, were not included.1Lexology. Deceptive-Pricing Class Action Costs Kohl’s $6.15M
What Class Members Received
The $6.15 million fund covered administration, attorney fees, and $5,000 enhancement payments to the named plaintiffs. Roughly $3.6 million was left for class members, distributed as Kohl’s gift card credits estimated at $20 or more each. The credits were fully transferable and had no expiration date, but could not be redeemed for cash except where state law required it. Documented purchases qualified for higher payouts than undocumented ones.2Court Listener. Steven Russell v. Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc., 5:15-cv-01143
The Russell Settlement Is Closed
Final judgment was entered on October 13, 2016, and the case was terminated on April 21, 2017. There is no open claims period, and the settlement does not allow late claims.2Court Listener. Steven Russell v. Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc., 5:15-cv-01143 If you shopped at a California Kohl’s during the class period and never received a gift card credit, the window has passed.
The Newer Kohls.com Pricing Lawsuit
A separate class action targets Kohl’s online pricing nationwide and makes the same core allegation: inflated “original” and “regular” prices designed to make discounts look bigger than they are. The proposed class covers anyone in the United States who bought from Kohls.com between November 3, 2020, and May 21, 2023, at least one item advertised with a “sale,” “clearance,” or percentage-off price compared to a higher reference price, and who has not already received a refund.
Unlike Russell, this action reaches nationwide online shoppers rather than California in-store buyers. No confirmed settlement terms, fund amount, or claim filing deadline have been publicly announced. Anyone who believes they fall within this class should watch for official notices rather than rely on unofficial deadlines circulating online. Scam sites that mimic class action settlement portals are common, so claims should be filed only through the administrator’s website listed in the court-approved notice.
How to Protect a Potential Claim
If this newer case settles, notice will typically go directly to class members whose email addresses are in Kohl’s records. A few things help:
- Keep order confirmations, credit card statements, and Kohls.com account history showing purchases during the class period. In Russell, documented purchases paid more than undocumented ones.
- File only through the official settlement website named in the court-approved notice.
- Watch the opt-out deadline. If your individual losses exceed what a class settlement would pay, you can typically opt out and preserve the right to sue on your own, but only before the exclusion deadline.
Other Kohl’s Cases People Sometimes Confuse With This One
Two unrelated matters come up in the same searches. The Federal Trade Commission sued Kohl’s (and Walmart) for falsely marketing rayon textile products as bamboo; Kohl’s agreed to pay $2.5 million in civil penalties and was barred from making unsubstantiated bamboo claims.3U.S. Department of Justice. Kohl’s and Walmart Agree to Pay $5.5 Million in Combined Penalties for Alleged Deceptive Violations A separate class action followed a February 2024 data breach at third-party vendor FBCS that affected more than 4.2 million people. Neither has anything to do with the pricing settlements, and each has its own eligibility rules.