Omaha Steaks Faces Shipping Charges Class Action

A California plaintiff has filed a projected class action against Omaha Steaks alleging the company’s shipping and handling charges “greatly exceed” the actual cost of shipping items to consumers. McCoy v. Omaha Steaks Int’l, No. BC658076 (Sup. Ct. Cal., Los Angeles Cty., filed April 14, 2017). The plaintiff asserts that he was charged $15.99 in shipping and handling fees for a jar of dry rub, allegedly twice what he would have paid had the product been shipped by the U.S. Postal Service. The complaint relies on the Direct Marketing Association’s ethical guidelines on shipping charges, which purportedly recommend charges be “reasonably related” to actual costs and disclosed early in the order process.

Issue 632