A brand new lawsuit by Santa Clara County accuses pop celebrity Rihanna’s lingerie firm Savage X Fenty of deceiving clients by routinely enrolling them in a “VIP” program with computerized recurring bank card fees.
Savage X Fenty by Rihanna broke California’s just-tightened automatic-renewal legislation by way of the scheme, in line with the go well with filed by Santa Clara and 4 different counties, together with Santa Cruz, on behalf of the individuals of California.
“When shoppers bought (Savage X Fenty’s) merchandise on its web site, (the corporate) would routinely add an routinely recurring paid VIP membership into the shoppers’ purchasing bag, inflicting the shoppers’ bank card (to) be charged repeatedly … till cancelled by the shoppers,” the lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Courtroom claimed. The go well with was filed final month however was solely registered and launched Monday.
Savage X Fenty didn't instantly reply to a request for remark. A quote from Rihanna on the agency’s web site consists of the remark, “Savage X means making your individual guidelines.”
The 5 counties accused the corporate of fraud, alleging that its actions “had been prone to deceive members of the general public and had been carried out with that intent.”
Savage X Fenty did not correctly disclose the phrases and circumstances of the auto-renewal program “clearly and conspicuously on its web site,” and didn't get hold of clients’ “affirmative and specific knowledgeable consent” to this system, the go well with alleged. The agency additionally didn't present “a easy on-line mechanism for purchasers to cease recurring fees,” the go well with claimed.
The agency additionally instructed clients that retailer credit score accrued through VIP membership could possibly be used at any time, when in truth it may solely be used for purchases costing greater than the worth of the credit score, the go well with alleged.
The counties are looking for a courtroom order barring Savage X Fenty from participating in any “deceptive and/or misleading” statements, reimbursement to California clients of cash allegedly “wrongfully obtained,” and fines of $2,500 for every violation of California’s Enterprise and Professions Code. The go well with didn't specify quite a lot of alleged violations or an quantity allegedly taken illegally from clients.
Barbadian singer Rihanna launched her lingerie firm in 2018, with an in depth sizing vary that promoted a “body-positive message,” in line with Vogue journal. “You may be cute and playful one week and a black widow subsequent week,” Rihanna instructed Vogue. “You possibly can take dangers with lingerie.”
Savage X Fenty has 5 shops throughout the U.S., together with one in California, in Culver Metropolis. The lawsuit doesn't embrace claims concerning gross sales from the brick-and-mortar retailers.
California’s automatic-renewal legislation, first handed in 2009, was tightened July 1 after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a invoice written by Assemblymember Marc Berman, who represents components of Silicon Valley, together with Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale.