Walmart Overcharged Grocery Customers, Will Pay $45M

Did you purchase weighted groceries or bagged citrus fruit at Walmart at any point in the last five and a half years? If so, you could be eligible for a share of a $45 million payout. Walmart agreed to pay that amount to settle a class action lawsuit alleging shoppers in the continental US and Puerto Rico were overcharged for meat and seafood sold by weight, as well as select oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines sold in bulk bags, between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, per NPR. Walmart was accused of falsely inflating the weight of items, thereby charging above the lowest advertised price. "We still deny the allegations, however we believe a settlement is in the best interest of both parties," the company said, per the AP.

• How to get paid: The first step is submitting a claim on the settlement administrator's website.

• With receipt: Those with proof of purchase can receive up to 2% of the cost of each eligible product purchased, up to a total of $500 per person.
• No receipt: No problem. You can still receive between $10 and $25, depending on the number of eligible products you claim to have purchased and the number of people who apply.
• Eligible products: You can see a full list and search product codes here.
• Deadline: Claims must be submitted by June 5.
• The money: Payments will follow a final settlement approval hearing scheduled for June 12 at the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, per NPR. Even if there are no appeals, delivery could take several months.

(More Walmart stories.)