Harbor Freight Tool Class Action

[Professional Tool User]

I thought Harbor Freight's issues around the "compare at" price had already been beaten to death already. They've even updated their website to show who the heck they are comparing to for every item.

 

[Specs]

The latests ads are: “COMPARED TO CHICAGO PNEUMATIC”

I got the not sure squinty look because: “isn’t CP a harbor freight brand name?” And then that's when i hoisted the BS FLAG... how does HF compare itself for savings? Its its own worst enemy??

 

[Sco Deac]

Just got my check for $607 today.

Compares at a Snap on settlement of $57.

 

[trekgod3]

The latests ads are: “COMPARED TO CHICAGO PNEUMATIC”

I got the not sure squinty look because: “isn’t CP a harbor freight brand name?” And then that's when i hoisted the BS FLAG... how does HF compare itself for savings? Its its own worst enemy??

No. HF's brand is CENTRAL pneumatic

 

[soob]

The names are very similar, what a strange coincidence.

 

[Specs]

no. Hf's brand is central pneumatic

ohhhhhhhhhh .....*mindblown*

 

[amishman]

I like Harbor Freight and buy plenty. Even saved the receipts. But I opted for more a wrist slap $10 (or whatever it was) gift-card versus getting all the receipts together and pillage them for more. I would rather see them stick around as I buy my fair share there. Now... I have not received my gift card yet.... so if that never arrives, maybe I will then wish I had applied for more. heh. Figure $10 will get me some 7mil work rubber gloves. ;-) TJ

 

[xin]

The listed 'attorneys fees' in the settlement notice is $10 MILLION.

At a nominal $500/hour for the attorneys, that's 20,000 hours of billed time.

(that's 10 man-years worth of time at 50 weeks/year, allowing 2 weeks off per year.)

Correction - in CHINA it is 10 MILLION Man-Years worth of time.

 

[xin]

True, they are barely worth $5.

True cost to Wharf Freight.

.05 cents

 

[driftpin]

If you're old-enough you may recall when these speakers were pretty-hot: (attachment)

I don't mind getting the $, not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, as-long as it's legal.

ohhhhhhhhhh ..... *mindblown*

 

[Specs]

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I’ll buy that for a dollar!

Speaking of which, soft handle Breaker bars are $14.99 with coupon code 19291774, gotta help offset the cost of all those gift cards.... HOIST THE COLORS!!!!

 

[WittHay]

I thought Harbor Freight's issues around the "compare at" price had already been beaten to death already. They've even updated their website to show who the heck they are comparing to for every item.

Its hard for somebody outside the US to understand the strange business practices of HF. Normal stores have regular prices and some items on sale every month or two. Then you see the savings on your receipt.

HF does not have regular prices, as there are always discounts on items or coupons available, So you are not really saving anything, even though your receipt shows substantial savings.

Doesn't take that much of a lawyer to convince a judge or court that that practice is illegal. Regarding coupons, never heard of coupons being used in a tool store, thought that was just for lady's and grocery shopping in years gone by

 

[WWheeler]

The latests ads are: “COMPARED TO CHICAGO PNEUMATIC”

I got the not sure squinty look because: “isn’t CP a harbor freight brand name?” And then that's when i hoisted the BS FLAG... how does HF compare itself for savings? Its its own worst enemy??

Chicago Pneumatic is not a Harbor Fright brand. They're a +100yr US company (now worldwide) that at least used to make some pretty good tools. I haven't really seen much from them in a couple decades now though. I suspect that as they have been expanding their brand around the globe HF has been watering down their brand recognition here at home with their Central Pneumatic knockoffs.

 

[artbuc]

That is what Sears always did. You had to be a fool to ever to full price at Sears. 25-40% off got the item to a fair price.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Its hard for somebody outside the US to understand the strange business practices of HF. Normal stores have regular prices and some items on sale every month or two. Then you see the savings on your receipt.

HF does not have regular prices, as there are always discounts on items or coupons available, So you are not really saving anything, even though your receipt shows substantial savings.

Doesn't take that much of a lawyer to convince a judge or court that that practice is illegal. Regarding coupons, never heard of coupons being used in a tool store, thought that was just for lady's and grocery shopping in years gone by

Never done Harb Freight and never will, but I laugh my *** off every time I see someone reference harbor freight and coupons. Do they take green stamps and gold stars too? Reminds me of when I take my wife to Kohls and all the little gimmicks and coupons. For fucks sake , just sell at one price! and

 

[Specs]

Never done Harb Freight and never will, but I laugh my *** off every time I see someone reference harbor freight and coupons. Do they take green stamps and gold stars too? Reminds me of when I take my wife to Kohls and all the little gimmicks and coupons. For fucks sake , just sell at one price! and

Well since Snap on doesnt sell the retention ball holder tool for ratchet ball repair kits anymore, where else can i feel the quality and low cost sensation snap on stole from me...

And with my sarcasm, there is a truth cause Some good business practices died from concrete stores and consumers who thought saving money on a soso tool would satisfy their bottom line...

I don’t ever see myself putting more than 300lbs of force on any breaker bar, i just love not breaking my back busting wheel lugs. Why i mentioned the coupon.

I do love my mac hella long breaker bar though

 

[Musicinabottle]

I was talking about titles you see here.

Blah Earthquake X Blah at harbor freight on sale and take an additional 20% off with coupon, plus an additional 10% when you apply for a harbor freight china diamond credit card combined with 6 peeled and applied gold star stickers. Start clipping!

 

[Specs]

So true, the stack of Clippings people fight the cashier with just makes the shopping experience even more tedious. I do go at odd hours to get stuff ill use at work, but thats about it. One coupon off my phone :beep: pay leave.

I just wait for those bottom dollar opportunities

 

[driftpin]

I recall helping my parents with the Sperry & Hutchinson (S & H) green stamp booklets, and also a consumer spending tracking program called Sam Barton. I was just a kid, but they would get the stamps, and it would be one of my chores to glue the stamps in the books. At redemption time, I recall you could either use-up all your books to buy something, or you could get a big discount, and buy something with some cash and some stamp books. Something for nothing is always good, if you don't want to participate, just throw your S & H stamps away, or give them to someone who will use them. People used to do charity drives where they would collect your S & H stamps and turn them in for whatever charity.

The Sam Barton Club, you filled out a form about what you bought, and I think you got paid to do it. I recall my mom inventorying everything she bought onto a form, mailing it off, and getting paid to do it.

Harbor Freight has plenty of stuff I use, and I'm not ashamed to shop there.

Never done Harb Freight and never will, but I laugh my *** off every time I see someone reference harbor freight and coupons. Do they take green stamps and gold stars too? Reminds me of when I take my wife to Kohls and all the little gimmicks and coupons. For fucks sake , just sell at one price! and

 

[Specs]

Momma specs told me about those booklets and stamping them and the meal tickets!!!

Bit that was from a time long ago, why HF gotta go through all those paces when a club card eliminates all that?

 

[Fender1325]

Haha what a *******. And the compare at pricing I've seen refers to a similar tool for the same job from another brand. For example - floor jacks. They'll compare theirs to snap on. Sure, polar opposite in quality generally speaking, but similar tool for same job. No harm done in my opinion.

 

[WittHay]

The HF compare pricing is like comparing a Volkswagen to a Mercedes or a Cadillac to a Rolls Royce doesn't make sense but no harm done

Its the use of the "beat" in a advertisement and the use of Real Tool Review (RTR) videos in emails sent out that in my opinion is borderline illegal. The latest email sent out includes a RTR video about the top 5 HF tools

RTR should have a disclaimer that he is being paid by HF and manufacturers use words like "best in class" not "beat". Just sounds very amateurish or juvenile to me

 

[6PTsocket]

He may get some traction with his claim in California.

This is the state where under prop.65 everything in the World causes cancer. It is the reason there is a 6 month wait to rent a U haul and Toyota moved to Texas. This creep is looking for a payday. In the real world HF pricing has fooled nobody. However, it is common for there to be laws that say an item must be offered at the regular price for a period of time for it to be legal to say it is on sale. HF says that the retail price is a comperable, not their list price. That is legal. Shmidt is a major player in the LA political machine. There is no way they will let this plaintiff win.


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[WittHay]

HF lost the court action regarding deceptive pricing. Pictures from another thread. This man received $194.94

 

[Specs]

Oh snap! Thats like a whole 5 drawer service cart right there...

 

[WittHay]

Oh snap! Thats like a whole 5 drawer service cart right there...

I know, thats why I was wondering why more people didn't sign up to get free money from a billionaire businessman

I am thinking the reluctance has to do whether the owner of HF does or does not wear the same color cap as the current US president.

Growing up in one the most socially/politically divided areas of North America in the 70's and 80's there was absolutely no middle ground. One side of of my family were businessman and the other union/trade people. A lot of topics weren't discussed at family get together's

 

[Specs]

Awkwardness abound!

I didnt even know about the law suit, cause I dont live close enough to a HF... meaning one location is across the triboro/rfk bridge, the other is 35-40 minutes away and rarely have the tools I need (for now) besides i just got the 4-drawer cart for $99 and its unmanageable heavy... im happy?

 

[anndel]

I recall helping my parents with the Sperry & Hutchinson (S & H) green stamp booklets, and also a consumer spending tracking program called Sam Barton. I was just a kid, but they would get the stamps, and it would be one of my chores to glue the stamps in the books. At redemption time, I recall you could either use-up all your books to buy something, or you could get a big discount, and buy something with some cash and some stamp books. Something for nothing is always good, if you don't want to participate, just throw your S & H stamps away, or give them to someone who will use them. People used to do charity drives where they would collect your S & H stamps and turn them in for whatever charity.

The Sam Barton Club, you filled out a form about what you bought, and I think you got paid to do it. I recall my mom inventorying everything she bought onto a form, mailing it off, and getting paid to do it.

Harbor Freight has plenty of stuff I use, and I'm not ashamed to shop there.

Same here when I'm stateside. Wow in Hawaii I remember helping my parents with S&H, Gold Bond Stamps and we had Royal Stamps. Plus Proctor and Gamble stuff like Ivory Snow, Ivory Soap, Tide that we turned in labels for dishes those white plates with a wheat logo. Good times man.

 

[6PTsocket]

Its hard for somebody outside the US to understand the strange business practices of HF. Normal stores have regular prices and some items on sale every month or two. Then you see the savings on your receipt.

HF does not have regular prices, as there are always discounts on items or coupons available, So you are not really saving anything, even though your receipt shows substantial savings.

Doesn't take that much of a lawyer to convince a judge or court that that practice is illegal. Regarding coupons, never heard of coupons being used in a tool store, thought that was just for lady's and grocery shopping in years gone by

Then you haven't been in Bed Bath and Beyond. The 20% off coupons are as easy to come by as HF. Try Michaels , Hobby Lobby or JoAnns fabric. There are permanant 40% off one item coupons. Rockauto has a permanent 5% discount off your whole order. Bottom line: HF is cheap and all the sales and clearance nonsense does not change that fact. EVERYBODY knows that. Find me one person that was financially injured by HF because of price. They do far more damage selling **** and not having any product support. Anybody that is taken in by HF pricing probably should not be out shopping without a responsible adult.

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[Nineeightyone]

Alright, flamesuit on.

I went in on the HF class action, because I've bought a fair number of things at Harbor Freight. Did I feel cheated? Did I feel lied to? No. I bought them without giving much thought to the "save x%" or "beats y brand by $z", but instead based on "hey, I'm a regular guy and I need this tool, it doesn't need to live forever but I need it to do something."

I opted for the gift card, over the cash back. Know what I'm going to do with that gift card? Buy some more tools. Sure it eats into their profit, but I'm sure HF as a brand has made enough money off of me as a consumer (and probably plenty others as well) that they can sustain giving me a couple bucks off of my next purchase. Hell, I'll probably use the money to get a second jack, which I would normally not be buying because I don't have the money for it. So instead of HF getting $0 in sales money from me, now they'll get money to cycle back into their stores, and appear effective to stockholders, which will boost their value, and allow them to invest more (hopefully) into R&D on better tools.

I'm not claiming to be knowledgeable about how business works, or even to be smart in general, but I'm going to cycle that money back into their business, because their products generally work pretty well for what I need. I continue to buy basics from them when I need a tool, and I think that's alright. HF sells products that are generally alright for the homeowner/entry level mechanic, and provide access to an array of tools that would otherwise be out of reach for the lower-income hobbyist.

/flamesuit

 

[Showkey]

Alright, flamesuit on.

A

I opted for the gift card, over the cash back. Know what I'm going to do with that gift card? Buy some more tools. Sure it eats into their profit, but I'm sure HF as a brand has made enough money off of me as a consumer (and probably plenty others as well) that they can sustain giving me a couple bucks off of my next purchase. Hell, I'll probably use the money to get a second jack, which I would normally not be buying because I don't have the money for it. So instead of HF getting $0 in sales money from me, now they'll get money to cycle back into their stores, and appear effective to stockholders, which will boost their value, and allow them to invest more (hopefully) into R&D on better tools.

I'm not claiming to be knowledgeable about how business works, or even to be smart in general, but I'm going to cycle that money back into their business, because their products generally work pretty well for what I need. I continue to buy basics from them when I need a tool, and I think that's alright. HF sells products that are generally alright for the homeowner/entry level mechanic, and provide access to an array of tools that would otherwise be out of reach for the lower-income hobbyist.

/flamesuit

There are no stock holders........HF is a privately held company. So the money goes back to the guy that did or didn’t “cheat” you in the first place. Maybe next time because I am not sure they changed their behavior?

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4221299

 

[Nineeightyone]

There are no stock holders........HF is a privately held company. So the money goes back to the guy that did or didn’t “cheat” you in the first place. Maybe next time because I am not sure they changed their behavior?

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4221299

Glad I mentioned ahead of time that I'm not smart...

Yeah, I mean honestly I'm fine with it though, I've never been one to buy their products based on the "compare to" pricing/gimmicks.

Someone on here in one thread brought up a really good point, to look at everything at the listed price, ignoring the "compare to/beats" prices and listing, and deciding purely based on the product in front of them and the listed price if it was an item worth purchasing. That's been my attitude towards the items HF sells up to this point, and I'm alright with the results as a customer.

 

[mikeceli]

I received over $600.00 because I have saved every HF receipt for decades.

 

[bassbone52]

HF lost the court action regarding deceptive pricing. Pictures from another thread. This man received $194.94

I sure did. And I and went to HF yesterday and picked up a black, 5-drawer cart.

 

[driftpin]

Well, this is the

BEST NEWS​

I have received to date!

An email today:
Thank you for your email.

Your claim has been processed and approved. According to our records, you filed under Option A and selected to receive payment via gift card.

Checks were mailed to claimants who selected a cash payment on April 30, 2018, and gift cards were mailed to claimants who submitted an Option C claim on May 11, 2018. After the mailing of the check and Option C gift card payments earlierthis year, we were instructed by the Parties to put all gift card mailings on hold until certain claims could be reviewed by counsel. That review was recently completed. While we anticipate that gift cards for claimants who submitted Option A and OptionB claims will be mailed within the next several weeks, we are not able to provide a definite distribution date at this time.

Regards,
Settlement Administrator (AB)

National Sale Price Settlement


I am interested to see how-much more I will receive compared to what I submitted. I hope it's the 1600% windfall that the "gimme a $10 gift card" guys received!

 

[ChrisLS8]

Same here when I'm stateside. Wow in Hawaii I remember helping my parents with S&H, Gold Bond Stamps and we had Royal Stamps. Plus Proctor and Gamble stuff like Ivory Snow, Ivory Soap, Tide that we turned in labels for dishes those white plates with a wheat logo. Good times man.

I remember Marlboro had that type of program as well. I remember my Uncle got a huge camping tent and some other items then passed away before he could use them

 

[Tallpilot]

Well, this is the

BEST NEWS​

I have received to date!

I am interested to see how-much more I will receive compared to what I submitted. I hope it's the 1600% windfall that the "gimme a $10 gift card" guys received!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get less than $160. I don't buy much at HF so I only had a few hundred in credit card statements.

Kind of a joke the fraudsters got more than the people with legitimate documentation but whatever. At least the lawyers made money.

 

[teejaywhy]

Oh snap! Thats like a whole 5 drawer service cart right there...

On sale...

 

[Keithinsc]

Rec'd my payment in the mail yesterday.
Two gift cards totaling $265.
The paperwork I submitted 4/6/17 was "you saved $447".

So about 60% of what I 'saved'.

New tool cart and maybe a powdercoat setup is on the shopping list.

 

[xin]

No one is getting anything for FREE.

Someone always PAYS they just add the cost on other products and the people who buy foots the bill.