HP has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit that accused the company of misleading customers with false advertising, according to Ars Technica.
The lawsuit claimed HP used deceptive marketing tactics by displaying inflated strikethrough prices on its website to suggest significant discounts that didn’t exist.
The complaint, originally filed in 2022 and later amended, alleged that HP falsely advertised savings based on these fictitious original prices to boost product sales and maximize profits. Consumers argued they were misled into thinking they were getting a better deal than they were.
As part of the settlement, HP has not admitted any wrongdoing but has agreed to the payout to end the litigation. The settlement is intended to compensate affected customers who purchased HP products under the belief that they were receiving genuine discounts.
This case highlights growing scrutiny over deceptive pricing practices in e-commerce, particularly when companies manipulate “discount” prices to create a false sense of urgency or value.
