The Hershey Company is facing a federal class action lawsuit because at least four customers feel duped by the company's specialty Reese's product packaging. According to the lawsuit, the packaging contains "a false and deceptive representation of an artistic carving contained on said product." For example, a new product designed as a tie-in for the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, France, depicts a chocolate-shaped metal with a simple carving of a circle for the medal and a V-shape to represent the ribbon.
But, when the wrapper is opened, the actual products are "blanks," according to the lawsuit, with no such carvings on the actual products. The four customers in Florida, Eduardo Granados, Debra Kennick, Abdjul Martin and Nathan Vidal, have sued the chocolate maker for misleading customers.
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According to NPR, the lawsuit says, "Hershey's deceptive advertising is causing many consumers to purchase the products because of the cool and beautiful carved out designs on the products' packaging, when they would have not purchased the products if they were truthfully advertised."
And they're not just going after the Reese's Medal; the other chocolate candies listed in the lawsuit include the peanut butter pumpkin, white ghost, bats, snowmen, stockings, bells and footballs. The footballs caused further problems because, according to the photo in the lawsuit, the football "looks like eggs!!"
The lawsuit says the company boosted packing details within the last two to three years to goose sales and revenue.
The lawsuit also calls upon several revved up YouTube commenters who claim Reese's has gone too far and that their Halloween candy lied to them.
The class action lawsuit has many potential class members. It also includes the purchase price for all sales of the products in Florida during the past three years, which exceeds $5 million.
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