Anheuser-Busch Sued for Beck's Beer 'Made in Germany' Claim
Do you drink Beck's beer? If you do, you may be entitled to a refund.
A couple years ago, Francisco Rene Marty, Seth Goldman, and Fernando Marquet, all avid Beck's drinkers, sued Anheuser-Busch, the company that makes Beck's Beer for misleading marketing claims regarding the beer's origins . Finally, the case has settled, and deceived customers may soon be able to claim a refund.
Made in Germany?
Does "Originated in Bremen, Germany" mean the same thing as "Made in Germany"? The plaintiffs in this case definitely though so.
Marty, Goldman, and Marquet all thought the Beck's Beer that they've been buying for years was made in Germany and imported into the United States. So, when they finally noticed "Product of USA" printed on the label of Beck's bottles, they were incensed. The three then filed a class action lawsuit against Beck's parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev for unjust enrichment and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
According to the suit, Anheuser-Busch tricked customers into buying more beer by claiming that the beer is brewed in Germany using German ingredients, and imported in the United States. The three named plaintiffs claimed that they paid more for Beck's because they thought it was an imported beer rather than a domestic beer. They also argued that Anheuser-Busch knew that customers were deceived, but continued to capitalize on the confusion.
Lawsuit Settlement
After two years of litigation, the parties have reached a settlement.
Customers who have saved their receipts of Beck's purchases can claim up to $50 in refunds. Customers without receipts can get 50 cents per six pack and up to $12 total. This doesn't quite sound like much for us.
Meanwhile, the lawyers who filed the case get nearly $4 million. Most importantly, Anheuser-Busch has promised to change its labels to clearly show that Beck's is brewed in the United States, not in Germany.
Your Advertising
Take note of Anheuser-Busch's mistake, and be careful of the claims you make on your product labels and advertisings. Don't put any untrue claims or claims that you can't prove on your labels. Misleading customers is generally frowned upon and could cost you a lot of money.
Related Resources:
- Drink Beck's beer? You may be entitled to a refund from Anheuser-Busch (FOX News)
- Supreme Court Clarifies False Advertising Law (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- How to Get into Trouble for 'Unfair' Advertising (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- Stay Legal, Don't Make Ad Fine Print Too Small (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)