The famous $5 Costco rotisserie chicken is probably one of the best prepared food values you can find. But some people disagree. Two Costco customers in California are upset with Costco, and they claim the Costco $5 rotisserie chicken contains preservatives and have filed a class action lawsuit.
The key problem here is the language that Costco used to market their chicken as being free of “Preservatives”.
So how do you define preservatives?
According to Seattletimes.com,
‘Charles Sipos, the attorney representing the Issaquah-based warehouse club, called the plaintiffs’ argument about false advertising “fatally flawed” because carrageenan and sodium phosphate are not categorized as preservatives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulations. Instead, he said they’re listed as ingredients that are part of the roasted bird’s seasoning.’
Since the filing of that class action lawsuit, Costco has removed any reference to their rotisserie chicken as being preservative free.
The stated goal of the individuals filing the class action lawsuit is to have “Costco to cease marketing the chicken as free of preservatives”. (OK, so that’s accomplished) but they also want to get paid. “They’re also seeking monetary damages.”
But the problem is, how do you really determine what the damages are? One of the assertions is that Costco advertising their $5 rotisserie chicken as preservative free gives it greater value and allows them to charge more for the product.
That would raise the question of who is out there that is selling a complete rotisserie chicken for less than $4.99.
The Almeida Law Group, which represents the California plaintiffs, is also asking that other people who have purchased the Costco $5 rotisserie chicken to join their class action lawsuit.
When was the last time you purchased a Costco $5 rotisserie chicken?
After you and your family devoured it, did you feel defrauded?
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