The Los Angeles County District Attorney, along with the District Attorneys from Alameda, Napa, and Sonoma, announced they they have reached a $950,000 settlement with Yeezy Apparel LLC and Yeezy LLC, resolving allegations that the online sneaker and clothing brand failed to ship items in a timely manner. The brand was founded by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).
Under California law, if you sell products online, you're required to ship them within thirty days. If you're not able to ship on time, you're required to provide a refund, send equivalent or superior replacement products, or provide the buyer with written notice of the delay. (This is similar to federal Mail Order Rule requirements.)
Here, the District Attorneys alleged that Yeezy repeatedly violated the law by failing to ship within the required time period and by failing to provide the required delay notices and refunds. The DAs also alleged that Yeezy also made false or misleading statements about its ability to ship products within a certain timeframe, particularly when customers paid an additional charge for expedited shipping.
As part of the settlement, Yeezy is prohibited from making false shipping representations and agreed to comply with California legal requirements regarding online sales. The $950,000 settlement is made up of $200,000 in civil penalties paid to each of the DAs, $50,000 in consumer restitution, and $25,000 in investigative costs paid to each of the DAs.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said, "Online consumers are entitled to protection against unwarranted fees and unreasonably long waits for purchases to arrive on their doorsteps. We will enforce state and federal laws governing online shopping in Los Angeles County."