OPINION
Before the Court is Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., and Keurig, Inc.’s, (collectively “Defendants”) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff Philip Green’s (“Plaintiff’ or
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Defendants are “in the specialty coffee and coffee maker businesses.” (Compl. ¶ 12.) They manufacture “single-cup brewers, accessories and coffee, tea, cocoa and other beverages in K-Cup portion packs.” {Id. ¶ 16.) In addition to manufacturing, Defendants also market and sell their products “in domestic wholesale and retail channels, [supermarkets], and directly to consumers.” {Id. ¶¶ 15, 21.) At the heart of this lawsuit are the following single-cup brewing systems Defendants manufacture and sell: Keurig® Platinum Brewing System (model series B70), Keurig Special Edition Brewing System (model series B60), Keurig Elite Brewing System (model series B40), Keurig B155 Brewing System, Keurig OfficePRO Brewing System, Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System (model series B31), Keurig B130 In-Room Brewing System, Keurig B150 Brewing System, Keurig BI40 Brewing System, Breville Brewing System with Keurig Brewed® Technology, Cuisinart® Brewing System with Keurig Brewed Technology, Mr. Coffee® Brewing System with Keurig Brewed Technology, and the Keurig B200 Brewing System (collectively the “Keurig Brewing Systems”). {Id. ¶ 1.)
According to Green, Defendants advertised on their websites and the brewers’ packaging that “one K-Cup would brew a programmed quantity of coffee.” {Id. ¶ 8; see also id. ¶¶ 22-27.) Based on these representations, Plaintiff asserts that he purchased a Keurig® Platinum Brewing System (model series B70) in or around January 2011. {Id. ¶ 8.) However, Green maintains that his machine failed to brew the programmed amounts of K-Cup® coffee within a few weeks of use. {Id.) Plaintiff asserts that the machines had “defective components, including defective pumps.” {Id. ¶28.) As a result, the machines failed and brewed less than the specified amount. {Id.) Furthermore, this defect allegedly caused “consumers to use additional K-Cups® to brew a single beverage.” {Id. ¶2.) Green submits that other consumers complained to Defendants about the defective machines and Defendants were aware that the brewing machines were defective. {Id. ¶¶ 29, 45.)
Defendants provide a one-year no-cost limited warranty for the Keurig Brewing Systems that allows Defendants, at their option, to repair or replace the machine. The warranty provides in relevant part:
Keurig warrants that your Keurig Home Brewer will be free of defects in materials or workmanship under normal home use for one year from the date of purchase. Keurig will, at its option, repair or replace the Brewer without charge upon its receipt of proof of the date of purchase. If a replacement Brewer is necessary to service this warranty, the replacement Brewer may be new or reconditioned. If a replacement Brewer is sent, it will carry a One Year Warranty from the date of shipment. Keurig will cover all shipping costs for authorized returns.
(Defs.’ Br. Ex. A.)
Nonetheless, Plaintiff has not taken advantage of the warranty. According to Green, other consumers who were serviced under the warranty had their machines “replaced with unused, but equally defective” machines. (Compl. ¶ 4.)
Consequently, on April 11, 2011, Green initiated this action on behalf of himself and others in the State of New Jersey who “purchased or received” Keurig Brewing Systems
LEGAL STANDARD
The adequacy of pleadings is governed by Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2), which requires that a complaint allege “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” See also Phillips v. Cnty. of Allegheny,
Moreover, Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(b)’s pleading requirements apply to CFA claims. See, e.g., Frederico v. Home Depot,
DISCUSSION
1. Standing
Pursuant to Article III of the United States Constitution, the Court may exercise jurisdiction only where there is an actual case or controversy. Golden v. Zwickler,
First, the plaintiff must have suffered an injury in fact—an invasion of a legally protected interest which is (a) concrete and particularized, and (b) actual or imminent, not conjectural or hypothetical. Second, there must be a causal connection between the injury and the conduct complained of— the injury has to be fairly ... tracefable]*280 to the challenged action of the defendant, and not ... the result [of] the independent action of some third party not before the court. Third, it must be likely, as opposed to merely speculative, that the injury will be redressed by a favorable decision.
Id. at 560-61,
Although all three elements have to be met, “the injury-in-faet element is often determinative.” Toll Bros., Inc. v. Twp. of Readington,
In this case, Green alleges that he purchased and used the Keurig® Platinum Brewing System (model series B70). (Compl. ¶ 8.) Nevertheless, he seeks to represent all individuals in New Jersey who “purchased or received” Keurig Brewing Systems. (Id. ¶ 58; PL’s Opp’n Br. 1 n. 2.) Plaintiff does not have “standing to pursue a claim that products [ ]he neither purchased nor used did not work as advertised.” Lieberson, — F.Supp.2d at -,
2. Individual Claims
a. CFA
The CFA, which affords private citizens with a cause of action under limited circumstances, provides in relevant part: “Any person who suffers any ascertainable loss of moneys or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment by another person of any method, act, or practice declared unlawful under this act ... may bring an action ... in any court of competent jurisdiction.” N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:8-19. To state a private cause of action under the CFA, “a plaintiff must allege each of three elements: (1) unlawful conduct by the defendants; (2) an ascertainable loss on the part of the plaintiff; and (3) a causal relationship between the defendants’ unlawful conduct and the plaintiffs ascertainable loss.” N.J. Citizen Action v. Schering-Plough Corp.,
Green argues that Defendants’ conduct was unlawful because they misrepresented the amount of beverage the machine would brew.
In a misrepresentation case, a plaintiff may show ascertainable loss by “either out-of-pocket loss or a demonstration of loss in value.” Thiedemann v. Mercedes-Benz USA LLC,
Furthermore, this Court finds unpersuasive Plaintiffs argument that Defendants’ warranty did not address the defects in the brewers because other consumers reported that their replaced or repaired brewers were equally defective. (Compl. ¶¶ 33-44; Pl.’s Opp’n Br. 20.) “[A]llegations regarding the experience of members of the putative class, in general, cannot fulfill the requirement of pleading with adequate specificity.” Luppino v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Civ. No. 09-5582,
Nevertheless, Plaintiff, relying on Asp v. Toshiba Am. Consumer Prods., LLC,
Moreover, Plaintiff has not sufficiently pled loss in value. “Under the CFA, Plaintiff is required to plead specific facts setting forth and defining the ascertainable loss suffered.” Solo,
b. Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability
New Jersey has adopted the Uniform Commercial Code to govern commercial transactions involving the purchase and sale of goods. Noble v. Porsche Cars N. Am., Inc.,
Here, the “general” purpose of the brewers was to brew beverages. Although Defendants may have advertised that the machines would brew a specific amount of beverage, that alone does not transform the “general” purpose. See Lieberson, — F.Supp.2d at -,
e. Unjust Enrichment
To state a claim for unjust enrichment, “a plaintiff must show both that defendant received a benefit and that retention of that benefit without payment would be unjust.” Iliadis v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
This Court finds that Green has insufficiently pled a claim for unjust enrichment. Plaintiff alleges that he purchased a brewer. Yet, he fails to allege if he purchased the brewer directly from Defendants. Aso, Green does not allege that he was mistaken in conferring a benefit on Defendants. Absent an allegation of a direct relationship or a mistake, Plaintiff has insufficiently pled a claim for unjust enrichment. See Cooper v. Samsung Elecs. Am., Inc., Civ. A. No. 07-3853,
3. Class Allegations
Even though Plaintiff has yet to move for class certification, Defendants contend that the class allegations should be dismissed. Plaintiff argues that the Court should deny Defendants’ motion because it is premature. Nevertheless, a court may strike class action allegations “in those rare cases where the complaint itself demonstrates that
Green, the proposed class representative, must satisfy all four requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(a). Innovative Physical Therapy, Inc. v. Metlife Auto & Home, Civ. A. No. 07-5446,
(1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable;
(2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class;
(3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and
(4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.
Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(a). Moreover, Plaintiff bears the burden of “establish[ing] that all four requisites of Rule 23(a) and at least one part of Rule 23(b) are met.” Baby Neal v. Casey,
In this case, Green is seeking certification under Rule 23(b)(3). (Compl. ¶¶58, 62-63.) There are two requirements under this rule: predominance and superiority. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(3); In re Hydrogen Peroxide Antitrust Litig.,
Common Questions of Fact do not Predominate
“For common questions of fact to predominate, they must be ‘both numerically and qualitatively substantial in relation to the issues peculiar to individual class members.’ ” Mahtani v. Wyeth, Civ. A. No. 08-6255,
Predominance tests whether proposed classes are sufficiently cohesive to warrant adjudication by representation, a standard far more demanding than the commonality requirement of Rule 23(a), requiring more than a common claim. Issues common to the class must predominate over individual issues____Because the nature of the evidence that will suffice to resolve a question determines whether the question is common or individual, a district court must formulate some prediction as to how specific issues will play out in order to determine whether common or individual issues predominate in a given case. If proof of the essential elements of the cause of action requires individual treatment, then class certification is unsuitable.
In re Hydrogen Peroxide Antitrust Litig.,
1. CFA
Green’s primary allegation is that Defendants misrepresented that the machines would brew a specific amount of beverage. (Compl. ¶2.) In order to assert a claim under the CFA, the putative class will have to establish their model series B70 brewers were defective. “Other courts in this District have found that proving a defect is a highly individualized inquiry unsuitable for class treatment.” Mahtani,
2. Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability
Proving that Defendants breached the implied warranty of merchantability will also require this Court to perform an individualized inquiry. Not every member of the putative class has experienced a defect with the model series B70. Even if the purported defect has manifested in all of the brewers purchased within the class period, the Court will have to make individual inquiries as to the cause and extent of the defect. As a result, this claim is unsuitable for class treatment.
3. Unjust Enrichment Claim
Individual issues predominate with this claim for the same reasons as stated above. Not all members of the putative class have experienced a defect with the model series B70. Therefore, those individuals who have not experienced the alleged defect received the benefit of the bargain. Furthermore, all of the members of the putative class did not purchase their machines directly from Defendants. Also, the putative class includes individuals who “received” the model series B70 brewers. {Id. ¶ 58; Pl.’s Opp’n Br. 1 n. 2.) Hence, some of the class members do not have a direct relationship with Defendants. See Cooper,
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, Defendants’ Motion is GRANTED.
Notes
. Although the general rule is that "a district court ruling on a motion to dismiss may not consider matters extraneous to the pleadings [,] ... an exception to the general rule is that a document integral to or explicitly relied upon in the complaint may be considered without converting the motion [to dismiss] into one for summary judgment.” In re Burlington Coat Factory Sec. Litig.,
. Initially, Green sought a nationwide class certification; however, he narrowed the class to New Jersey purchasers following the Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, - U.S. -,
. Plaintiff states that he is not pursing an omission claim. (Pl.’s Opp'n Br. 9 n. 9.) Consequent
. Plaintiff also asserts that he has suffered an ascertainable loss because he had to use an additional K-Cup® to brew a single cup. (Compl. ¶ 2.) This Court does not address whether Plaintiff's use of an additional cup qualifies as a predicate loss under the CFA because he has not given Defendants the opportunity to cure the alleged defect.
. Because this Court concludes that Plaintiff has failed to sufficiently allege an ascertainable loss, it will not determine if the other elements required to state a private cause of action under the CFA have been sufficiently pled.
. Plaintiff alleges breach implied warranty of merchantability and fitness. (Compl. ¶ 71.) However, neither Defendants’ nor Plaintiff's briefs address the implied warranty of fitness claim.
. Because this Court concludes that Plaintiff has not adequately pled that his brewer was not merchantable at the time of purchase, it does not decide if Plaintiff provided adequate notice to Defendants.
