the trial court erred in applying the four-year limitations period of section 17208; that there is insufficient evidence to support the trial court's finding that Overstock made false and misleading statements in violation of the laws against unfair business practices and false advertising; and that the trial court imposed excessive penalties and improperly ordered injunctive relief. We shall affirm the judgment.
I. BACKGROUND
Overstock is an online retailer with a stated goal of being an "extreme value" retailer selling products for the lowest prices on the Internet. Overstock was founded in 1999, and originally offered primarily products from businesses that were liquidating excess inventory. Overstock now obtains most of its goods from third party "fulfillment partners."
The product pages on Overstock's website compared the price at which it offered an item to an advertised reference price (ARP or reference price), which it referred to by various terms during the times at issue in this case. From somewhere before 2003 until September 2007, the product pages
The "List Price" was sometimes derived from that of similar products. This might happen, for instance, if a product was made exclusively for Overstock. Before 2007, Overstock employees were not given any specific guidelines for determining whether an item was similar enough to be considered comparable to the product offered by Overstock. And customers were never informed when a similar, rather than identical, product was used for a comparison price.
Overstock also sometimes used "formulas" to derive list prices; these could be based on a number of methods, such as doubling or tripling the cost to Overstock or the usual wholesale cost. A February 2008 email from an employee suggested that list prices could be derived by multiplying the Overstock price by 1.2, to show a discount of 20 percent off list price. An Overstock manager acknowledged that this method would result in an arbitrary number and stated that she would not have allowed the list price to be derived in that manner because there was no documentation to show that anyone else was selling it at that price. Before September 2007, Overstock's employees did not receive any instruction or training on when to use a formula to set a comparison price for a product.
In July 2007, a Shasta County resident, Marc Ecenbarger, bought two identical patio
Ralph Mondeaux, Overstock's Vice President of Marketing, sent a letter to Overstock's fulfillment partners in September 2007 "as a reminder that when you provide a 'List Price' associated with a product you sell on our website, it must be in compliance with Overstock.com's policy regarding 'List Price.' " The letter set forth the acceptable ways to set list price, in order of preference: (1) Use the MSRP if there is confirmation of an instance in which
Overstock changed the term it used for the comparison price from "List Price" to "Compare At" in September 2007. For the first year the "Compare at" term was used instead of "List Price," there was no change in Overstock's policy on how comparison prices were set. Overstock did not have a process in place to verify that a product had been sold at the comparison price. There were instances in which Overstock employees discussed with suppliers the possibility of raising their MSRP so that Overstock could show a higher discount. Overstock continued to use comparison prices that were the highest price at which an item was offered for sale, even if the "street price," or price at which the item could be bought in other stores, was lower.
In July 2008, Overstock conducted a study to determine whether its MSRP prices were inflated in comparison to the market. Among a random selection of ten of the top 100 selling products from each department, "compare at"
prices were on average 15.30 percent higher than the highest actual selling price on line. Among a random selection of 10 products from the top 100 items with the greatest "you save" percentage, the "compare at" prices were 32.81 percent higher than the highest on line selling price. And among a random selection of ten additional products from each department, the "compare at" prices were on average 12.96 percent higher than the highest actual on line selling price.
In October 2008, Overstock removed the "compare at" pricing from most of its products and allowed them to be re-posted only if the fulfillment partner provided a verified reference price. The result was a
Overstock also formed a "pricing validation team" to verify that the items it sold were actually sold elsewhere at "compare at" prices submitted by buyers or fulfillment partners, and to re-verify those prices every 90 days. Fulfillment partners were asked to fill out spreadsheets listing, among other
Under Overstock's new policy, the pricing validation team was not allowed to validate prices based on the sales prices offered by the fulfillment partners themselves. However, there were still instances in which Overstock employees and fulfillment partners discussed the possibility of the partners raising the prices for their products on their own websites or on Amazon in order to create a higher comparison price.
The validation team did not use formulas to set reference prices. It sometimes verified a high street price for an item that was similar, rather than identical, to that sold on Overstock. Overstock received numerous complaints from customers that the "compare at" prices were inflated.
In April 2011, Overstock began using the term "Compare" rather than "Compare at" for its comparison prices. Overstock's guidelines provided that the "Compare" price "must be a bona fide price at which the product is being offered for sale or sold." Overstock also began using the term "MSRP" on its
website as the ARP for some items. The guidelines for "Compare" and MSRP pricing stated that "Compare" prices must be revalidated every three months and MSRP prices generally must be revalidated every six months. Overstock continued using comparison prices based on products that were similar but not identical.
After the People began investigating potential claims against Overstock, the parties entered into an agreement tolling the statute of limitations as of March 24, 2010. The People, through a number of district attorneys,
At trial, the People adduced the facts already described. In addition, each party presented expert testimony. Dr. Larry Compeau, the People's expert in the field of advertised reference prices, their effects on consumers, and their capacity to deceive consumers, testified that as ARP's increase, "internal reference prices," or the price that a consumer senses something costs, also increase. Likewise, consumers' perception of product quality and the "perceived value" of the product, or "the overall value that the consumer attaches to the product," increase as ARP's increase. As the product's perceived value increases, consumers are less likely to continue comparison shopping and are more likely to decide to purchase the product.
has "some veracity in the marketplace." This could be done by monitoring the market to compare prices to those of other sellers to determine an average or prevailing market price. An advertiser should be reasonably certain that the higher ARP does not significantly exceed the price at which substantial sales of the article are being made in the area.
Dr. Joel Steckel testified for Overstock as an expert in statistics, marketing, and consumer behavior. He opined that four conditions would have to be met in order for Overstock's consumers to be misled by the ARP's: the consumer must be aware of the reference price; the consumer must form an expectation of what the reference price means; the consumer must believe that Overstock's use of the reference price conforms to that expectation; and Overstock's use of the reference price must differ from that belief. He concluded that a majority of Overstock's customers did not notice reference prices, did not have well-formed expectations of what the reference prices mean, and thought the ARP reflected a high or non-discounted price. However, on cross-examination, he acknowledged that ARP's can help increase a customer's sense that he or she derived some value from the sale and increase customer loyalty. He also acknowledged that between 70 percent and 75
Issuing an exceptionally detailed, 93-page statement of decision, the trial court found Overstock had made untrue and misleading statements regarding pricing in violation of the unfair competition law (§ 17200 et seq. ) (UCL) and the False Advertising Law (§ 17500 et seq.) (FAL.)
advertising an ARP without documentation such as a screenshot. The court denied the People's request that customers receive restitution.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Statute of Limitations
Overstock first contends the trial court used the wrong statute of limitations for the penalties under the UCL. The trial court concluded the proper statute of limitations for the penalties for the UCL claims was four years. (§ 17208.) Therefore, because the parties agreed to toll the statute of limitations on March 24, 2010, the court calculated penalties beginning four years before that date, March 24, 2006. Overstock argues the correct statute of limitations for government penalty claims under the UCL is one year.
The UCL authorizes the Attorney General or a district attorney to bring an action to recover civil penalties in the name of the people of the State of California. (§ 17206, subd. (a).) It also provides: "Any action to enforce any cause of action pursuant to this chapter shall be commenced within four years after the cause of action accrued...." (§ 17208.) Our high court has emphasized that this language "admits of no exceptions. Any action on any UCL cause of action is subject to the four-year period of limitations created by that section." (Cortez v. Purolator Air Filtration Products Co. (2000)
Overstock asks us to ignore this clear statutory language and apply instead the one-year limitation of Code of Civil Procedure section 340, subdivision (b) (340(b)), which applies to "[a]n action upon a statute for a forfeiture or penalty to the people of this state." Overstock argues that the UCL's statute of limitations is general in nature and does not specifically address government penalties, and that Code of Civil Procedure section 340(b) is a more specific limitations statute and should govern the penalties sought by the People.
Overstock's argument is based on the difference between two subdivisions of Code of Civil Procedure section 340. Subdivision (a) of that statute establishes a one-year limitations period for "[a]n action
Code of Civil Procedure section 340 is part of title 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and must be read in conjunction with
In any case, even assuming there is a conflict between section 17208 and Code of Civil Procedure section 340(b), we are guided by the well-established rule that, "[w]here more than one statute might apply to a particular claim, 'a specific limitations provision prevails over a more general provision.' [Citation.]" (E-Fab, Inc. v. Accountants, Inc. Services (2007)
An argument similar to one made by Overstock was rejected in People ex rel. State Air Resources Bd. v. Wilmshurst (1999)
In considering this issue, moreover, we are mindful that "[t]o determine the statute of limitations which applies to a cause of action it is necessary to identify the nature of the cause of action, i.e., the 'gravamen' of the cause of action. [Citations.]
We are not persuaded otherwise by Overstock's reliance on Hughes Electronics Corp. v. Citibank Delaware (2004)
We are similarly unpersuaded by Overstock's reliance on Foxen v. Carpenter (2016)
B. Substantial Evidence of False or Misleading Statements
The FAL makes it "unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or association, or any employee thereof with intent directly or indirectly to dispose of real or personal property or to perform services ... or to induce the public to enter into any obligation relating thereto, to make or disseminate or cause to be made or disseminated before the public in this state ... in any newspaper or other publication, or any advertising device, ... or in any other manner or means whatever, including over the Internet, any statement, concerning that real or personal property or those services ... which is untrue or misleading, and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be untrue or misleading...." (§ 17500.)
Our high court has explained, " '[a]ny violation of the false advertising law ... necessarily violates' the UCL. [Citations.] We have also recognized that these laws prohibit 'not only advertising which is false, but also advertising which[,] although true, is either actually misleading or which has a capacity, likelihood or tendency to deceive or confuse the public.' [Citation.] Thus, to state a claim under either the UCL or the false advertising law, based on false advertising or promotional practices, 'it is necessary only to show that "members of the public are likely to be deceived." ' [Citations.]" (Kasky , supra , 27 Cal.4th at pp. 950-951.) "Actual deception or confusion
Overstock contends the evidence does not support the trial court's factual findings that it violated the FAL and the UCL. In considering this claim, " '[w]e are bound by the rule that when "a finding of
1. List Prices
The trial court first found that the use of the term "List Price" was a factual representation, and its use for an ARP based on non-identical items or based on formulas was "a false representation because it is not the actual list price for the product being sold" The court concluded that every time Overstock displayed a list price based on a formula or a similar product rather than the actual list price of the identical product, it made an untrue statement. Such a statement, the court concluded, "was 'untrue' because there was no list price." Overstock briefly argues that its list prices were "fair estimate[s]" insofar as they were based on markups that are generally used to set retail prices over wholesale, and the trial court failed to offer any "logic, reason, or evidence" to support its finding that "the term 'List Price' implies an actual
2. Similar Products and Formulas
The trial court next ruled that Overstock knowingly misled consumers when it used prices from similar products and formulas to set some reference prices during the time that it used the terms "Compare at" and "Compare." The trial court found the practice was misleading or had the capacity to mislead consumers for several reasons: "First, the advertisements themselves suggest a comparison to real prices for the identical product when unaccompanied by qualifiers that would signal the use of a formula (e.g., 'compare estimated value') or a similar product (e.g., 'compare similar'). Second, ... experiment and survey results [from defense expert Dr. Joel Steckel] suggest that, while consumers have varying views of different ARP nomenclatures, with respect to any particular nomenclature, a significant portion of consumers view the given label as reflecting a 'regular/average price.' [Citation.] Implicit in that assumption for an appreciable number of consumers is that one is looking at the same product rather than an estimated price or a price for a 'similar' product. Third, to allow the use of formulas or similar products without any disclosure invites abuse, and examples of such abuse are found in this record. [Citation.] Fourth, as already noted, there are qualifiers that can easily be inserted into the nomenclature to signal the nature of comparison-
Overstock argues the People did not present substantial evidence that it actually misled customers by using prices from similar products to set reference prices during the periods it used "Compare at" and "Compare." They argue that none of the consumer witnesses the People presented at trial testified that they were misled by Overstock's practices. But whether a consumer was actually misled is not the standard. Rather, as we have explained, advertising statements are actionable if consumers are likely to be deceived. (Kasky , supra , 27 Cal.4th at pp. 950-951.) And there is ample evidence from which the trial court could reasonably conclude Overstock's use of reference prices from non-identical products was likely to mislead consumers. "In determining whether a statement is misleading under the
On their face, the words "compare" or "compare at," without further qualification, communicate to the reader that the price being compared is for the same, not a different item, and the trial court could properly conclude that using those terms to refer to the price of a similar item was likely to mislead a consumer. Specifically, the use of strikethrough font ("Compare at $190.00 ") followed by "today's price" and then a precise calculation of the purported savings, clearly suggests the actual item's price has been reduced. Indeed, one customer testified that she did not understand why Overstock would use a similar item to set the comparison price "instead of using what they are saying they are using."
In addition, as the trial court noted, the evidence showed that the practice of using similar rather than identical items also led to other abuses. One such deception was to use items that were not truly similar. For example, in correspondence with a supplier, an Overstock employee noted that while the supplier might know the difference between two sources of diamonds, "most people don't. In turn, these are seen as similar items and can be compared as such." Another Overstock email stated: "Comparing this dress to a DVF dress is like comparing a Lexus to a Geo Metro." Comparisons to similar products was also used as a device to manipulate the "compare" prices. For example, an Overstock employee advised a fulfillment partner, "[y]ou can also use 'similar' [products]. And it can be as high [a] mark up as you would like, the more the better." Another e-mail said: "Just make sure similar size and materials. The higher [the price] the better."
The trial court's finding that the use of similar products without disclosure is misleading is also supported by the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (
We also reject Overstock's challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence that its use of formulas was misleading or had the capacity to mislead. As the trial court noted, the advertisements speak for themselves; they "suggest a comparison to real prices for the identical product when unaccompanied by qualifiers that would signal the use of a formula...." This interpretation is corroborated by an Overstock manager who stated that the use of formulas produces an "arbitrary number." The evidence also showed that markups were manipulated to achieve a specific amount of "savings" for the consumer. Two Overstock employee e-mails provide examples: "If the item is a true close out and can't be found anywhere online I will make sure the MSRP listed provides a 40 to 60 percent discount." "Overstock price to customer is generally 20% to 50% less than MSRP. To calculate MSRP take Overstock price [x] 1.2. This gives [the fulfillment partner's] pricing 20% discount off MSRP or list price." In short, the trial court's finding was unquestionably sound. Advertisements showing a "compare at" price followed by a calculation of savings down to the penny, without informing consumers they are looking at an estimated (and possibly manipulated) price, manifestly had the capacity to mislead.
3. Highest Price as Basis for ARP
The trial court also found that it was misleading for Overstock to set ARP's "based on the highest price that can be found without regard to the prevailing market price and without any disclosure of the practice." Overstock challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support this finding.
There is also evidence to support a conclusion that this practice had the capacity to mislead customers. Internal correspondence from 2006 provides an example of an employee being instructed to "put the list price [for an iPod] $30 to $40 more than what everybody in the goddam world knows what they go for. I brought it up and left comments in the box below the copy but everybody just sighed in agreement and continued moving along." A customer testified that her decision whether or not to buy a product would be influenced if she knew the highest price in the marketplace had been used to set an ARP. Another customer testified that she was "outraged" to learn that Overstock used the highest available price, and that she considered the practice to be "lying."
Moreover, the Federal Trade Commission's pricing guidelines direct that retail price comparisons "be based upon fact, and not be fictitious or misleading. Whenever an advertiser represents that he is selling below the prices being charged in his area for a particular article, he should be reasonably certain that the higher price he advertises does not appreciably exceed the price at which substantial sales of the article are being made in the area-that is, a sufficient number of sales so that a consumer would consider a reduction from the price to represent a genuine bargain or saving." (
There is other support for the trial court's conclusion. Dr. Compeau testified about a study that showed 72 percent of participants thought such terms as "regular price," "compare at" or "manufacturer's suggested list price" represented either the price an item usually sold at or its price at most other stores, rather than a fictitious, inflated price.
Overstock contends that in the absence of Dr. Steckel's testimony, there was insufficient evidence that the use of the highest possible price was misleading. The first problem with this contention is that the motion was directed to each cause of action . The first cause of action, for untrue and misleading statements concerning pricing, was not directed solely at the use of the highest possible price to set ARP's, but also, inter alia, at the use of non-identical products, the failure to verify reference prices, and the use of formula pricing. Even if Dr. Steckel's testimony was necessary to prove that the use of the highest available price was misleading, Overstock has not shown that defense evidence was needed to support any of the other
4. Overstock's Knowledge That Its Practices Were Misleading
Overstock argues, however, that there is no evidence that it knew the use of the challenged practices to set ARP's was false or misleading. The FAL applies to an untrue or misleading statement "which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known , to be untrue or misleading." (§ 17500, italics added.) "Under this section, a statement is false or misleading if members of the public are likely to be deceived. Intent of the disseminator and knowledge of the customer are both irrelevant." (Chern v. Bank of America , supra ,
The trial court found that when formulas or "similar" products were used during the "List Price Era," Overstock knew the term "List Price" was false, i.e., it was not an actual list price for that product. Overstock does not dispute these findings. Rather, it argues there was no evidence Overstock knew or should have known its practice of covertly utilizing formulas and similar products to set "compare" prices would mislead consumers. This contention ignores the law and the record. As we have explained, the advertisements
The trial court also did not err in finding that Overstock knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that the use of the highest market price to set the ARP had the capacity to mislead consumers. (§ 17500.) We have already noted that customers testified they did not expect the reference prices to be based on the highest price on the market. The survey commissioned by Overstock produced similar results-consumers want comparison prices to reflect the average retail price. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines directed that an advertiser "be reasonably certain that the higher price he advertises does not appreciably exceed the price at which substantial sales of the article are being made in the
Overstock argues the People did not prove it had knowledge of the misleading nature of these ARPs because (1) there was no evidence it was aware of the experts' studies and experiments showing consumers' expectations, and (2) hyperlinks on Overstock's product pages demonstrated Overstock itself did not believe its "compare" prices were "prevailing" or "regular/average" prices.
Proof of knowledge, like any other fact, can be circumstantial. (Colombo v. BRP US Inc. (2014)
In sum, the record more than adequately supports the court's finding that Overstock knew or should have known the use of formulas, prices for similar products, or the highest market prices as ARP's-all without disclosure-had the capacity to mislead customers.
C. Penalties
Both the UCL and the FAL authorize civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation.
The trial court considered three possible ways to set the number of violations: by the number of Californians who saw the offending advertisements, by the number of sales made through the offending pages, and by the
number of days Overstock violated the statutes. The court rejected the first two, in part because they would result in excessive penalties of at least
The court laid out the factors upon which it relied. It found the " 'seriousness of the misconduct' " was moderate in that the misconduct was less egregious than that in other reported cases, Overstock's prices were at or below those of its competitors, and the misconduct affected only some of Overstock's product lines. This factor weighed in Overstock's favor. On the other hand, the offending practices were numerous and persistent in that they occurred daily, on thousands of product pages. The court found Overstock's conduct was willful, in that it was inconsistent with the guidelines of the FTC or the Better Business Bureau, and was based on Overstock's objective to brand itself as an extreme value retailer and exaggerate the savings available on its site. Moreover, the resulting penalty was well within Overstock's ability to pay without damaging its competitiveness and was necessary for deterrence purposes. Finally, the court noted that it had declined to order restitution to customers because of the difficulty of identifying an appropriate award or appropriate recipients, and that the lack of restitution was a factor in setting the appropriate penalty. The court found the amount it awarded was "the minimum necessary to vindicate the purposes of the statutes and far below what may be within the bounds of its discretion."
Overstock contends this award was an abuse of the trial court's discretion. It argues that the court found its conduct to be of only moderate seriousness; that it did not sell defective products, charge more than advertised, or charge higher prices than its competitors; that the offending practices affected only a portion of its goods; that reference prices provided valuable information to consumers; and that there is no evidence its practices caused concrete injury to consumers.
We review these penalties for abuse of discretion. "Under this standard, '[w]e do not reweigh the evidence or substitute our notions of fairness for the trial court's. [Citations.] "To merit reversal, both an abuse of discretion by the trial court must be 'clear' and the demonstration of it on appeal 'strong.' " ' [Citation.]" (People v. JTH Tax, Inc. , supra ,
"[T]he trial court's discretion in setting civil penalties generally will be upheld." (People ex rel. Kennedy v. Beaumont Investment, Ltd. (2003)
We also reject Overstock's claim there was no "concrete injury" to consumers. The trial court expressly found that Overstock's deceptive pricing practices not only had the capacity to cause harm but "in fact did so." The fact that Overstock in fact (according to its undisputed evidence) offered the lowest prices in the market does not mean no injury occurred. As the trial court explained, "the most powerful evidence was not that the advertisements led consumers to pay more than they otherwise would have but that there was a reduction in search intentions, an increase in a perception of transaction value and a greater likelihood that the consumers would return to the Overstock webpage." The court declined to order restitution not because there was no harm, but because there was no practical way to determine what might be an appropriate award of restitution or how to identify those who should receive it, short of offering restitution to all customers over the eight-year period-which the court said could be "ruinous."
Overstock's argument that the penalties imposed here are larger than those upheld in any published case also does not persuade us that the penalties here were excessive. In People ex rel. Bill Lockyer v. Fremont Life Ins. Co. (2002)
foreclosure of their homes.
Overstock also argues the penalties were excessive because governmental inaction had allowed them to accumulate over many years. That is, the People did not bring this action until more than three years after the Shasta County District Attorney began investigating it, and it took an additional three years for the matter to proceed to trial. This delay impermissibly led, Overstock argues, to " 'ever-mounting penalties.' " For this contention, Overstock cites
We also reject Overstock's argument that the penalty is so grossly disproportionate to the gravity of its offense that it violates the prohibitions
The trial court carefully considered Overstock's culpability, explaining that the seriousness of the misconduct was moderate, but that the offending practices were numerous, persistent, and willful, and the record fully supports these findings. The penalty the court set was both far below the maximum allowed by statute and well within Overstock's ability to pay. The penalty was not constitutionally disproportionate.
D. Injunctive Relief
Overstock makes several challenges to the injunctive relief ordered by the trial court. It first challenges the injunction as a whole on the ground that there was no substantial evidence that its practices violated the FAL and UCL. Because we conclude the trial court's findings are supported by substantial evidence, we necessarily reject this challenge to the injunction. As a fallback, Overstock challenges three specific aspects of the injunction.
court's injunction for abuse of discretion." (People v. JTH Tax, Inc. , supra ,
Overstock argues the trial court acted improperly in enjoining the use of formulas to set ARP's because it discontinued that practice in 2008, several years before trial. It points out that injunctive relief " 'has no application to wrongs which have been completed [citation], absent a showing that past violations will probably recur. [Citation.]' [Citation.]" (Madrid v. Perot Systems Corp. (2005)
Overstock also challenges the portion of the judgment enjoining it from "[u]sing the ARP nomenclature 'MSRP' or some other marketing term or acronym unless a clear and conspicuous hyperlink defines that term or acronym ... and state[s] that that term or acronym may not be the prevailing market price (or, alternatively, may not be the regular retail price) [.]" According to Overstock, the People never claimed this label was misleading. However, the record contains evidence that some MSRP's were inflated or higher than the "street price." The court could properly enjoin the unqualified use of the term.
Finally, Overstock contends the trial court acted improperly in enjoining it from "[a]dvertising an ARP for longer than 90 days from the date on which the ARP was verified as a posted price, unless the ARP is re-verified after that period." Overstock argues, again, that the injunction is unnecessary because it already employs a 90-day validation period. But this practice was instituted only in 2011, after this litigation was commenced. In the absence of an injunction, Overstock retains the ability to abandon that practice, and an injunction is appropriate irrespective of Overstock's stated intent. (People ex rel. Feuer v. Superior Court (Cahuenga's T he Spot ) (2015)
The judgment is affirmed.
We concur:
Ruvolo, P.J.
Reardon, J.
Notes
All undesignated statutory references are to the Business and Professions Code.
For example:
List Price: $999.0
Today's Price $449.99
You Save: $549.01
(55%)
Between 70% and 90% of Overstock's products carried a list price that came from standard industry data. These items were primarily books, movies, music, and games. They are not at issue in this case, which concerns the products with comparison prices that were not set by the standard industry data.
At the time the guidelines were issued, Overstock had a policy of charging $2.95 for non-expedited shipping to most domestic destinations. Overstock's buyers were told they could add the difference between Overstock's shipping charge and the seller's shipping charges to the "Compare" price.
The district attorneys named in the operative complaint were Nancy E. O'Malley, District Attorney of Alameda County, Matthew L. Beltramo, Deputy District Attorney; Edward S. Berberian, District Attorney of Marin County, Andres H. Perez, Deputy District Attorney; Dean D. Flippo, District Attorney of Monterey County, James R. Burlison, Deputy District Attorney; Gary Lieberstein, District Attorney of Napa County, Catherine C. Borsetto, Deputy District Attorney; Jeffrey F. Rosen, District Attorney of Santa Clara County, Tina Nunes Ober, Deputy District Attorney; Bob Lee, District Attorney of Santa Cruz County, Kelly J. Walker, Assistant District Attorney; Stephen S. Carlton, District Attorney of Shasta County, Anand "Lucky" Jesrani, Deputy District Attorney; and Jill R. Ravitch, District Attorney of Sonoma County, Matthew T. Cheever, Deputy District Attorney.
Although consumers often discount reference price claims, the ARP's still affected their perceptions. In one study, more than two-thirds of participants did not think ARP's were inflated.
The UCL claims were based on Overstock's false advertising, that is, its violation of the FAL. (See Kasky v. Nike, Inc. (2002)
Even if we agreed that the proper statute of limitations as to government penalties under the UCL is one year, Overstock acknowledges that the applicable statute of limitations for the FAL claims, which are based on the same conduct, is three years. (§ 17536, Code Civ. Proc., § 338, subd. (h).)
Citing People ex rel. Lungren v. Superior Court (1996)
Section 4111 of the California Uniform Commercial Code provides: "An action to enforce an obligation, duty, or right arising under this division shall be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues."
The participants were asked to define "Regular Price," "MSLP," and "Compare At," and given the choices of "The price at which the item usually or normally sells-an everyday price," "The price I would have to pay for the [item] at most other stores," and "A fictitious price that has been inflated to show you that they are giving you a discount."
Code of Civil Procedure section 631.8, subdivision (a) provides: "After a party has completed his presentation of evidence in a trial by the court, the other party, without waiving his right to offer evidence in support of his defense or in rebuttal in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a judgment. The court as trier of the facts shall weigh the evidence and may render a judgment in favor of the moving party, in which case the court shall make a statement of decision as provided by Sections 632 and 634, or may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence." " ' "The purpose of Code of Civil Procedure section 631.8 is to enable a trial court which, after weighing the evidence at the close of the plaintiff's case, is persuaded that the plaintiff has failed to sustain his burden of proof, to dispense with the need for the defendant to produce evidence. [Citations.]" [Citation.]' " (Roth v. Parker (1997)
The product pages contained hyperlinks to definitions of the reference prices. The definition of "List Price" set forth five possible methods by which Overstock might determine a product's list price and contained the language, "List price is not necessarily the lowest price at which the product is commonly sold, and often will be higher than the actual price at which the product is sold." The lengthy definition of "Compare at" stated that, in many cases, the price "reflects a price suggested by the manufacturer or supplier of these goods" and that it "may or may not reflect the average or prevailing market price in any area on any particular day." Overstock acknowledges that these descriptions "may not have been prominent enough to act as a disclaimer and thus did not affect consumer understanding."
To quote just a few examples: "[T]his is not the truth since there is NO place that this camera truly sells for $250.77.... You are advertising lies. This is NOT an incredible savings. The market price of this camera is $99.99, NOT $250.77." "[T]he MSRP listed is over $200 LESS than on Overstock. Sounds like you are playing pricing games with your customers." "Your compare at price of $299.00 is way off from the [brand] product I received whose MSRP is $63.60. My [']You save: $239.01['] is so far off the ACTUAL saving of a mere $3.61 that I feel cheated...." "Your compare is a false argument.... Nowhere in the USA does anyone sell [this product] at $517.... I am not not not saving 81%." [Capital letters removed]
Section 17206, subdivision (a) provides: "Any person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation, which shall be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General, [or] by any district attorney ..." Section 17536, subdivision (a) provides: "Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation, which shall be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General or by any district attorney, county counsel, or city attorney in any court of competent jurisdiction." The penalties of the UCL and the FAL are cumulative of each other. (§§ 17205, 17534.5; People v. JTH Tax, Inc. (2013)
The court in Sarpas struck the penalties as to another defendant and directed the trial court to recalculate them. (Sarpas, supra,
In its opening brief, Overstock challenged a fourth aspect of the injunction, relating to adding the costs of shipping to the price identified by the validation process. In its reply brief, Overstock abandons this challenge.