Lead plaintiff, Bernadine Griffiths, and other Rag & Bone Industries LLC (Rag & Bone) customers filed a class action in California state court against high-end clothing retailer for asking customers for identifying information during credit card transactions. The complaint alleges that Rag & Bones intentionally engaged in a pattern of unlawful business tactics through its company “information capture policy.” This policy requires that Rag & Bone cashiers ask for and record personally identifiable information from customers at the time of credit card transactions in violation of California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act (the Act). The Act prohibits this exact conduct; companies are not permitted to ask for personally identifiable information during a credit card transaction.
The complaint stated, “As part of Rag & Bone’s information capture policy, and in conjunction with the credit card sales transaction, plaintiff was asked for [her] address, telephone number, and e-mail address.” The class consists of consumers whose information was collected after March 20, 2014; it does not include those consumers who provided their information for shipping purposes, delivery or special orders. The class action demands up to $1,000 per violation. We’ll stay on top of the this as it proceeds.