HP to Pay Out $4 Million Over Bogus PC Prices: Find Out if You Qualify

HP has agreed to pay a $4 million settlement following a 2021 class-action lawsuit that accused the hardware giant of false advertising and displaying misleading prices.

The lawsuit claimed that HP artificially inflated “strike-through prices” on its web store, making users believe they were getting a bigger discount than they actually were, Ars Technica reports.

For example, one plaintiff cited in a filing allegedly purchased a desktop computer “on sale” for $899.99, with the advertisement telling consumers they would “Save $100 instantly” compared to the regular price of $999.99. The plaintiff later found that “HP rarely, if ever, offered his computer for sale at the advertised strike-through price of $999.99.”

The class-action lawsuit said instances like this show HP “willfully violates” California’s consumer protection statute, as well as the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Guide Against Deceptive Pricing.

HP has yet to put up a website where users can submit their claims, but you can check out a list of models that may be eligible for refunds here. Devices included in the list mainly include laptops and desktops from HP’s Spectre, Chromebook, Envy, Pavilion, and Omen product lines, though some wireless mice and keyboards are also included.

To qualify for a payout, you’ll need to have purchased a discounted HP desktop, laptop, mouse, or keyboard that was “offered at a discount more than 75% of the time the products were offered for sale during that same period.”

HP has agreed to notify impacted users who are eligible, but users will have only 60 days to submit their claims after that. You may be eligible for a payout of up to $100, or as little as $10.

Despite agreeing to the payout, HP did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

HP is no stranger to class-action lawsuits and has come out as the winner in some big recent cases. Last month, a California judge sided with the manufacturer in a class-action lawsuit that accused HP of issuing software updates that “act as malware” and “wrongfully” force users to only use HP ink, ArsTechnica notes.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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