Kendra Scott Accused of Using Fake Reference Prices to Promote Online Jewelry Sales

Case Overview: The lawsuit claims Kendra Scott used inflated reference prices to mislead customers about online jewelry discounts.

Consumers Affected: California residents who purchased jewelry advertised as discounted from higher “regular” prices.

Court: Superior Court of California, County of San Diego

Jewelry retailer Kendra Scott is being sued for allegedly advertising fake discounts on products sold through its website, deceiving shoppers into thinking they were getting deals that didn’t exist.

Filed in California state court, the lawsuit claims Kendra Scott used inflated “reference prices” to create the illusion of major savings during online sales. 

Plaintiff Miltita Casillas says she purchased jewelry marketed as discounted, only to later learn that the supposed regular prices had not been charged in the months before her order. 

According to the complaint, this marketing strategy violates multiple California consumer protection laws by manufacturing “phantom” markdowns designed to boost sales.

Plaintiff Claims Kendra Scott Used False Reference Prices To Simulate Discounts

Casillas says she bought a pair of earrings from Kendra Scott’s website listed for $89.97, shown as marked down from a “regular” price of $120. The lawsuit claims that the higher price was not a genuine retail amount in the 90 days before the sale, as required by California’s pricing laws.

The filing describes the reference price as a “fake benchmark” created solely to make the sale appear like a steep discount. Shoppers, the complaint argues, are led to believe they are saving money when in fact they are paying the brand’s standard rate.

“These pricing and advertising practices reflecting high-pressure fake sales are patently deceptive,” the lawsuit states. “They are intended to mislead customers into believing that they are getting a bargain by buying products from Defendant on sale and at a substantial and deep discount.”

Casillas claims the company’s online store repeatedly uses “strike-through” pricing — where a higher price appears crossed out beside a lower one — to imply markdowns. She says these comparisons give a false impression of value and urgency, encouraging purchases under misleading terms.

California Law Requires Retailers To Base Discounts on Recent Prices

California’s False Advertising Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act prohibit companies from misrepresenting pricing information or using deceptive sale tactics. Under these laws, retailers must ensure that any advertised “original price” reflects a true market value within the preceding 90 days.

Casillas’s lawsuit argues that Kendra Scott knowingly broke those rules by displaying inflated reference prices to boost conversions during online sales events.

The complaint also accuses the company of common law fraud, claiming that the retailer’s conduct misled customers into spending money under false pretenses. By using fictitious “regular” prices, the lawsuit alleges, the brand profited from perceived discounts that never existed.

Other Retailers Also Face Claims Over Inflated “Original” Prices

The lawsuit against Kendra Scott comes amid a rising number of complaints targeting retailers accused of advertising fictitious markdowns. In these cases, companies are alleged to have used “drip pricing” or inflated original price tags to simulate savings.

In October 2024, luggage company Samsonite was sued for using inflated “compare at” prices on outlet merchandise, leading shoppers to believe they were getting deep discounts when the products had never been sold at those higher prices.

Hollister is also facing similar allegations claiming its website displayed false discounts by showing inflated reference prices next to lower numbers. Plaintiffs in that case said the tactic violated California law by creating the illusion of ongoing sales.

In the Kendra Scott fake jewelry discounts class action lawsuit, Casillas is seeking to represent a California class of consumers who purchased Kendra Scott products online at an alleged discount from a higher listed price. 

She is requesting restitution, statutory damages, and an injunction that would bar the company from continuing the practice.

The filing also demands that Kendra Scott correct its marketing materials, disclose how it determines original prices, and stop advertising markdowns not based on actual recent retail rates.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Casillas v. Kendra Scott LLC
• Case Number: 3:25-cv-02001
• Court: Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Diego

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Scott J. Ferrell and Victoria C. Knowles (Pacific Trial Attorneys APC)

Have you ever questioned a retailer’s online sale prices? Share your experience in the comments below.