NAPA Auto Parts Accused of Using “Final Hours” Sales Emails to Pressure Shoppers

Case Overview: Class action claims NAPA Auto Parts sent misleading “Final Hours” and “Ends Tomorrow” emails to create false urgency around ongoing discounts.

Consumers Affected: Washington residents who received NAPA promotional emails advertising time-limited sales.

Court: Superior Court of the State of Washington, County of King

Washington consumer Harjot Bajwa says NAPA Auto Parts built its email promotions around false urgency. The new lawsuit claims the retailer’s messages urged shoppers to act fast on sales that never really ended.

Filed in Washington federal court, the case accuses the National Automotive Parts Association of violating state consumer laws by sending marketing emails with subject lines like “Ends Tomorrow,” “Final Hours,” and “Last Chance”—only to resend identical deals days later.

Emails Promised Expiring Sales That Allegedly Never Ended

According to the complaint, NAPA routinely recycled discount campaigns that were advertised as nearly over. One cited message, sent June 29, 2024, announced “Special Savings Ends Tomorrow,” yet the same promotion reappeared shortly afterward.

Plaintiffs say these time-limited offers were never limited at all, alleging the company used countdown phrasing to push consumers into faster checkout decisions. The lawsuit calls the approach “a pattern of manufactured scarcity” designed to boost clicks and sales.

Plaintiffs Say Countdown Messages Broke Washington’s Consumer Laws

Bajwa argues the tactic violates Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act, which bans misleading subject lines in marketing emails sent to residents of the state. The lawsuit also cites the Washington Consumer Protection Act, alleging deceptive business conduct that misled recipients about when discounts would actually expire.

The complaint seeks to represent a class of Washington consumers who received the allegedly deceptive emails during the statutory period. It asks the court to order NAPA to stop using false time claims, issue refunds, and pay statutory and treble damages allowed under state law.

Consumers Say “Final Hours” Sales Never Ended

According to the filing, NAPA’s email strategy was built around repetition. Recipients allegedly opened their inboxes to find nearly identical subject lines week after week, each implying that savings were about to vanish.

Plaintiffs claim these “urgent” messages made buyers think they needed to act immediately to secure lower prices—only to discover the same sale days later. The complaint says this practice distorted normal purchasing behavior and gave the retailer an unfair advantage over competitors that market promotions honestly.

Lawsuit Demands Refunds, Damages, and Changes to Marketing

Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act was enacted to curb deceptive subject lines and digital spam that mislead consumers. Under that law, each misleading message can trigger statutory penalties, while the Consumer Protection Act allows for additional damages if the conduct is found to be intentional.

The lawsuit asks for injunctive relief requiring NAPA to revise its marketing policies, along with restitution and attorney’s fees. Bajwa also requests a jury trial.

Retailers Face Scrutiny Over “One-Day-Only” Promotions

NAPA isn’t the only major brand facing questions about online sales language. In another Washington case, Ulta Beauty is accused of sending “Free Gift” emails that failed to disclose minimum purchase requirements. Plaintiffs there argue that such messages violate the same state email statute by misleading consumers about what’s actually free.

Other suits have taken aim at “One Day Only” or “Ends Tonight” subject lines from national retailers that reused the same deals after the supposed cutoff, testing how far marketing urgency can go before crossing into deception.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Bajwa v. National Automotive Parts Association LLC
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-02280
• Court: Superior Court of the State of Washington, County of King

Plaintiffs' Attorney

• Samuel J. Strauss and Raina C. Borrelli (Strauss Borrelli PLLC)
• Lynn A. Toops, Natalie A. Lyons and Ian R. Bensberg (Cohen & Malad LLP)
• Gerard J. Stranch IV, Michael C. Tackeff and Andrew K. Murray (Stranch, Jennings & Garvey PLLC)

Have you ever rushed to buy something after seeing “ends tonight”? Tell us if countdown deals influence your shopping decisions.