Samsonite Outlet Discounts Were “An Illusion,” Lawsuit Claims

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit accuses Samsonite of advertising inflated “compare at” prices at its outlet stores, making discounts appear larger than they were.

Consumers Affected: California outlet shoppers who purchased Samsonite products sold with “compare at,” “original,” or similar reference pricing.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Samsonite is being accused of tricking outlet shoppers with fake discounts that made luggage and travel gear look like a better deal than they were.

A newly filed lawsuit claims the company advertised inflated “original” prices next to lower sale prices to make customers think they were scoring major savings. The case, brought by California shopper Kyle McCarty, says those reference prices were made up and that the markdowns were never real.

McCarty argues that Samsonite’s price tags and in-store signs created an ongoing illusion of clearance-level sales. He says the company’s outlets used the same strategy across locations, presenting nearly every item as discounted from a much higher number that didn’t reflect any actual selling price.

Lawsuit Claims Inflated Reference Prices Created Illusion of Big Savings

According to the lawsuit, Samsonite displayed high “was” prices next to lower “now” prices on luggage, bags, and accessories, suggesting deep discounts that would appeal to bargain hunters.

In reality, McCarty says, those high prices were never charged in the first place. He claims the company’s “compare at” or “original” numbers were chosen to make the markdowns look bigger and to encourage impulse purchases from shoppers who believed they were getting outlet-only deals.

The lawsuit says these so-called sales weren’t temporary promotions, either. Instead, Samsonite allegedly kept the same pricing structure in place year-round, creating a constant sense of urgency and value that wasn’t based on actual savings.

McCarty says he wouldn’t have made his purchases, or would have paid less, if the advertised discounts reflected real price reductions. 

Phantom Discounts Under Scrutiny Across Retail Industry

Pricing lawsuits like this one have become increasingly common in the retail world, especially against brands that operate outlet or factory stores. Many complaints focus on “phantom discounts”—deals that appear to offer steep savings when the reference price is just a marketing number.

When shoppers see a suitcase marked “$600 — now $299,” they assume that bag was once sold for $600 somewhere else. But if that higher price was never charged, consumer lawyers say the discount is misleading because it changes how people judge value and make spending decisions.

Samsonite Joins List of Brands Facing Lawsuits Over Misleading Sales Practices

Samsonite isn’t the first company to face scrutiny over outlet pricing. Hollister was recently sued for advertising online discounts that plaintiffs said were based on inflated “regular” prices. Lowe’s has also been hit with lawsuits alleging that in-store and website tags overstated discounts on home improvement products.

All of these cases revolve around the same basic issue: how companies use comparison pricing to influence shoppers’ sense of a good deal.

In the Samsonite fake reference pricing class action lawsuit, McCarty is asking the court to require Samsonite to refund California shoppers who overpaid because of misleading pricing and to stop using deceptive sales tags in its stores.

In simpler terms, the lawsuit argues that Samsonite made everyday prices look like bargains by comparing them to prices that never existed.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: McCarty v. Samsonite Company Stores LLC
• Case Number: 3:25-cv-02159-BJC-SBC
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Todd D. Carpenter and Scott G. Braden (Lynch Carpenter LLP)

Have you shopped at a Samsonite outlet and noticed big “compare at” discounts? Tell us if you believed they were real deals in the comments below.