Walmart customers who bought groceries sold by weight may be eligible for part of $45 million settle

Walmart shoppers who bought certain weighted groceries or bagged fruit have two months left to claim part of a $45 million settlement resolving allegations the retailer overcharged for the items.

Customers of the retailing giant may be entitled to as much as $500 as part of the class-action settlement over the claims Walmart overcharged for packaged meat, poultry, pork and seafood, as well as bagged citrus. 

Consumers eligible to file a claim include anyone who made an in-store purchase of weighted goods or bagged citrus at any of Walmart's 4,615 U.S. stores between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, according to the settlement administrator. Those who bought an eligible product and have a receipt are entitled to get 2% of the total cost of their purchase, capped at $500, according to the settlement site. 

Walmart customers without a receipt for their purchases during the designated time period can still submit a claim for between $10 and $25, depending upon how much they attest to buying. 

The class-action, filed in October 2022, alleged the prices stated on the sold-by-weight goods exceeded the a their actual per unit costs, resulting in Walmart shoppers paying more than the lowest in-store advertised price for the food items.

Walmart denied any liability or wrongdoing in the case, according to the settlement agreement filed with a federal court in Tampa, Fla., in November.

Customers have until June 5 to submit a claim to participate in the settlement, which still needs to receive final approval at a hearing scheduled for June 12. Those who want to be excluded from the settlement have until May 22 to opt out.

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Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.