Inside The Repperger Lawsuit And Why Ulta Beauty Is Under Fire

Ulta Beauty is under renewed legal fire, with a proposed class action lawsuit in Washington accusing the retailer of using misleading “free gift” and discount subject lines in marketing emails to drive clicks and sales. The case zeroes in on how Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. frames promotions in inbox subject lines versus what shoppers actually see when they open the email.

What the Ulta lawsuit is about

Lead plaintiff Veronica Repperger and three additional consumers allege that Ulta sends emails trumpeting “free gifts” without disclosing, upfront, that the offers are contingent on a qualifying purchase or minimum spend. According to the complaint, the subject lines make it appear that customers will receive a genuinely free product, but the email body reveals that the gift is only available if they buy certain items or hit a dollar threshold.

The plaintiffs argue that this disconnect between the subject line and…