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Lia Sophia class action lawsuit

The company behind Lia Sophia jewelry has agreed to a $6.7 million settlement that will benefit both customers and company sales advisors.

Plaintiffs Cynthia West, Kristine Hollander, Jennifer Zimmerman, Mary Roman, Marie Esposito and Michelle Ballon claim defendant Lia Sophia, named in the lawsuit as Act II Jewelry LLC, left its customers and sales advisors holding the bag when it suddenly shut down its direct sales business in February 2015.

The company continued to offer merchandise online but allegedly stopped honoring its lifetime replacement guarantee.

The plaintiffs claim Lia Sophia harmed its sales advisors by misappropriating customer information and by making misleading statements about the company's plans to shut down direct sales. West, a former Lia Sophia sales advisor, claims the company continued to recruit sales associates even after it knew it would be shutting down. New associates purchased starter kits at a cost of $99 to $149.

Defendant Act II continues to deny the plaintiffs' claims but has entered into this settlement to avoid any further litigation.

The Lia Sophia class action settlement provides for a settlement fund worth $6.7 million. This money will be used to pay service awards to the class representatives, class counsel's attorney's fees and court costs, and settlement administration expenses. The remaining funds will be distributed among Class Members who submit valid and timely claims.

The settlement benefits both Lia Sophia customers and sales advisors. Customers can receive a percentage of the amount they paid in Lia Sophia purchases during the qualifying period. Sales advisors may receive a percentage of their sales made during the qualifying period. Newer sales advisors can get reimbursement for their purchase of a starter kit.

According to settlement documents, Class Members include about 4 million Lia Sophia customers, 19,069 sales advisors, and 2,709 new sales advisors.

Class Members have until April 9, 2018 to exclude themselves from the settlement or object to its terms.

Who's Eligible

The settlement sets up three plaintiff Classes:

  • The Customer Class covers all individuals in the U.S. who purchased jewelry from Act II between June 23, 2011 and Dec. 1, 2014.
  • The Sales Advisor Class covers all individuals in the U.S. who sold at least $250 in jewelry for Act II between Jan. 1, 2014 and Aug. 17, 2014.
  • The New Sales Advisor Class covers all individuals in the U.S. who purchased new starter kits from Act II between Aug. 1, 2014 and Dec. 1, 2014.

Potential Award

Customer Class Members will be paid a percentage of the amount they spent on Lia Sophia purchases made between June 23, 2011 and Dec. 1, 2014, according to the company's records. These Class Members will be divided into three tiers depending on the total amount of their purchases. Settlement payments will be determined by the Customer Class Member's tier and the number of timely and valid claims submitted by Customer Class Members.

As an example, the settlement administrator estimates that if one percent of Customer Class Members submit claims, Class Members in Tier 3 (the highest tier) would receive $120.27.

Screen Shot 2018-01-09 at 12.16.05 PM Sales Advisor Class Members will receive payments proportional to the amount of sales they made between Jan. 1, 2014 and Aug. 17, 2014, according to the company's records. Actual settlement payments will also be determined by the number of Sales Advisor Class Members who submit valid and timely claims.

Screen Shot 2018-01-09 at 12.18.01 PM

New Sales Advisor Class Members will receive full reimbursement for the amount they paid for their starter kit which ranged from $99 to $149. The reimbursement amount may be reduced, depending on the number of claims received.

Proof of Purchase

The online and paper Claim Forms require Class Members to submit the Class Member ID provided in their settlement notice.

Claim Form

NOTE:  If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claimunder penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you're unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator's website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don't qualify for this settlement, check out our database of otheropen class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

Case Name

West, et al. v Act II Jewelry Inc., et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-05569, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Final Hearing

6/6/2018

UPDATE: The Lia Sophia Jewelry, Starter Kit Class Action Settlement was granted final approval on June 7, 2018. Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

UPDATE 2: On July 11, 2018, an appeal to theLia Sophia Jewelry, Starter Kit Class Action Settlement was filed. Claims will not be paid until all appeals are exhausted.  We appreciate your ongoing patience. Top Class Actions will continue to provide updates as we learn more.

UPDATE 3: On October 5, 2018, the appeal to the Lia Sophia settlement was dismissed.  It is not known how quickly claims will be paid.  Top Class Actions will let our viewers know as soon as we learn that checks are in the mail!

Settlement Website

Claims Administrator

Lia Sophia Settlement
c/o Heffler Claims Group
P.O. Box 170
Philadelphia, PA 19102-0170
1-844-412-1945

Class Counsel

Joseph J. Siprut
Todd L. McLawhorn
Ke Liu
SIPRUT PC

Defense Counsel

Albert M. Bower
Eric L. Samore
Yesha Sutaria Hoeppner
SMITHAMUNDSEN LLC

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.