Dollarama class-action proposed settlement: How you can claim compensation

Eligible Canadians can make a claim for up to a $15 gift card to Dollarama if the settlement is approved by a judge at a hearing set for April 9.

Dollarama has reached a proposed national $2.5 million settlement in Quebec Superior Court in a class-action lawsuit that alleged the company advertised incorrect prices for certain products.

The plaintiff in the suit — Montreal firm LPC Avocats — claimed the company displayed incorrect prices for products that were subject to an “Environmental Handling Fee (EHF),” including batteries, electronic products, light bulbs and toys with batteries.

Customers would have been charged an amount higher than what was advertised on shelves, the suit alleged.

Joey Zukran, founding attorney at LPC Avocats told Global News the lawsuit was launched about a year ago because the company was making a technical violation of Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act.

“There’s a very hard-line rule that says that the merchant has to advertise the exact price that the consumer must pay, prominently and completely, so not fragmented, excluding certain taxes,” he said. “The technical part of this case is that the eco fee, although is part of some government mandate, is not a tax.”

He said as an example, someone wanting to purchase a pack of batteries may find it advertised as $1.25 in “big, bold letters” and on the package itself, but then an added $0.12 would be printed in small font that a person may not notice.

“It’s a technical violation, but nonetheless a violation in our view,” Zukran said.

People who purchased a product that was subject to an EHF from a Dollarama store could be eligible to receive up to a $15 gift card, though the settlement notes the eligible purchase depends on the timing and location.