Qualifying purchases are California outlet buys of Tommy Hilfiger products sold at a discount from an advertised reference price. A fake discount is a sale price tied to an inflated original price that shoppers are led to trust as a saving. The proposed class covers buyers within the limitations period who received no refund or credit, according to the court complaint hosted by Truth in Advertising. Plaintiffs Qasem Hashimi and Henry De La Paz filed Hashimi et al.
v. PVH Corp. et al., Case No. 3:26-cv-03811, in the Southern District of California on June 30, 2026. The case challenges outlet markdowns as phantom bargains rather than real price cuts.
Official resources:
- Read the official guidance from Gpo — Use this primary source to verify the official guidance.
- Read the official notice from Archive — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What the lawsuit says shoppers were told
- Which purchases fit the proposed class
- Why the reference price matters under California rules
- What past outlet-pricing cases mean for expectations
What the lawsuit says shoppers were told
The complaint alleges outlet tags showed an original price alongside a lower sale price. Shoppers relied on that gap as proof of value. Plaintiff Hashimi alleges he bought sweatpants on April 9, 2025 at the Tommy Hilfiger outlet at 5620 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, marked about $80 original with 50 percent off, according to the court complaint hosted by Truth in Advertising. The suit alleges those reference prices were rarely or never charged as regular prices.
That would make the displayed saving misleading. Shoppers then paid more than the item was actually worth at retail. The issue is not whether a discount sign appeared. The issue is whether the starting price was real. A large percentage off means little when the anchor price was inflated.
Which purchases fit the proposed class
The proposed group is narrow. It centers on California consumers who bought one or more Tommy Hilfiger outlet products. The purchase must show a discount from an advertised reference price during the limitations period.
Buyers who later received a refund or credit are outside the proposed class. Use this quick check against your own receipt: Keep the actual receipt, tag photo, and payment record. A credit-card line alone does not prove the advertised reference price. The tag or ad copy matters most for this theory.
- bought at a Tommy Hilfiger outlet in California
- price tag or sign showed a reference price and a lower sale price
- purchase falls within the court's limitations period
- no refund, store credit, or price adjustment followed
Why the reference price matters under California rules
California Business and Professions Code section 17501 bars advertising a former price unless it was the prevailing market price locally within three months before the ad, unless the date is disclosed, according to the Justia reproduction of the California Code. That rule targets old prices used as present bargains. Outlet shoppers should look for the date and basis of any was price. Federal guidance takes the same approach. A former-price comparison is legitimate only when that price was bona fide and offered regularly for a reasonably substantial time.
A fictitious inflated price makes the claimed bargain false, according to the FTC pricing guides hosted by the GPO. For readers, the practical test is simple. Ask whether the original price looked like a current store price or a vague comparison. Vague wording such as comparable value weakens the impression of a store former price. A specific was or original figure strengthens it.
What past outlet-pricing cases mean for expectations
An earlier outlet-pricing case, Olmedo et al v. PVH Retail Stores, No. 18-cv-1373, alleged discounts off inflated original prices and was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice. It did not certify a payout class. Another case, Robert DiCicco v. PVH Corp., No.
1:19-cv-11092, was dismissed for insufficient specifics in 2020 and then closed with prejudice. That history sets a clear limit. A new complaint is only an allegation, not a settlement or claim form. No payment is available through Hashimi unless the court certifies a class and approves relief. If you may fit the proposed class, preserve the outlet name, address, date, item, reference price, sale price, and photos of signs and tags. Keep the tag photo, receipt, and card statement together in one file.