Courtney Jorstad  |  December 18, 2013

Category: Consumer News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Snooki Zantrex class action lawsuitA class action lawsuit has been filed against Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of the hit MTV show “Jersey Shore” and Basic Research LLC, maker of the weight loss supplement Zantrex 3, alleging that the product Snooki endorsed was falsely advertised and is neither safe nor effective as the company claimed.

The Zantrex 3 class action lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court on Tuesday by New York resident Ashley Brady, who purchased a bottle of Zantrex-3 from a drugstore in 2010. Zantrex is manufactured by Basic Research subsidiary Zoller Laboratories. Brady claims she purchased the weight loss supplement because of statements on the bottle that made claims such as “546% More Weight Loss Than America’s #1 Selling Ephedra-Based Diet Pill,” “in a little over 6 weeks,” and “WITHOUT diet and exercise.”

When Brady saw these advertisements before and during the time of purchase, she took them to be true claims that Zantrex was “safe and effective for weight loss and fat loss as advertised,” her class action lawsuit says.

Brady alleges that Zantrex is neither safe nor effective for weight loss.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is included as a defendant in the proposed class action lawsuit because she used to be an official endorser of the product, even though her endorsement contract has since expired.

According to the Zantrex 3 class action lawsuit, Polizzi “is, in fact, the face of the Zantrex brand. In her role as paid spokesperson, Snooki has appeared in nearly every advertisement for Zantrex products.”

Polizzi has also marketed Zantrex through a variety of social media outlets such as her own personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The products included in the Zantrex lawsuit are Zantrex-3, Zantrex-3 High-Energy Fat Burner and Zantrex-3 Power Crystals for false advertising claims that the products are safe and effective for losing weight.

“In fact, Zantrex’s main ingredient is a dangerously large dose of caffeine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined is not safe or effective for weight control or appetite suppression,” the class action lawsuit says.

The lawsuit adds that Amy Heaton, Director of Scientific Affairs for Zoller Laboratories, told the Los Angeles Times “that caffeine and caffeine-like compounds ‘have not been shown to significantly increase weight loss.'”

Brady claims that “Zantrex combines caffeine with a variety of herbal ingredients that are similarly unsafe and ineffective for weight control or appetite suppression.”

She also says the research that the company’s claims are based on is flawed, saying that one of the studies in particular, called “Their Study,” had too small a sample size, did not have all participants complete the study, wasn’t long enough, wasn’t truly a “blind study,” and had no follow up on the long-term effects of Zantrex. Similar allegations are made about another study done, called “Our Study.”

Other defendants named in the class action lawsuit are Dennis Gay, the principle shareholder of Basic Research and Zoller Labs; Daniel Mowrey, principle shareholder and Director of Scientific Affairs for Basic Research; and Mitchell Friedlander, the “marketing guru” behind the Zantrex’s success.

Brady is charging the defendants with violating the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, with breach of express warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and unjust enrichment.

The New York woman is asking to be named as the class representative. She is seeking to represent a class of other Zantrex customers. She is asking for compensatory and punitive damages as well as monetary and injunctive relief.

The plaintiff is represented by Joseph I. Marchese, Scott A. Bursor, Yitzchak Kopel and Neal J. Deckant of Bursor and Fisher PA.

The Zantrex False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Ashley Brady v. Basic Research LLC, et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-07169, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

UPDATE: On Mar. 31, 2016, a New York federal judge refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit that alleges Zantrex weight loss products are ineffective, finding that the defendants’ attempt to settle the litigation last year did not render the plaintiffs’ claims moot.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

5 thoughts onZantrex False Ad Class Action Lawsuit Names ‘Snooki’ as Defendant

  1. Penny says:

    Doesn’t work at all

  2. Top Class Actions says:

    UPDATE: On Mar. 31, 2016, a New York federal judge refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit that alleges Zantrex weight loss products are ineffective, finding that the defendants’ attempt to settle the litigation last year did not render the plaintiffs’ claims moot.

  3. henrietta-marie says:

    used this don’t work, didn’t do anything for me money for nothing

  4. Jazmine Hope-Joiner says:

    I will like to go into the class action suit with the your lady also, due to this product is not as effective as it claims to be.

  5. shay blocker says:

    I bought and used the product because of the advertised results and did not have any results.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

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.