Claim $10 in Eclipse Gum Settlement

By Sarah Pierce

For nearly two years, Wrigley tricked consumers into buying gum that was “scientifically proven” to kill bad-breath-causing germs, says a recently settled class action lawsuit. That’s bad news for consumers who thought they were fighting off germs, but good news for consumers who want to make an extra $10.

Wrigley has agreed to pay up to $7 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the gum maker of falsely advertising that its Eclipse brand gum was scientifically proven to kill germs. Advertising for Eclipse claimed a new ingredient — Magnolia Bark Extract — was scientifically proven to kill the germs that caused bad breath, while other gums simply covered up bad breath. The lawsuit claims that as a result of these “false and deceptive” ads, Wrigley was able to charge consumers “a premium price for Eclipse gum over other chewing gum products.” In addition to paying the settlement, Wrigley must also cease using “germ killing” advertising and labeling.

If you purchased Eclipse gum or mints in packaging that said “Natural Germ Killing” after June 1, 2008, you could receive up to $10 from the class action settlement. In order to claim your money, you must submit a signed claim form either online (www.EclipseSettlement.com) or postmarked by January 24, 2011. If you don’t want to sign the claim form, you can still submit a claim to receive up to $5. The amount of money you receive from the class action settlement depends on how many people make a claim. If the total amount of valid claims exceeds the amount of money available to pay them, then your refund will be reduced accordingly. If the total amount of valid claims is less than the allotted class action settlement, then you’ll receive the full claim amount and any remaining settlement money will be given to charity.

For more information on the Wrigley Eclipse Class Action Settlement, read the full Top Class Actions breakdown of it at here.