Lowe's Lawsuit: Three New Class Actions, No Settlement Open
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If you searched for a Lowe’s lawsuit in fall 2026, you most likely saw the tariff-refund case filed on September 3, 2026. It claims Lowe’s raised prices to cover tariffs and now keeps the government refunds. Two more proposed class actions followed the Kobalt battery recall and Lowe’s phone voice system. As of October 6, 2026, none of them has a settlement, a fund or a claim form.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Current Lawsuits Say
Tariff refunds. The complaint alleges Lowe’s paid IEEPA import tariffs starting in February 2025 and raised some retail prices to recover the cost. On February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court held in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump that IEEPA does not authorize those tariffs, and importers became eligible for refunds. On its August 19 earnings call, Lowe’s CFO said the company had recorded an $80 million tariff refund benefit. The complaint estimates total refunds could reach $1 billion and alleges Lowe’s plans to keep the money without repaying shoppers.
Kobalt batteries. On July 9, 2026 Greenworks Tools recalled about 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V yard tools sold at Lowe’s. The batteries can short-circuit when charged through the USB-C port while still in the tool. The class action alleges the recall remedy is inadequate: the defendants “merely instructed consumers to submit a request to arrange a battery replacement.”
Voiceprints. An Illinois complaint alleges Lowe’s customer service phone systems collect callers’ voiceprints and disclose them to vendors without the written consent required by the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Lowe’s has not been found liable in any of these cases.
Case Details
Tariff case: McCoy v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., No. 5:26-cv-02156, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, filed September 3, 2026. Claims: Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, unjust enrichment and money had and received. The complaint also asks the court to order a separate account to hold the refund money while the case proceeds.
Kobalt case: Yu v. Lowe’s Companies Inc., et al., No. 5:26-cv-07295, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Greenworks North America is a co-defendant.
Voiceprint case: Perkins v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., No. 2026CH08748, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division, filed September 10, 2026, before Judge Doretha Renee Jackson. The court docket lists a hearing on November 9, 2026.
Discount pricing: Hern v. Lowe’s Home Centers LLC, No. 2:25-cv-02502, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. It covers Washington purchases since at least April 2021 and was removed from state court. Lowe’s denies the allegations. Two earlier North Carolina false-discount class actions were thrown out in September 2025 after a federal judge found the claimed harm too speculative.
Status: All Pending, Nothing to Claim
The tariff case asks the court to make Lowe’s either repay tariff costs or hand customers a proportionate share of its refunds. That is a demand in a complaint, not something a court has ordered.
The Kobalt recall is separate from the lawsuit and is open now. It gives you a free replacement battery without the USB-C port. You do not need to wait for the court case to get that.
Outside consumer cases: in Carter v. Lowe’s Home Centers, a single-employee harassment case in the Western District of Texas, the judge partly denied Lowe’s summary-judgment motion in an order filed August 11, 2026, and the case is headed to trial. It affects no one else.
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Are You Affected?
Tariff case: the proposed nationwide class is shoppers who bought tariffed goods from Lowe’s, in store or online, between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. There is also a separate Ohio class. Goods that were not subject to the tariffs are not included.
Kobalt case: people who bought the recalled Kobalt tools for personal use. They were sold at Lowe’s stores and Lowes.com from January 2026 through May 2026 for $20 to $482. The case also proposes a California subclass.
Voiceprint case: Illinois callers to Lowe’s customer service lines.
You do not have to sign up for any of these. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, a court-appointed administrator sends notice. Until then, keep your receipts and keep your MyLowe’s purchase history. Those are what a future claim would rely on.
Is There Money, and How Much?
The $80 million is what Lowe’s itself reported as a refund benefit in one fiscal quarter. It is not a fund for customers. The only thing you can get right now is the Kobalt recall replacement battery. It is free, and you get it from Greenworks Tools at 888-266-7096 or through the recall page linked from the CPSC notice (recall 26-611). To see settlements that are taking claims now, check open class action settlements.
Lowe’s Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
September 2025 — North Carolina Pricing Cases Dismissed
A federal judge throws out two proposed false-discount class actions, finding the alleged harm too speculative.
- 2
December 2025 — Washington Pricing Case in Federal Court
Hern v. Lowe’s Home Centers (2:25-cv-02502) is removed to the Western District of Washington. Lowe’s denies the allegations.
- 3
July 9, 2026 — Kobalt Battery Recall
Greenworks recalls about 554,780 Kobalt yard tools sold at Lowe’s after 34 reports of smoke, sparking or fire. No injuries were reported.
- 4
August 2026 — Kobalt Class Action
Yu v. Lowe’s Companies (5:26-cv-07295) is reported on August 4 in the Northern District of California. It alleges the recall remedy falls short.
- 5
September 2026 — Tariff and Voiceprint Suits
McCoy (5:26-cv-02156, N.D. Ohio) is filed on September 3 over tariff refunds. Perkins (2026CH08748, Cook County) is filed on September 10 over voiceprints.
- 6
October 6, 2026 — Pending, No Settlement
All of these cases are pending. No class has been certified, and no fund, claim form or deadline exists. The Cook County docket lists a hearing on November 9, 2026.
Three Things to Watch For
A large tariff-refund headline with no claim form is exactly the gap imposters fill:
“Claim your Lowe’s tariff refund” links
No court has ordered any tariff refund for Lowe’s customers, and there is no claims site. A page asking for your card number or MyLowe’s login to “release your refund” is phishing.
Fake Kobalt recall callers
The real recall runs through Greenworks Tools and is free. A caller or text that asks for a shipping fee, a card number or remote access to your phone to “process the replacement” is not part of it. Use the contact details from the CPSC notice.
“Lowe’s gift card settlement” offers
Survey pages promising a Lowe’s gift card “from the settlement” are a long-running bait. A real class notice names the court and case number, and it never asks you to pay or to buy gift cards.
Lowe’s Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Lowe’s lawsuit in the news right now?
Most likely McCoy v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., No. 5:26-cv-02156 in the Northern District of Ohio, filed September 3, 2026. It alleges Lowe’s passed IEEPA tariff costs on to shoppers and is keeping the tariff refunds it now receives.
Can I get a share of Lowe’s tariff refunds?
Not as of October 6, 2026. The lawsuit asks for that, but no court has ordered it and no claims process exists. The proposed class covers tariffed purchases from February 1, 2025 to February 24, 2026, so keep your receipts.
Is there a Lowe’s settlement or claim form open?
No. None of the current consumer cases against Lowe’s has settled. If one does, a court-appointed administrator will publish an official site and send notice.
I own a recalled Kobalt tool. What should I do?
Stop charging the battery through the USB-C port while it is inserted in the tool. Then request the free replacement battery from Greenworks Tools at 888-266-7096. You get the recall remedy whether or not the class action goes anywhere.
What is the Lowe’s voiceprint lawsuit?
Perkins v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., No. 2026CH08748, filed September 10, 2026 in Cook County, Illinois. It alleges Lowe’s phone systems capture callers’ voiceprints without the consent required by Illinois law. It only concerns Illinois callers.
What happened to the Lowe’s fake-discount lawsuits?
Two North Carolina cases were dismissed in September 2025 because the claimed harm was too speculative. A Washington case, Hern (2:25-cv-02502), was removed to the Western District of Washington; we have not confirmed its current status. Lowe’s denies the allegations.
Are the Labor Department wage investigations lawsuits against Lowe’s?
No. The 78 wage-and-hour records in our database are investigations at establishments operating under the Lowe’s name, including authorized dealers and franchise locations. They are not lawsuits, and they are not corporate-wide cases.
Do I need a lawyer or need to sign up?
No. Class members do not register in advance. If a class is certified, you are included unless you opt out by the deadline in the official notice.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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