My Little Steamer Settlement: Refund or Voucher, Claim Form Still Online
Questions about this case?
AI Legal Assistant · free · answers in seconds · general information, not legal advice
The my little steamer lawsuit is over: a federal court in Brooklyn approved the class settlement on September 10, 2021, alongside a CPSC recall of about 5.4 million Joy/JM-branded steamers. The claim form is still online as of late September 2026. A steamer bought new in 2018–2020 gets a full refund; older ones get $8, $12 or an $8 HSN voucher. Every claim needs a photo of the steamer defaced with its cord cut.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Said
The my little steamer class action, Fiore v. Ingenious Designs, LLC, was filed on December 14, 2018 against Ingenious Designs, LLC — the importer, a wholly-owned HSN subsidiary since 1999 — and later HSN, Inc. The complaint alleged that the handheld steamers, “due to manufacturing and/or design defects fail, causing boiling water to leak from seals and/or spew on product users.”
The claims were consumer-protection violations and unjust enrichment. The defendants denied liability and the court never decided who was right.
The CPSC recall notice counts 227 reports of hot water spraying or leaking, including 106 reports of burn injuries. For the full background, see our report: 5.4 million My Little Steamers recalled — the claim form is still online.
Case Details
Melissa Fiore, et al. v. Ingenious Designs, LLC, Case No. 1:18-cv-07124-ENV-ST, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The court-approved notice names U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Tiscione as the judge in charge of the class action.
The class settlement runs together with CPSC recall 21-138, announced May 26, 2021. Under the settlement notice, the benefits are the same as in the CPSC corrective action plan, and each steamer can be paid only once.
Status: Settled, Claim Form Still Accepting Claims
Claims: the court-approved notice lists “No Deadline to file a Claim.” As of September 27, 2026, the official site, SteamerRecallSettlement.com, run by the administrator Epiq, still took claims online and by mail.
One caveat: the settlement agreement and the preliminary approval order set a 120-day claim window, which by our count ended in early 2022. No posted document says whether a late claim is still paid. Filing costs nothing, so if you still have the steamer, a claim is low-risk.
The exclusion and objection deadline was August 4, 2021 and has passed.
Who Can Claim
Anyone who bought a Joy/JM-branded My Little Steamer or My Little Steamer Go Mini from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2020. The CPSC says they were sold on HSN.com, on HSN television and at retailers including Amazon, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart and Lowes.
What you need: a photo of the steamer with the body defaced (permanent and prominent marking) and the electrical cord cut. For cash, you also need proof of purchase: either the Unique ID from the notice HSN customers got in 2021, or a receipt.
File one claim form per person and list every unit on it — duplicate claims are not processed. If you claim more than 10 steamers, HSN may ask for proof of the price you paid.
How Much the Settlement Pays
Bought new January 2018 – December 2020: full refund of the purchase price, with proof of purchase.
Go Mini bought new January 2015 – December 2017: $8 cash per unit, with proof of purchase.
Deluxe bought new January 2015 – December 2017: $12 cash per unit, with proof of purchase.
Bought before January 2015, or no proof of purchase: an $8 HSN voucher per unit.
Every tier requires the defaced-steamer photo. Attorneys’ fees of up to $975,000 and $5,000 incentive awards are paid separately by the defendants and do not reduce any refund. HSN’s separate $16 million civil penalty to the CPSC goes to the government, not to steamer owners.
If you were burned, the class settlement only covers refunds. See how product-liability injury claims work.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 5,246 federal civil cases of this typeclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 20.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 37% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 14.3% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 37% and 51.3%.
- 4.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 238 reached a trial (0.4%), after a median of 26.4 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 9.2 months.
- Only 92 of them (1.8%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $297,500.
These are base rates for this type of case — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
My Little Steamer Timeline
- 1
December 14, 2018 — Class Action Filed
Fiore v. Ingenious Designs is filed in federal court in Brooklyn, alleging steamers leak or spew boiling water.
- 2
June 7, 2019 — Stop-Sale Notice
Per the settlement notice, the defendants tell all distributors and retailers to stop selling the steamers.
- 3
May 26, 2021 — Recall and Settlement
HSN and the CPSC recall about 5.4 million steamers (recall 21-138). The class settlement offers the same refunds and vouchers.
- 4
September 10, 2021 — Final Approval
The court approves the settlement and later closes the case. The exclusion and objection deadline of August 4, 2021 has passed.
- 5
November 8, 2023 — $16 Million CPSC Penalty
HSN agrees to a $16 million civil penalty to settle CPSC charges that it knowingly failed to immediately report the burn hazard. The CPSC provisionally accepts it.
- 6
September 27, 2026 — Claims Still Accepted
As of this date, the official site still takes claims online and by mail. No posted document says whether late claims are paid.
Three Things to Watch For
A five-year-old settlement with a claim form still online leaves room for confusion. Watch for:
Copycat “steamer refund” sites
The only official claim site is SteamerRecallSettlement.com, run by Epiq. The real claim form asks for contact and purchase details and a photo of the defaced steamer.
Fees to “process” your refund
Filing is free. Class counsel fees were paid separately by the defendants, so nobody legitimate charges you to file or speed up a claim.
Reselling a recalled steamer
The CPSC says to stop using them immediately; buying one does not make you a class member, and selling one is barred under federal law.
My Little Steamer Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is the my little steamer settlement real?
Yes. It settled Fiore v. Ingenious Designs, LLC, No. 1:18-cv-07124 in the Eastern District of New York, and it runs together with CPSC recall 21-138. Claims go through SteamerRecallSettlement.com or the administrator at 1-855-654-0942.
Can I still file a claim in 2026?
As of September 27, 2026 the official site still accepted claims online and by mail, and the court-approved notice lists no deadline to file a claim. The settlement agreement mentions a 120-day window, though, so whether a late claim is paid is not confirmed.
How much will I get?
A full refund for steamers bought new from January 2018 through December 2020; $8 per Go Mini or $12 per Deluxe bought new from January 2015 through December 2017; otherwise an $8 HSN voucher per unit.
I have no receipt. Can I still claim?
Yes, but only for the $8 HSN voucher per unit, unless you have the Unique ID from the notice HSN mailed or emailed to its customers in 2021. That ID counts as proof of purchase for steamers bought from HSN.
What does “proof of destruction” mean?
Deface the body of the steamer with permanent and prominent marking, cut the electrical cord, and upload or attach a clear photo. Throw the steamer away only after you have been paid.
I bought mine at Walmart or Amazon. Am I covered?
Yes. The class covers anyone who bought a Joy/JM-branded My Little Steamer from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2020, wherever they bought it. Without a receipt, a third-party purchase gets the $8 HSN voucher.
I was burned. Does this settlement pay for injuries?
No. The my little steamer class action covers refunds and vouchers only. The CPSC counted 106 reports of burn injuries; injury claims are separate, individual cases.
Who do I contact about my claim?
My Little Steamer Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 3698, Portland, OR 97208-3698, or 1-855-654-0942 (TTY 1-855-535-1814), 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday. Do not contact the court.
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.
Related Consumer Brand Lawsuits
Open Class Action Settlements
Other settlements that are still accepting claims
Epiq Class Action Administration
How the administrator behind the steamer claims site works
Settlement Claim ID Lookup
Find or check the ID printed on a settlement notice
Product Liability Lawsuits
How injury claims over defective products differ from class actions