Ulta Lawsuit: Sale Emails, Website Tracking and No Settlement Yet
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There is no single Ulta lawsuit. As of October 2026 the beauty retailer is defending several proposed class actions — most over marketing emails that allegedly faked sale deadlines or hid the strings on “free gifts,” and one, reported in August 2026, over Meta Pixel tracking on ulta.com. None has settled. There is no claim form, no deadline and no payment. We also found no Ulta data breach notice and no data breach class action.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuits Say Ulta Did
Each class action lawsuit against Ulta targets a different practice. The complaints are allegations; no court has found Ulta liable for any of them.
Fake deadlines in subject lines. Washington and Indiana shoppers allege Ulta sent emails saying a sale was ending when it was not. One Indiana complaint cites a March 27, 2025 email titled “LAST DAY! 50% off Beauty Steals,” followed the next morning by a “BONUS DAY” extending the same sale. It alleges Ulta has sent at least 400 emails a year since 2021.
“Free” gifts with a minimum purchase. Suits in Indiana, Washington and Maryland allege emails advertised free gifts and discounts without adequately disclosing the minimum purchase or the exclusions.
Website tracking. A California suit alleges ulta.com used the Meta Pixel to send full URL strings and the products a visitor viewed to Meta and other third parties without consent.
“Conscious Beauty” labels. A 2025 suit alleged products in Ulta's clean-beauty program contained ingredients on Ulta's own “Made Without List.” That case has ended (see below).
Case Details
The main cases, by court:
Washington (email subject lines): Shahpur v. Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc., No. 2:25-cv-00284 (E.D. Wash.), filed in state court in June 2025 and removed to federal court in August 2025. Related “free gift” suits include Repperger, No. 25-cv-526 (E.D. Wash.), and Maxwell, No. 25-cv-2500 (W.D. Wash.).
Indiana: Cole v. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc., No. 1:25-cv-02521 (S.D. Ind.), filed December 12, 2025, and Sears v. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc., No. 49D01-2608-PL-046005, a state case filed August 18, 2026 in Marion Superior Court 1.
Maryland: Ade-Fosudo, No. 25-cv-4188, and Mulanena, No. 25-cv-3753 (D. Md.).
California (tracking): Hartigan v. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc., No. 3:26-cv-04007-JO-VET (S.D. Cal.).
Ended: Garvey v. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-05965 (N.D. Cal.), the Conscious Beauty case, filed July 15, 2025.
Status: Pending Cases, No Settlement
The furthest-along case is Shahpur. On February 27, 2026 the Eastern District of Washington refused to dismiss it, rejecting Ulta's arguments that federal CAN-SPAM law preempts Washington's email statute and that the statute is unconstitutional. The case moved into discovery. Ulta then asked to certify an appeal; we could not confirm how that request was decided. On April 29, 2026, Law360 reported that a Spokane federal judge also refused to toss a Washington “free gifts” email case.
The Indiana and California cases are at the pleading stage. In the Conscious Beauty case, a docket summary we could not independently confirm reports a settlement in principle in November 2025, then a notice of voluntary dismissal and closure in early 2026. No class settlement or claim process was announced in that case.
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Who Could Be in the Proposed Classes
No class has been certified, so nobody is a class member yet. The proposed groups:
Washington residents who received Ulta promotional emails with allegedly misleading subject lines.
Indiana residents who received such emails within the six years before the August 18, 2026 filing.
Maryland recipients of the “free gift” emails, under the Maryland suits.
California visitors who used ulta.com from June 4, 2024 onward, in the Meta Pixel case.
There is nothing to sign up for. If a class is certified or a settlement is approved, notice comes from a court-appointed administrator. Keeping old Ulta promotional emails in your inbox costs nothing and may help later.
Is There Any Money?
Ulta Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
June–August 2025 — Washington Email Suit
Two consumers sue in Washington state court over sale-deadline subject lines. Ulta removes the case to the Eastern District of Washington in August.
- 2
July 15, 2025 — Conscious Beauty Suit
Garvey (3:25-cv-05965) is filed in the Northern District of California over Ulta's clean-beauty labels. A docket summary reports a settlement in principle in November 2025 and a voluntary dismissal in early 2026; we could not confirm this independently.
- 3
October–December 2025 — Free Gift Suits
Free-gift email suits are filed in Maryland, Washington and Indiana, including Cole (1:25-cv-02521) on December 12, 2025.
- 4
February 27, 2026 — Motion to Dismiss Denied
The Eastern District of Washington lets Shahpur proceed and rejects Ulta's preemption and constitutional arguments. On April 29, 2026 Law360 reports a second Washington ruling against dismissal.
- 5
August 2026 — Two New Suits
The Meta Pixel case Hartigan (3:26-cv-04007) is pending in Southern District of California, and Sears is filed August 18, 2026 in Marion County, Indiana.
- 6
October 2026 — No Settlement
The cases remain pending. No fund, no administrator, no claim form and no deadline exist.
Three Things to Watch For
These cases are about emails and a website, which makes fake Ulta messages easy to dress up as legal news:
“Ulta data breach settlement” claim pages
We found no Ulta data breach and no data breach settlement. A page asking for your Social Security number or card number to “claim your Ulta breach payment” is collecting data, not filing a claim.
Emails offering “settlement” rewards points
A message that copies Ulta's own promo style and says you are owed points or gift cards from a class action is not real. No Ulta case has settled, and no administrator asks you to log in to your Ulta Beauty Rewards account.
“Last day to join the Ulta lawsuit”
Fake urgency is the very practice these suits challenge. You never need to join a class before a deadline that comes with no court notice. A retainer agreement is a separate choice; read it before signing.
Ulta Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Ulta lawsuit about?
Several separate proposed class actions. Most allege Ulta's marketing emails used false deadlines (“LAST DAY!”) or advertised “free gifts” without disclosing purchase requirements. One alleges ulta.com shared browsing data with Meta through a tracking pixel. Ulta has not been found liable in any of them.
Is there an Ulta class action lawsuit settlement I can claim?
No. Every class action lawsuit Ulta currently faces is still pending. As of October 2026, no Ulta class action lawsuit has a settlement, fund, administrator, claim form or deadline. The Conscious Beauty case reportedly ended in a voluntary dismissal in early 2026, with no class claim process announced.
Was there an Ulta data breach?
We found no Ulta data breach notice and no data breach class action as of October 2026. The privacy case that does exist, Hartigan (3:26-cv-04007-JO-VET), is about website tracking through the Meta Pixel, not a hack.
Who can be part of the email lawsuits?
The proposed classes are state-based: Washington, Indiana and Maryland residents who received the challenged Ulta emails. No class has been certified yet, so membership is not settled.
Did a judge rule against Ulta?
Only at the early stage. On February 27, 2026 the Eastern District of Washington denied Ulta's motion to dismiss in Shahpur (2:25-cv-00284). That means the claims can proceed. It is not a finding that Ulta broke the law.
What happened to the Conscious Beauty lawsuit against Ulta?
Garvey (3:25-cv-05965), filed July 15, 2025, alleged clean-beauty products contained ingredients on Ulta's own “Made Without List.” A docket summary reports a settlement in principle in November 2025 and a voluntary dismissal in early 2026, which we could not confirm independently. No class settlement was announced.
Is there an employee lawsuit against Ulta?
Yes, separately. A proposed class action in the Western District of Washington alleges Ulta illegally discouraged low-wage workers from taking second jobs. Ulta moved to dismiss on November 10, 2025, calling its guidance nonbinding. It is not a consumer case.
Do I need to do anything now?
No. There is nothing to file. Keep old Ulta promotional emails, ignore any message asking for fees or account logins to “claim” money, and watch for an official notice if a case settles. Our list of open settlements shows claims that are actually open.
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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