UPS Lawsuit: The Tariff Refund Class Action and What Else Is Pending
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Most people searching for a UPS lawsuit right now mean one case: a proposed class action filed in Atlanta on February 20, 2026, the same day the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs. It says UPS should hand back the tariff charges it collected from people who received imported packages. Separately, UPS is pursuing government refunds itself. As of October 2026 there is no UPS settlement, no claim form and no deadline in any of the cases below.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the UPS Class Action Lawsuit Says
After the duty exemption for low-value imports ended, carriers such as UPS cleared parcels through customs and passed the tariff cost on to customers, along with brokerage and clearance fees. On February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal.
The same day, a South Carolina freight forwarder and customs broker filed a class action lawsuit against UPS. The complaint alleges that UPS collected tariff-related charges and raised shipping costs based on tariffs that are now invalid, and that it has not paid customers back. It pleads breach of contract and asks whether UPS was unjustly enriched by keeping charges tied to the struck-down tariffs. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
The lead case is Anastopoulo v. United Parcel Service, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-01005, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, filed February 20, 2026. It proposes a nationwide class of U.S. residents who paid IEEPA tariffs to UPS and pleads more than $5,000,000 in controversy under the Class Action Fairness Act. The same plaintiff filed related suits against UPS and FedEx in federal courts in South Carolina and Tennessee.
Other matters that share the name: a wage suit by the New York Attorney General, a meal-and-rest-break class action in Washington, wrongful-death cases over UPS Flight 2976, and an older investor suit. Each is covered separately below.
Status: Pending Cases, No UPS Settlement
The refund that may actually reach you runs outside the lawsuit. In April 2026 U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened its CAPE refund portal. Only the importer of record can file there; individual consumers cannot. UPS has said that where it was the importer of record, it will request the refunds itself, that those customers do not need to contact UPS, and that it will pay the money to whoever paid the charge once CBP pays UPS. CBP said refunds arrive 60 to 90 days after a claim is approved, and UPS warned it could take up to three months for the money to reach UPS. We found no confirmed report of UPS customer refunds being paid yet.
New York wage suit — pending. Washington break suit (No. 2:26-cv-02175) — pending. Flight 2976 cases — in Kentucky state court after a federal judge remanded one of them in July 2026.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Could Be Affected
Tariff case: the proposed class is U.S. residents who paid UPS for tariffs imposed under IEEPA — typically people who got a UPS bill or a doorstep charge for duties on an imported package. You do not sign up for a proposed class; if a class is certified or a settlement is reached, notice goes out from a court-appointed administrator. Keep your UPS invoices and payment receipts for import charges.
Seasonal and hourly workers: the New York case covers seasonal workers in that state and is brought by the Attorney General, not a class. The Washington case seeks a class of hourly UPS employees in Washington.
Flight 2976: these are individual wrongful-death and injury suits by families, not a class action.
Is There Any Money?
The money closest to moving is the government tariff refund. If UPS was the importer of record on your package and CBP approves the refund, UPS says it will pass the money to the payor. The amount would be the IEEPA duty you paid on that shipment — not a settlement share. Whether brokerage or processing fees will also come back is exactly what the class action is arguing about.
UPS Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
November 4, 2025 — Flight 2976 Crashes
A UPS MD-11F freighter crashes on takeoff from Louisville, killing three crew members and 12 people on the ground. The first wrongful-death suits follow on December 3, 2025 in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
- 2
December 15, 2025 — New York Sues Over Seasonal Pay
The New York Attorney General alleges UPS shorted seasonal workers' hours going back to 2019 and seeks restitution upwards of $45 million. UPS denies it.
- 3
February 20, 2026 — Tariffs Struck Down, Class Action Filed
The Supreme Court rules the IEEPA tariffs illegal. The same day, Anastopoulo v. UPS (No. 1:26-cv-01005) is filed in Atlanta seeking refunds for customers.
- 4
April 2026 — CBP Refund Portal Opens
CBP launches CAPE. UPS says it will request refunds for shipments where it was the importer of record and pass them to the payors once paid.
- 5
July 2026 — Crash Case Sent Back to Kentucky
U.S. District Judge David J. Hale rejects UPS's bid to keep a Flight 2976 wrongful-death case in federal court and remands it to state court.
- 6
October 2026 — No Settlement in Any Case
The tariff class action, the New York and Washington wage suits and the crash cases are pending. No UPS settlement, claim form or deadline exists.
Three Things to Watch For
Tariff refunds and a famous brand name are an easy hook:
“Claim your UPS tariff refund” texts
UPS has said customers whose shipments it imported do not need to contact it for IEEPA refunds. A text or email asking you to pay a small “processing fee” or enter your card to release a refund is phishing.
“UPS settlement” claim sites
There is no UPS settlement, so there is no official claim site. A page asking for your Social Security number or bank login to “file” in the tariff case is collecting data, not filing anything.
“Sign up to join the lawsuit against UPS” forms
You never need to register to be part of a proposed class. Many sign-up forms are lead-generation pages for law firms; read what you are agreeing to before you hand over details.
UPS Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the UPS class action about?
The main one, Anastopoulo v. United Parcel Service, No. 1:26-cv-01005 in the Northern District of Georgia, alleges UPS collected tariff charges based on IEEPA tariffs the Supreme Court declared illegal on February 20, 2026 and has not refunded customers. UPS has not been found liable.
Is there a class action lawsuit UPS customers can file a claim in?
No. As of October 2026 the tariff case is pending with no settlement, no administrator and no claim form. If that changes, a court-approved notice will name the official site and deadline.
Is there a UPS settlement I can get money from?
No UPS settlement is open in any of these cases. The only money currently in motion is the CBP tariff refund, which UPS says it will pass to payors for shipments where it was the importer of record.
How do I get my tariff refund from UPS?
You cannot file with CBP yourself unless you were the importer of record. UPS says that where it was the importer of record it will request the refund, you do not need to contact it, and it will pay you after CBP pays UPS. CBP quotes 60 to 90 days after approval.
What is the New York lawsuit against UPS?
The New York Attorney General sued UPS in December 2025, alleging delayed clock-ins, unpaid work and training, and edited time sheets for seasonal workers since 2019. The office seeks restitution upwards of $45 million. UPS denies the allegations.
Is there a UPS class action lawsuit for workers?
Yes, several. One example is a Washington case by two former workers, No. 2:26-cv-02175 in the Western District of Washington, alleging missed meal and rest breaks. It is pending with no settlement.
What about lawsuits over UPS Flight 2976?
Families have filed wrongful-death suits against UPS, Boeing, GE and a maintenance contractor over the November 4, 2025 crash in Louisville. They are individual cases, not a class action, and a federal judge sent one back to Kentucky state court in July 2026.
Was there a UPS investor lawsuit?
Yes. Savage v. United Parcel Service, No. 1:24-cv-04591, was filed in the Northern District of Georgia on October 10, 2024. It is a securities case (federal nature-of-suit code 850), not a customer or worker case, and offers nothing to package recipients. Check the docket for its current status.
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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