MyPillow
TINA.org investigated My Pillow, a Minnesota company that has sold millions of foam-filled bed pillows across the country, and found that the company was making deceptive and unsubstantiated disease-treatment claims in its marketing, and later, was airing television commercials that deceptively promoted a “clinical sleep study” and falsely claimed the study, which had several material flaws, proved the company’s pillows provided several health benefits. MyPillow also deceptively advertised a buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) sale on its pillows by inflating the “regular” price of the products.
Highlights
- Sent warning letter to company
- Provided findings to CA district attorneys
- CA district attorneys sued company resulting in $1 million+ Stipulated Judgment
- Filed complaint with CA district attorneys after company violated Stipulated Judgment
- CA district attorneys sued company again resulting in $100,000 Stipulated Judgment
Timeline
2019
October 23
A Stipulated Final Judgment is entered in the most recent lawsuit filed by California district attorneys against MyPillow that requires the company to pay $100,000 in civil penalties.
October 2
California district attorneys file a complaint in California state court against MyPillow for continuing to disseminate false and misleading advertisements for its bed pillows by, among other things, inaccurately portraying the sole “study” upon which the company’s marketing claims were purportedly based.
April 23
TINA.org sends a complaint letter to the California district attorneys who filed the 2016 lawsuit against MyPillow regarding the company’s violation of the 2016 Stipulated Judgment
2018
November
MyPillow starts airing television commercials that deceptively promote a “clinical sleep study” and misleadingly using the “study” as substantiation for a number of deceptive claims about the pillows’ benefits, in violation of the 2016 order entered in the lawsuit filed against MyPillow by a group of California district attorneys.
2016
November 15
TINA.org sends a letter to National Sleep Foundation notifying it of MyPillow’s continued deceptive use of the Foundation’s logo, in violation of federal and state law.
October 31
A state court judge signs the agreement between MyPillow and the California district attorneys and it becomes a final order.
October 26
A group of California district attorneys, to whom TINA.org provided its investigation findings, files a lawsuit against MyPillow for, among other things, making unsubstantiated health claims about its pillows. The lawsuit results in an agreement between the company and state officials that requires MyPillow to pay $995,000 in civil penalties, give $100,000 to homeless and domestic violence shelters in California, refrain from, among other things, making unsubstantiated health claims and false representations about the pillows’ benefits, and stop promoting its product as the “official pillow” of the National Sleep Foundation.
September 12
TINA.org reports on the company’s deceptive BOGO offer.
February 8-16
TINA.org sends several emails to MyPillow in response to phone calls received from MyPillow’s CEO, as well as to follow-up on the initial warning letter: February 8, February 9, February 12, February 16.
2.8.16 Email to M. Lindell
2.11.16 Email to M. Lindell
2.12.16 Email to M. Lindell
2.16.16 Email to M. Lindell
February 1
TINA.org sends a warning letter to MyPillow alerting it to the numerous unsubstantiated health claims and requesting that the company immediately remedy the deceptive marketing. TINA.org’s warning letter sparks changes to MyPillow’s website.
Evidence
Featured
MyPillow Gets a $1 Million Wake-Up Call
California consumer protection officials reach agreement with company to put health claims to bed.
The Latest
Infomercial sleeper ‘My Pillow’ gets $1 million wake-up call over false medical claims
Ben Guarino, The Washington Post
My Pillow Settles Consumer Lawsuit Over Health Claims for $1 Million
Mary H.J. Farrell, Consumer Reports
Full of Fluff? MyPillow Ordered to Pay $1M for Bogus Ads
Herb Weisbaum, NBC News
MyPillow gets rude awakening with $1M suit settlement
John Ewoldt, StarTribune
My Pillow agrees to $1 million in penalties to settle suit over marketing claims
Connie Thompson, Komo News
MyPillow Subjected to Plenty of Legal Tossing and Turning
Laura Northrup, The Consumerist
Sale or Not? MyPillow’s BOGO Offer
Is this BOGO a no-go?
MyPillow’s fortunes soar, but not with complaints
Jordan Graham, Boston Herald
MyPillow fight with watchdog
C.J., StarTribune
My Pillow Faulted for False Health Claims
Mary H.J. Farrell, Consumer Reports
Class-Action Tracker
MyPillow’s Buy One Get One Free Offer
May 2018: This case was voluntarily dismissed When a complaint is dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be refiled.. August 2017: This action was stayed pending a settlement in a related…
MyPillow’s BOGO and 50% Off Claims
May 2018: Both cases were dismissed because they were resolved as part of the nationwide settlement in Amiri v. MyPillow. Click on the links below to see the filings in…
MyPillow’s BOGO Codes
December 2017: The company asked the Court to temporarily stay the case pending final approval of a related nationwide settlement in a California case, Amiri v. My Pillow. October 2017:…
MyPillow’s Marketing Claims
September 2017: A state court judge preliminarily approved a revised settlement agreement. According to the terms of the revised agreement, class members who purchased pillows directly from MyPillow may receive…
MyPillow’s Marketing
August 2016: The named-plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed this action When a complaint is dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be refiled.. The reasons for the dismissal have not been disclosed. March 2016:…