Costco shoppers have a limited window to submit a claim tied to the wholesaler’s recent $14 million class action settlement.
The case was brought after customers claimed Costco sent marketing emails to people in Washington with subject lines that were allegedly false or misleading, in violation of state law.
That law is Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA), first enacted in 1998.
In April 2025, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that CEMA’s subject-line provision reaches false or misleading information in commercial email subject lines, a decision that helped spur a wave of related lawsuits. In 2026, Washington lawmakers also approved a change to the statute that took effect on June 11, 2026.
The case, Michael Aaland v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, was filed last year.
According to the complaint, Costco sent promotional emails that allegedly created a false sense of urgency by advertising deals as if they were about to expire, even though the offers were supposedly intended to continue past the stated deadline, Fox Business reported.
Examples cited in the lawsuit include subject lines such as “Today is the last day to access Member-Only Savings” and “Hot Buys available for 5 Days Only”.
Costco has denied wrongdoing, but it agreed to settle the matter. The deal still needs court approval, with the final approval hearing currently set for October 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.
Under the settlement, the $14,000,000 fund will be distributed among eligible Settlement Class Members who submit timely and valid claims, after deductions for court-approved costs, fees and any service award. The official settlement website says the amount each claimant receives cannot be determined yet because it depends on how many valid claims are filed.
You do not have to be a Costco member to qualify, but you must have been a Washington resident when the alleged emails were received, during the period from June 2, 2021, through July 7, 2026.
You also must have had your email address in Costco’s records.
The settlement states (per the Washington Commercial Email Settlement website):
“All persons who received a commercial electronic mail message, and who were Washington residents at the time of the receipt of such commercial electronic mail message, that was transmitted by Costco Wholesale Corporation or someone acting on behalf of Costco Wholesale Corporation at any time from June 2, 2021, through July 7, 2026.”
If the settlement receives final approval, the $14,000,000 fund will be shared by class members who submit valid claims before the deadline.
Anyone who believes they qualify has until August 24, 2026, to file a claim.
Claims can be submitted through the Washington Commercial Email Settlement website, and only one claim form may be filed per person.
“If your Claim Form is approved and the Settlement is approved by the Court and becomes final, you give up your right to bring your own lawsuit about the issues in this Lawsuit,” the website states.
People who do not want to participate can choose to opt out if they would rather pursue their own legal claim, and they may also object to the settlement terms.
Anyone with questions about the case or the claims process can contact the Settlement Administrator at 888-808-6247 or Class Counsel at 206-746-2337.