Bought Dole Fruit Bowls? You might be owed money, even without proof of purchase

Dole Packaged Foods, LLC has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit regarding allegations that it said certain products contained 100% fruit juice, when in fact they did not. The surprising twist in this settlement is that affected parties don’t need to prove their purchase of the products to take part in the settlement offer.

The allegations and settlement cover Dole Fruit Bowls products sold between January 1, 2017 and June 27, 2023. As the official settlement website states, the claimants alleged that these fruit bowls had labeling that said the fruit was “in 100% juice” or “in 100% fruit juice” when the juice actually contained “trace amounts of ascorbic acid and/or citric acid or other ingredients.”

Dole denied any wrongdoing or that the products were mislabeled in any way, but has agreed to pay out $4.3 million to settle the suit. And customers do not have to prove they purchased the Dole Fruit Bowls products to be included under the settlement. This is good, considering purchasers of the products may not have grocery receipts going back to 2017.

Unfortunately, if you do not have your receipts or another proof of purchase, you will only be eligible for up to half of the maximum settlement amount per customer, instead of the full amount. Here’s how much money you’ll be entitled to if you do or do not have your proof of purchase.

• If you DO have your proof of purchase: You’ll get a payment of $0.15/product, for up to 120 products maximum. That means those with proof of purchase can get up to $18 from Dole in the settlement.

• If you DO NOT have your proof of purchase: You’ll still get a payment of $0.15/product, but for up to a maximum of only 60 products. That means those without proof of purchase can get up to $9 from Dole in the settlement.

If you want to make a claim for payment under the settlement, you’ll need to file a claim form by September 25, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CST, which you can do here. To find out more about the settlement, you can read the settlement’s full FAQ here.

CORRECTION: The original version of this article incorrectly stated the class action was against Dole, PLC instead of Dole Packaged Foods, LLC. Fast Company regrets the error.