Abercrombie & Fitch Hit with Class Action Over Hidden Handling Fee

Abercrombie & Fitch is facing a new class action lawsuit over a hidden handling fee that allegedly shows up at the end of checkout on both the Abercrombie and Hollister websites.

Plaintiff Naomi Heilman filed the lawsuit in California federal court, claiming Abercrombie advertises products at one price but tacks on a mandatory "handling" fee once you get to the final step of the purchase. According to the complaint, Heilman bought a dress from Abercrombie's website in April 2025 and was charged a required $7.00 shipping and handling fee because her order totaled less than $99. The lawsuit says this fee is not a government tax and should have been disclosed upfront.

The practice is called "drip pricing," and California made it illegal under Senate Bill 478 (the Honest Pricing Law), which went into effect on July 1, 2024. Under the law, businesses have to show all mandatory fees in the initial price — not slip them in at checkout. The lawsuit alleges Abercrombie's practice also violates California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

Who's eligible

The proposed class covers California consumers who bought items from the Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister websites and paid a handling fee in the past three years. A subclass covers the same purchases made after July 1, 2024, when SB 478 took effect.

How to file

There's no settlement yet. The case was just filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Heilman v. Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Case No. 3:26-cv-02224-SK), and it will likely take months or longer before any payout is announced.

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