Overview
- Attorneys general from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota coordinated the case filed against Menard Inc. in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
- Officials said ads like “11% OFF EVERYTHING” implied an immediate discount when customers actually received future in‑store credit after mailing rebate forms.
- Settlement terms require at least one year to submit rebate claims, prompt updates to an online rebate tracker within 48 hours, and clear disclosure that Rebates International is part of Menards.
- Menards must study options for online rebate submission and redemption and is barred from representing store-credit rebates as point‑of‑sale discounts.
- The deal resolves price‑gouging allegations tied to early COVID‑19 pricing, with specific increases cited for items such as purified water in two Wisconsin stores; Menards denies wrongdoing while paying $4.25 million, including over $750,000 to Wisconsin.