Vegamour is considered one of the most popular hair restoration brands on the market. But while that could be the case, did you know that there was a lawsuit filed against the company?
Yeah, you heard that right! However, the case has since then been dismissed. Now, you probably are wondering, what was the lawsuit all about?
And did it have anything to do with the quality, safety, and efficacy of the brands’ products? Read on to find out.
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Who Filed the Lawsuit Against Vegamour & Why?
From what we could gather, Barbara Blejewski was the person responsible for filing a complaint against Vegamour. She filed the lawsuit on August 24, 2020, in Connecticut Federal Court. Barbara alleged that Vegamour’s website was not fully accessible and usable by individuals with visual disabilities.
Below are some of the issues she wanted to be addressed in the lawsuit:
Complaint 1
According to Barbara, the defendant’s website was built so there is an inaccessible dialog box when the homepage opens.
And as it turns out, there was nothing to indicate that the dialog box was unlabeled. This meant that users had to either spin the wheel or simply close the dialog via the “X” button.
However, if you were a keyboard user only, this meant that you could not access either element. And as a screen reader user, none of the above elements were announced. Therefore, both users could not use the Vegamour website.
Complaint 2
Additionally, Barbara alleged that the “one-time purchase” purchase option available on Defendant’s website was not accessible. However, this problem affected screen reader users only.
A good example is in the case of their GRO Hair Serum where there are two purchase options. Each option comes with its own radio button including, one for one-time purchase and the other for the subscription.
However, the issue is that the first radio button was never announced. Therefore, users could only hear the second purchase option. This meant that there was no way for screen reader users to know whether the first purchase option actually existed.
On top of that, there was a minimal indication to alert such users of the existence of other options via different navigation techniques.
But for sighted users, they could tell that the first option was skipped. As a result, they could easily navigate backward using arrow keys and choose the one-time purchase option.
According to the plaintiff, there needed to be actionable elements like radio buttons in the Tab order. This way, users can navigate to these elements using the Tab key only.
Complaint 3
Lastly, the plaintiff alleged that the offer of 15% off first orders was not announced. According to Barbara, when you visited the GRO Hair Serum page, a 15% off dialog box would be displayed. However, this dialog box was not announced when opened and did not receive focus.
And when users proceed to navigate the page, other elements could be heard behind the dialog. However, no content could be heard in the dialog.
What was the Verdict on the Vegamour Case?
Overall, the only reason why Barbara Blejewski filed a lawsuit against Vegamour was that the website was not friendly to users with visual disabilities. In the lawsuit, Barbara alleged that the defendant did not take any reasonable action to ensure blind users could independently access the website.
The good news is that the case was settled and dismissed on January 13, 2021, without costs to either party.
Therefore, as you can see, the lawsuit had nothing to do with the efficacy and safety of Vegamour’s products. This is probably because their products are clinically-tested and even approved to be safe. On top of that, they are made without toxins and hormones and are also cruelty-free.
Also READ: 4 Vegamour Alternatives Worth Considering
Further References on this Case:
You could probably mention that this person files a LOT of frivolous lawsuit always claiming the same thing. It’s the old 508 scam.
Well I feel that’s a silly thing to be upset about and to make a lawsuit over on Vegamour.