A proposed class action has accused Costco of unjust enrichment after the retail giant allegedly made customers pay for tariffs, then planned to pocket the full refund after they were deemed unlawful.

Costco "collected the tariff costs from consumers through elevated pricing, while simultaneously seeking refunds of the same tariff payments from the federal government," the complaint alleged. Unless the court intervenes, "Costco stands to recover the same tariff payments twice."

Filed in a US District Court in Washington, the lawsuit points to public statements from Costco executives that customers said made it clear that the company had raised prices on some goods while the tariffs were in effect. But the company has since offered "no legally binding commitment to return tariff-related overcharges to the consumers who actually paid them."

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