Costco Tariff Refund Class Action, The Company Wants the Case Dropped Here Is Why Shoppers Are Fighting Back

Costco Wholesale has asked a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action claiming the retail giant owes customers refunds for higher prices it charged before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The company says the shopper who filed the case suffered no harm and got exactly what he paid for. The shoppers say Costco is about to get paid twice for the same money — and they want their share back.

Quick Facts: Costco Tariff Refund Class Action

Field	Detail
Case Name	Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation
Court	U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Alleged Violation	Unjust enrichment; violations of state consumer protection laws
Who Is Affected	U.S. Costco shoppers who purchased IEEPA-tariffed goods Feb. 1, 2025 – Feb. 24, 2026
Qualifying States	IL, CA, FL, MI, MO, NJ, NY, OH, WA, WI
Current Stage	Costco filed motion to dismiss — May 19, 2026
Lead Plaintiff	Matthew Stockov (Chicago-area shopper)
Claim Deadline	None — no settlement or claims process exists yet
Official Case Website	TBD — no settlement website established
Last Updated	May 20, 2026

What Is the Costco Tariff Refund Lawsuit About? Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation (N.D. Ill.)

Beginning in February 2025, the federal government imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from numerous countries under purported authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Those tariffs dramatically increased the cost of imported consumer goods sold in the United States. Major U.S. importers — including Costco — responded by increasing prices on consumer goods to offset the cost of these tariffs.

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held that the IEEPA-based tariffs were unlawful in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 U.S. ___ (2026). As a consequence of that decision, importers who paid those tariffs — including Costco — became entitled to refunds of the duties they previously paid to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Costco is one of thousands of companies that started filing claims this month for tariff refunds from the federal government. But a Chicago-area shopper wants the retail giant to pass those refunds along to its members. Plaintiff Matthew Stockov filed a federal lawsuit in Chicago to prevent the company from “double recovery” — benefiting twice from the refund process. He is arguing that Costco cannot collect the same money from shoppers at the register and then collect it again from the government — and keep both. The lawsuit invokes unjust enrichment, money had and received, and state consumer protection laws including the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, the California Unfair Competition Law, the Washington Consumer Protection Act, and statutes in seven other states.

This case is part of a broader wave of consumer fraud lawsuits hitting major U.S. retailers right now. The Nike tariff refund class action on AllAboutLawyer.com involves nearly identical legal arguments and is moving through federal court in parallel.

Are You Part of the Costco Tariff Refund Class Action?

No claim form exists right now, and you do not need to file anything at this stage. Here is how to know if this lawsuit covers you.

You may be part of this class if:

• You purchased goods from Costco between February 1, 2025, and February 24, 2026
• Those goods were subject to IEEPA tariffs — meaning imported products where tariff costs were passed through in the price
• You reside in one of the following states: Illinois, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Washington, or Wisconsin
• You paid a higher price than you would have paid absent the tariff surcharge

You are likely NOT included if:

• You bought only U.S.-manufactured goods not subject to IEEPA import duties
• You live outside the ten qualifying states listed in the complaint
• Your purchases were made before February 1, 2025, or after February 24, 2026

About one-third of Costco’s products are imported, and in 2024, the retailer ranked among the top 35 U.S. importers — meaning the tariff exposure across its membership base is significant. Most Costco shoppers who bought imported goods during the class period and live in a qualifying state will likely be automatically included if the case is ever certified as a class action.

If you also had a Wells Fargo mortgage during the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Wells Fargo mortgage forbearance settlement — that is a completely separate case with its own claim process.

What Are Costco Shoppers Seeking in This Lawsuit?

This is not a payout section because no numbers have been confirmed by the court. But here is what plaintiffs are asking for — and why the stakes are real.

The filing estimates that Costco is entitled to “hundreds of millions” in refunds, potentially surpassing one billion dollars. The plaintiffs are asking the court to order that any government refund Costco receives for the tariffs gets returned to the customers who actually paid those higher prices at checkout — not kept by the company.

Costco CEO Ron Vachris said the company could lower prices and boost value for customers if refunds come through, but he added it is unclear when or whether that will occur. Attorneys for the plaintiffs called those comments a “promise of possible future benefit to an indeterminate group of future shoppers” — not a commitment to the specific people who absorbed those costs at the register in 2025.

The legal theory is unjust enrichment — the argument that a company cannot deliberately pass a cost to consumers, then reclaim that same cost from the government, and keep both payments. No money is available yet and no claim form exists. The court has not yet ruled on Costco’s motion to dismiss.

What Should You Do If You Shopped at Costco Between 2025 and 2026?

You do not need to do anything right now to preserve your place in this case. Here is what makes sense at this stage.

• Do nothing for now — most class members are automatically included if the court certifies the class. You do not need to file anything to stay in.
• Save your Costco purchase records — your membership account history, order confirmations, and receipts for imported goods purchased between February 1, 2025, and February 24, 2026, could matter if the case advances.
• Monitor the PACER docket at pacermonitor.com for case updates in Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, Northern District of Illinois.
• If you want to pursue an individual claim, consult a consumer rights lawyer for a free legal consultation about whether your specific losses justify a separate action.
• Do not submit personal information to any third-party site claiming to have a Costco tariff settlement claim form — no such form exists as of today.

Costco Tariff Refund Lawsuit Timeline

Milestone	Date
IEEPA Tariffs Imposed	February 2025
Costco Sues Trump Administration	November 28, 2025
Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs	February 20, 2026
Court of International Trade Orders Refunds	March 4, 2026
Stockov Class Action Filed (Chicago)	Late March 2026
Costco Files Motion to Dismiss	May 19, 2026
Court Ruling on Motion to Dismiss	TBD — no hearing date set yet
Class Certification (if motion denied)	TBD — would follow after dismissal ruling
Expected Settlement Timeline	TBD — case is in earliest litigation stage

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action lawsuit against Costco over tariff refunds?

Yes. Costco Wholesale has filed a motion to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit that claims the retailer owes customers refunds for higher prices charged before the Supreme Court struck down import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The case is Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation in the Northern District of Illinois, filed in late March 2026.

Do I need to do anything right now to be included in the Costco tariff lawsuit?

No. You do not need to file anything at this stage. If the court eventually certifies a class, members who shopped at Costco during the qualifying period in a covered state will be automatically included. Hold onto your purchase records and monitor the docket for updates.

When will a settlement be reached in the Costco tariff case?

No timeline exists yet. Costco urged the Illinois federal court to toss the case as premature on May 19, 2026. Until the judge rules on that motion, the case cannot advance to discovery or settlement talks. This could take many months.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Costco for tariff overcharges instead?

You can consult a class action lawsuit attorney about your individual options. However, if a class is eventually certified, individual claims for the same harm may be barred. A lawyer can help you weigh the cost of individual litigation against waiting for a potential class settlement.

What did Costco say to defend itself against this lawsuit?

Costco called the lawsuit speculative and said the customer who lodged the case suffered no harm. The company stated: “His own allegations establish that he freely chose to purchase valuable products for accurately posted prices,” and that the plaintiff “got what he paid for, and Costco never suggested that it would (or even might) later refund part of the purchase price.”

How will I know if the Costco tariff lawsuit settles?

If a settlement is reached, the court will order notice to class members — typically by email, mail, or published notice. AllAboutLawyer.com will update this page when any material development occurs. You can also monitor PACER directly for case filings under Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, Northern District of Illinois.

Is the Costco case the only tariff refund lawsuit filed against a retailer?

No. Costco is one of a number of companies — including FedEx and the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses Essilor Luxottica — to be hit by lawsuits filed in the wake of the Supreme Court decision by retail customers seeking to recoup increased tariff-related charges they paid. The legal theory is the same across all of them: retailers collected money from consumers to cover tariffs and are now set to collect that same money back from the government.

Sources & References

• Law360 — Costco Calls Suit Over Tariff Refunds Premature, May 19, 2026
• PACER — Case Docket, Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, N.D. Ill.

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against court filings, Law360 reporting dated May 19, 2026, and the official case docket for Stockov v. Costco Wholesale Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.