Bought A&W Root Beer or Cream Soda? You May Have Money Coming

One of the first names in Root Beer and one of the finest names in Cream Soda, A&W has been ordered via a class action lawsuit to refund some money to consumers following an issue with product labeling. The specific issue has to do with the words "aged vanilla" and was the subject of a $15 million dollar class action suit brought against the brands and their parent company.

The decision on the class action lawsuit, Sharpe v. A&W Concentrate, focused on the fact that there was no "actual aged vanilla" in any of the products that carried those words on its label. Namely the Root Beer and Cream Soda produced by A&W. Lawyers in the case proved that the words could have been misleading to consumers because the vanilla flavoring used in those products isn't aged and it's actually not really vanilla.

It is a product called ethyl vanillin and according to court documents is used almost exclusively to flavor the A&W products that were named in the class action suit. Now, in order to collect on the lawsuit you're going to need to let someone know you were affected by it.

Here are the particulars: In order to qualify for the suit you must have purchased A&W Root Beer or Cream Soda between February 7, 2016 and June 2, 2023. The list of qualifying products can be found here. But it's basically Root Beer, Cream Soda, and/or the sugar-free, zero, or diet versions of those products.

You don't need proof of purchase to put in a claim but if you have proof of purchase you could be compensated at a higher rate. Based on current information it is estimated that without proof of purchase, you could be compensated $5.50 per claim.

With proof of purchase, you could be compensated as much as $25.00. Actual payment amounts will be determined by how many people make a claim in the suit. So, that compensation will likely be lower than what we have listed.

Those close to the case say the electronic claims form you need to file your claim is still under construction but you can check back here for updates on when those filings will be accepted.