Shoppers who purchased Pyrex measuring cups since the pandemic may be eligible for a refund from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The agency announced it is sending more than $88,000 in refunds to customers who bought Pyrex glass measuring cups advertised as “Made in USA” despite being made in China. The FTC took legal action against Instant Brands, a kitchen appliance company who makes Pyrex, in 2023 for the alleged false claim.
According to the agency, demand for the glass measuring cups spiked in the beginning of the 2020 pandemic when consumer interest in home baking increased. By early 2021, the company struggled to meet the demand for certain measuring cup sets sold on Amazon, resulting in Instant Brands producing some Pyrex Cups in China from March 2021 to May 2022, the FTC said.
The agency claims “Pyrex has long used the U.S. origin of its products as a selling point” and continued to advertise the products on Amazon as “Made in USA” despite the cups being marked “Made in China.”
Instant Brands sold over 110,000 Pyrex measuring cup sets to Americans that were made in China, the FTC alleged.
Instant Brands later reached a settlement with the FTC, which required the company to stop “making deceptive claims” about where the products were made and ordered it to pay a $129,416 judgment. The agency said the company must also agree to requirements related to unqualified, qualified, and assembly claims for its products, which it says are produced, processed, or assembled in the U.S.
“Consumers rely on marketers to make truthful ‘Made in USA’ claims,” Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a previous news release. “If marketers move their manufacturing outside the United States, even temporarily, they must update their advertising to make it accurate.”
The FTC will send 10,259 checks to customers who are eligible for the refund. The agency said the customers should cash the checks in within 90 days, as indicated on the checks.
Consumers can contact the refund administrator, Simpluris, at 833-244-7320, or visit the FTC website to check the frequently asked questions section about the refund process or payment.