Pellet Fan

Accessories & Essentials => Pellets -- comments & questions => Topic started by: Darwin on October 06, 2019, 12:41:29 AM

Title: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Darwin on October 06, 2019, 12:41:29 AM
Over wood pellets flavoured with oil.
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/923959-traeger-grills-class-action-says-wood-pellets-contain-flavored-oil/

https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-alleges-traeger-pellet-grills-uses-flavored-oils-to-mask-true-quality-of-bbq-wood-pellets
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: triplebq on October 06, 2019, 06:28:21 AM
I have never used Treager pellets but I was under the impression they used oils. Their advertisements says natural hardwoods and not a specific woods.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: ylr on October 06, 2019, 07:26:17 AM
Looks like someone is trying to make a cheap buck.  :pig: At best, this will result in Traeger changing the wording on their packaging.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Canadian John on October 06, 2019, 08:02:10 AM
 Makes perfect sense when you think about it.  Traeger pellets are all priced equally except for some speciality blends..So how can a basic wood such as alder cost the same as cherry or apple etc. Any wood

worker knows wood prices vary a lot depending on wood species.

Traeger uses base woods, either alder or oak, then either adds ~ 30% of the wood they claim the pellets to be to it, or, in the case of hickory and mesquite, liquid smoke.. All their pellets get sprayed with oil,

soy I believe, to lube the pellet forming dies..It reduces friction = less energy and some other small benefits. No other pellet manufacturer I know of sprays oil on the wood prior to pellet forming. They rely

on the lignin in the wood as a lube as well as the binder.

Good post Darwin!
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Brushpopper on October 06, 2019, 10:35:41 AM
I tried Traeger pellets briefly when I first started using a pellet grill.  I didn't care for all the ash they produce and the smell didn't seem right.  Now I see why.  I've been using B&B pellets and have been happy with the results.  And they tell us what's in them.  Two thirds oak and one third flavor wood.  And the meat market and HEB carry them, so they're easy to come by.  Although if Cookinpellets were around here I'd use them.  Good find Darwin!
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: pmillen on October 07, 2019, 09:34:29 AM
Looks like someone is trying to make a cheap buck.  :pig: At best, this will result in Traeger changing the wording on their packaging.

Class action suits are often misunderstood. 

They are lying about their product. It is clearly false advertising and they should be held accountable. Nowhere on the bag does it say Mesquite flavored hardwood. The bag states 100% hardwood pellets but deceives with a giant Mesquite label. The class action is intended to show damages beyond the individual plaintiff who might simply be satisfied with a refund, allowing Traeger to continue their false advertising campaign.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on October 07, 2019, 09:49:31 AM
Looks like someone is trying to make a cheap buck.  :pig: At best, this will result in Traeger changing the wording on their packaging.

Class action suits are often misunderstood. 

They are lying about their product. It is clearly false advertising and they should be held accountable. Nowhere on the bag does it say Mesquite flavored hardwood. The bag states 100% hardwood pellets but deceives with a giant Mesquite label. The class action is intended to show damages beyond the individual plaintiff who might simply be satisfied with a refund, allowing Traeger to continue their false advertising campaign.

I agree with the misrepresentation.  I don't agree that someone feels they are not getting the flavor labeled on the bag.  All of their products smell and taste the same because they burn so clean.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Kristin Meredith on October 07, 2019, 12:20:24 PM
Looks like someone is trying to make a cheap buck.  :pig: At best, this will result in Traeger changing the wording on their packaging.

Class action suits are often misunderstood. 

They are lying about their product. It is clearly false advertising and they should be held accountable. Nowhere on the bag does it say Mesquite flavored hardwood. The bag states 100% hardwood pellets but deceives with a giant Mesquite label. The class action is intended to show damages beyond the individual plaintiff who might simply be satisfied with a refund, allowing Traeger to continue their false advertising campaign.

I agree that is the theory behind class actions.  The practice is much different. 

Having represented insurance companies who were faced with defending -- but not necessarily indemnifying -- these types of suits, my take was that once you reached an agreement as to what the plaintiff's attorneys were going to get, they would sell their plaintiffs down the river.  The attorneys walk away with multiple millions, the class action plaintiffs get coupons for 3 free bags of pellets.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: bregent on October 07, 2019, 12:32:07 PM
>They are lying about their product. It is clearly false
> advertising and they should be held accountable.

I think that most grilling pellet manufacturers also misrepresent their product. Most list a flavor wood on the bag, but the bag only contains ~30% of that wood. A few of them have the actual percentages listed on their websites, but the bag label doesn't explain that. Most folks that buy them think that the listed wood is all that's in the bag.

Anyone that's been pellet grilling for a while knows the story of Traeger and their patent for using oils for flavoring base woods. The story's been retold hundreds of times on many smoking forums. First time I've heard of a lawsuit though, be interesting to see what becomes of it and if they and others are forced to change their labels.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Bentley on October 07, 2019, 12:42:44 PM
I agree with both Members to a degree.  100% Hardwood is correct?  Lying I have to disagree with, deceptive marketing I agree with.

Its like a few places around her have signs saying Fresh Steamed Crabs...I think they are hoping folks minds just see the 1st and 3rd words...


As my Uncle Maximus used to say...Caveat emptor .


They are lying about their product. It is clearly false advertising and they should be held accountable. Nowhere on the bag does it say Mesquite flavored hardwood. The bag states 100% hardwood pellets but deceives with a giant Mesquite label.


I think that most grilling pellet manufacturers also misrepresent their product. Most list a flavor wood on the bag, but the bag only contains ~30% (X% can be 25% to 60%) of that wood.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: pmillen on October 07, 2019, 12:51:31 PM
Anyone that's been pellet grilling for a while knows the story of Traeger and their patent for using oils for flavoring base woods. The story's been retold hundreds of times on many smoking forums. First time I've heard of a lawsuit though, be interesting to see what becomes of it and if they and others are forced to change their labels.

True.  I've been annoyed by it for years but disregard it and, in response, don't use any of their products.  There are several companies whose products and services I boycott.  They don't notice the revenue reduction.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: pmillen on April 20, 2020, 08:43:27 PM
Bump!

It's been six months.  Can a PF member tell me how this was resolved?
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Canadian John on April 21, 2020, 08:33:28 AM
 
 I am curious as well as to the status of this lawsuit.

 Just thinking about pellets..   Did Joe Traeger use "food grade" pellets when he developed the original pellet grill? Not... It became a marketing ploy. At first, the fear of God was instilled in Traeger owners by

 stating that not using genuine Traeger pellets would void their warranty. That eventually dissipated due to legal reasons. 

 As I have always believed. Traeger could give pits away if their high profit margin pellets were used exclusively.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: lil moose on April 21, 2020, 10:44:34 AM
Just my 2 cents worth...

I used Traeger pellets for a VERY short time and was not happy with them.   To me they were not a clean burning pellet  at lower smoking temps and I found metal in one bag that looked like a nail or a large staple.    The price was way out of line as well
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: hughver on April 21, 2020, 11:03:11 AM
I've used Traeger Gourmet Blend quite a bit, less than $20 at Costco for 33 lbs., and I've been very happy with them.   :2cents:
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Darwin on April 25, 2020, 01:24:28 AM
Bump!

It's been six months.  Can a PF member tell me how this was resolved?
The second link above has a minor update from February on the right side.  Nothing really new, Trager is is asking for a dismissal.

Another one.
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/household/traeger-wants-wood-pellets-class-action-dismissed/

I have yet to find where they dispute the charges.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Darwin on May 26, 2020, 08:43:07 PM
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A district court judge has dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit against barbecue grill manufacturer Traeger Pellet Grills, deciding the defendants failed to establish the court has jurisdiction.

https://kval.com/amp/news/local/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-against-pellet-grill-company-founded-in-oregon
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: lil moose on May 27, 2020, 08:47:33 AM
I've used Traeger Gourmet Blend quite a bit, less than $20 at Costco for 33 lbs., and I've been very happy with them.   :2cents:
I'm glad you like those if that's what you wish to use but,  if you would try another REAL wood brand you just might change your mind.

I'm not knocking you for using them just saying try something different just to see and you would save $$$$ per bag
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: hughver on May 27, 2020, 12:15:46 PM
FWIW, I've used 6-8 different brands of pellets and to tell the truth, I've been unable to tell much of a difference between any of them. I've tried 100% apple, cherry, pecan, alder, oak and hickory, other than slight differences in price, ash and burn rate, I could not detect any noticeable flavor changes.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on May 27, 2020, 01:45:49 PM
FWIW, I've used 6-8 different brands of pellets and to tell the truth, I've been unable to tell much of a difference between any of them. I've tried 100% apple, cherry, pecan, alder, oak and hickory, other than slight differences in price, ash and burn rate, I could not detect any noticeable flavor changes.

I've probably tried close to 20 different brands/wood specie combinations, and feel very similar to you.  Outside of price and ash, I have noticed a slightly stronger smoke flavor with 100% hickory and a red hue on the outside of meat from 100% cherry.  Probably foolish of me, but I continue to try new flavor blends from different brands in hopes of being able to notice something different.  Other than that, I buy pellets when they are on closeout somewhere or on sale.  Whenever I finish what is in my garage, I will probably buy a bulk order again from cookinpellets and be set for many more years again.  They seem to produce less ash for me than some of the other pellets.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: pmillen on May 27, 2020, 08:40:19 PM
Yep, I agree.  To me smoke tastes like smoke irrespective of the wood that was burned.  Although I think that there's a difference in the degree of smoke flavor that various woods produce.

But, that doesn't mean that I think it's okay for Traeger to flavor mild wood with an ointment that makes it smell like another wood and then deceivingly mislabel their products.  I hope that this suit gets resurrected.
Title: Re: Class action lawsuit
Post by: 02ebz06 on July 02, 2020, 03:22:31 PM
Never bought Traeger Pellets for this reason, even when they were only pellets available locally (in hardware store).
Always had done a group buy of Lumberjack then.
But now, WallyWorld, Lowes, and some HD stores have pellets at prices near what group buy prices were.