Check Your Claims
Class Action Pulse
Legal News Consumer

CarParts.com class action says shipping protection fee is added by default

A proposed class action filed October 23, 2026, claims CarParts.com adds a shipping protection fee of about 3.3% of the subtotal through a pre-checked box after shoppers enter an address, and misleads them about lost-package coverage. The suit seeks refunds for U.S. customers who paid the fee. There is no settlement or claim form.

By Class Action Pulse Staff Published

Reported from primary sources · Verified against official filings and settlement records.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

Key facts

  • Case: Powell v. CarParts.com, Inc., No. 26-cv-12457, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, filed October 23, 2026.
  • Defendant: CarParts.com, Inc., an online auto parts retailer headquartered in Torrance, California.
  • What is alleged: CarParts.com adds a paid shipping protection fee to orders by default, using a pre-checked box, and misleads shoppers about what the protection covers.
  • The fee: About 3.3% of the merchandise subtotal, according to the complaint. The plaintiff says he paid $3.10 on an order of two bumper covers.
  • Proposed class: Anyone in the United States who paid a shipping protection fee on a CarParts.com order.
  • Status: A newly filed proposed class action. There is no settlement, no claim form and no court ruling on the claims.

In this article

A California shopper has filed a proposed class action claiming that CarParts.com quietly charges customers for shipping protection they never chose. The lawsuit says the fee is added automatically during checkout, sits in a pre-checked box most buyers never notice, and is sold with a misleading warning about lost packages.

The fee is small on any single order, but the suit seeks refunds for every U.S. customer who paid it. CarParts.com has not responded in court, and every description of its checkout below is an allegation from the complaint.

What the lawsuit claims

Rodney Powell filed the complaint on October 23, 2026, in federal court in the Northern District of California. He is represented by the law firm Dovel and Luner.

The complaint itself was not available in a public database at the time of writing. The details in this article come from a summary of the complaint published November 3 by ClaimDepot, a legal news site, and from public pages of the companies involved.

According to that summary, Powell says he never noticed a $3.10 shipping protection charge on his order of two bumper covers and would not have chosen it if the site had presented it clearly. He argues that CarParts.com set up its checkout so that most customers pay the fee without realizing it.

No refund program exists This is a newly filed lawsuit. There is no settlement, claim form or payment available to CarParts.com customers at this stage.

How the checkout allegedly works

The complaint describes the steps of a CarParts.com order:

  • The shipping protection charge does not appear in the cart or on the first checkout screen.
  • After a shopper saves a shipping address, the site adds the fee to the order total without notice.
  • The checkbox for the fee is already marked, so a shopper must find it and uncheck it to avoid paying.
  • The box sits in the shipment details section under the delivery method, and the order summary lists shipping protection right above the shipping line, which the complaint says makes it look like part of shipping.
  • At the final step, the site collapses and grays out that section, so removing the charge takes an extra click.

The protection is provided by Extend Inc., a company that sells product and shipping protection through online retailers. The complaint alleges that CarParts.com keeps a share of every fee and shifts the cost of lost or damaged shipments to Extend.

The complaint also points to a case study on Extend's own website. In it, Extend says the eyewear brand Felix Gray switched from an opt-in shipping protection box to a pre-checked one, and that shipping protection sales rose 1,200% compared with the opt-in period. The complaint uses that example to argue that pre-checked boxes drive purchases people would not otherwise make.

Look for the pre-checked box According to the complaint, the fee appears only after you enter a shipping address. Check the shipment details section before you place an order.

The dispute over what the protection covers

According to the complaint, the checkout module tells shoppers that "CarParts.com does not cover lost, stolen or damaged packages." Powell says that statement is false and pressures buyers into keeping the fee.

He gives three reasons. Carriers are responsible for packages they lose. Federal law lets credit card holders dispute charges for goods that never arrive. And many card issuers reimburse stolen purchases.

The federal law he refers to is the Fair Credit Billing Act. It treats a charge for goods that were not delivered as agreed as a billing error that a cardholder can dispute with the card issuer within set time limits.

Check your card protections Even without shipping protection, credit card holders can generally dispute a charge for goods that never arrived. Card issuers set their own process and deadlines.

What Extend says its protection does

Extend's public shipping protection guide confirms several limits the complaint says the checkout never mentions:

  • For a lost or stolen package, a shopper must wait 5 days after the estimated delivery date before filing a claim.
  • Approved claims for lost or stolen packages may be paid as a gift card for the value of the product, plus shipping costs and taxes.
  • Protection ends when a package is delivered undamaged to its final destination. The complaint argues this means theft after delivery, such as porch theft, is not covered.
  • Once an order ships, the protection cannot be canceled or refunded.

Extend says claims may require photos, a police report, video footage or identity verification, and may be denied if that documentation is not provided within 30 days.

The complaint brings four claims:

  1. Unjust enrichment, which bars a company from keeping money it gained unfairly.
  2. California's Unfair Competition Law, which covers unlawful, unfair and deceptive business practices.
  3. California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act, which bars deceptive practices in consumer sales.
  4. California's False Advertising Law, which bans false or misleading advertising.

Powell asks for refunds of the fees with interest and a court order stopping the practice. He sent CarParts.com a notice letter on October 14, 2026, and says he plans to seek damages under the Consumers Legal Remedies Act if the company does not fix the problem within 30 days.

Who CarParts.com is

CarParts.com, Inc. describes itself in its annual report as a technology-enabled ecommerce company that sells aftermarket auto parts and accessories. It has operated for more than 30 years and offers more than 1.5 million products through its website, mobile app and wholesale platform, and through marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. Its house brands include JC Whitney and Garage-Pro. The company is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Torrance, California.

What remains unproven

The case is at its earliest stage. A court has not decided whether the checkout design was misleading, whether customers agreed to the fee, or whether the coverage warning was false. CarParts.com has not filed a response, and no class has been certified.

For related coverage of shipping charges and hidden fees, see our reports on the GOAT expedited shipping refunds and the FTC lawsuit against Lens.com over hidden fees.

What shoppers can do now

There is nothing to file today. If you have ordered from CarParts.com, you can review your order confirmations or card statements for a shipping protection line, and keep those records in case the case moves forward.

For future orders, look for a pre-checked box near the delivery options and uncheck it if you do not want the coverage. For cases that are open to consumers now, see our list of class action cases you can join. This article is for information only and is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CarParts.com shipping protection lawsuit about?

A proposed class action filed October 23, 2026, claims CarParts.com adds a shipping protection fee to orders through a pre-checked box and misleads shoppers about what it covers.

How much is the CarParts.com shipping protection fee?

The complaint says the fee is about 3.3% of the merchandise subtotal. The plaintiff says he paid $3.10 on an order of two bumper covers.

Who provides the shipping protection?

Extend Inc. provides the shipping protection. The complaint alleges CarParts.com keeps a share of each fee.

Who is in the proposed class?

Anyone in the United States who paid a shipping protection fee on a CarParts.com order. A judge has not certified the class.

Can I get a refund from the CarParts.com lawsuit?

Not at this time. There is no settlement or claim process. Money would only become available if the case settles or the plaintiff wins.

Has CarParts.com responded?

CarParts.com has not filed a response in court, and we did not find a public statement from the company about the lawsuit.

Do you qualify?

See the full eligibility breakdown and check whether you can file a claim

Sources

Class Action Pulse is a news and information service, not a law firm, and this article is general information — not legal advice. Eligibility, deadlines, and payouts are set by each settlement's official administrator and the courts; always verify the details through the official source before you file.