False-Ad Plaintiff vs. Ring and Home Depot Estimates 10-to-15-Day Jury Trial

Plaintiff Alison White in her false-advertising class action against defendants Ring and Home Depot (see 2212060047) estimates a jury trial would last 10 to 15 days, assuming both her proposed classes are certified by the court “as to all claims,” said a joint Rule 26(f) report Thursday (docket 2:22-cv-06909) in U.S. District Court for Central California in Los Angeles. She estimates four to five days for trial if the court does not certify either class, said the report. Ring and Home Depot anticipate a trial of White’s individual claims would take three to four days, and a trial of her individual and class claims would take five to seven days, it said. The parties agree “it is not feasible to set a trial start date as it is too early in the litigation and class certification is not yet determined,” said the report. White seeks to represent a national class of people, plus a subclass of people in California, who bought Ring’s Jobsite Security 5-Piece Starter Kit and a Ring Protect Pro subscription in the four years before she filed her complaint Sept. 23. White alleges that Ring and Home Deport falsely represent to consumers that the security kit, when properly configured, will automatically call the authorities if the system is breached by an intruder, when in fact the product is “not capable of this advertised functionality,” said the report. Ring and Home Depot defendants “categorically deny any wrongdoing or liability” arising out of White’s purchase of the security kit and Protect Pro subscription, “nor would certification of any consumer class be appropriate here,” said the report. White’s claims are “meritless” because, among other reasons, “she rests all her claims on her unreasonable misinterpretation of Ring’s website,” which makes clear that Ring never promised the automatic calling feature White alleges. An initial status conference is planned for June 9, said the report.