Hey Dude Shoes Settlement: You Could Be Eligible for a Share of $1.9 Million

Customers of the popular online shoe retailer Hey Dude may be eligible for a share of a $1.9 million settlement, according to an announcement from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Last year, Hey Dude agreed to pay the settlement to address allegations that the company violated refund policies and suppressed user reviews. The FTC claimed that Hey Dude hid more than 80% of reviews that did not give the company four or more stars, instead choosing to prominently feature five-star reviews—the highest rating—without adequate scrutiny.

FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine stated, "As this case makes clear, when retailers publish consumer reviews online, they cannot suppress negative reviews to paint a deceptive picture of the consumer experience. And when retailers don’t ship merchandise on time, they must give buyers the option to cancel their orders and promptly get their money back."

In addition to the review suppression, Hey Dude—which was acquired by Crocs Inc. in 2022—was also found to have failed to send notifications when shipping was delayed, did not cancel customer orders or issue prompt refunds, and provided gift cards instead of refunds to the original payment method when an item was ordered but not shipped.

Who qualifies?

According to the FTC, 36,757 people will receive payments via PayPal as part of the settlement. The first notification email will be sent from reply@consumersentinel.gov, followed by an email from PayPal within 24 hours.