Remember Razer’s Zephyr masks? Yeah, the one with the RGB lighting, the black colourway that went with every part in my wardrobe, and the misleading declare of N95 safety in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Marketing for the $100 masks initially made references to the included “N95 Filters,” main some to imagine the Zephyr masks itself supplied N95-level safety. It didn’t.
Razer quickly backpedalled, including a prolonged disclaimer that specified the Zephyr was “not a medical machine nor licensed as an N95 masks.” Furthermore, the masks was solely on sale all through the primary half of 2022. Regardless, the corporate quickly discovered itself in authorized scorching water. That pot is now being delivered to a boil—to the tune of $1 million in refunds (through Ars Technica).
The Federal Trade Commission first sued Razer again in April 2024, with the corporate finally agreeing to a settlement. This resulted in Razer paying each a $100,000 wonderful, in addition to the princely sum of $1,071,254.33 for ‘shopper reduction’ to the FTC. It’s this latter quantity that the FTC is utilizing to ship full refunds to six,764 prospects who purchased the Zephyr masks.
A latest information publish from the FTC explains that these funds will arrive with shoppers both through PayPal or through verify. The FTC advises, “Consumers ought to money their verify inside 90 days, as indicated on the verify, or redeem their PayPal fee inside 30 days.”
That similar information publish affords this little nugget of additional readability, saying, “The firm by no means even submitted the [Zephyr] masks for testing to the FDA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the masks had been by no means licensed as N95.”
Though Razer carried out a refund coverage in January 2022, the FTC discovered this decidedly missing. According to the FTC’s April 2024 lawsuit, “In complete, Defendants refunded lower than 6% of U.S. Zephyr-related purchases.” This is as a result of many individuals who sought a refund straight had been denied by Razer on a variety of baffling grounds, together with having already used their buy and elapsing the corporate’s normal 14-day return coverage.
Worse nonetheless, the lawsuit goes on to element, “Numerous prospects had been deterred from, or confused relating to their capability to, get hold of full refunds due to statements by Defendants’ customer support representatives that they had been ineligible for full refunds.”
As somebody who nonetheless masks up on the common to keep away from seasonal sniffles and repeated Covid-19 infections myself, Razer’s mismanaged messaging was particularly troubling. Alternating between each enjoyable material masks with pockets for replaceable filters, and disposable FFP2 particulate respirators relying on the scenario, I do know there is a demand for a hardwearing reusable masks that may endure on a regular basis use. While it is clear the Zephyr was by no means that, it is no much less disappointing.
