A class-action lawsuit has been been filed against the FuelRod company because the portable chargers that could once be swapped for free at the theme parks would now cost a fee.
Following the filing of the lawsuit, the decision to charge for swaps was reversed until further notice, so for the time being guests can continue to swap the chargers for free.
Disney has released a statement stating that “A decision has been made to not implement the $3 portable charger swap fee until further notice. Guests can continue to swap their FuelRod portable chargers using FuelRod’s owned and operated kiosks at Walt Disney World Resort for no additional cost at this time.”
Gabriel Veasey of Sarasota filed the lawsuit that is seeking $5 million in damages on Oct. 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego. The lawsuit is against Tricopian Inc. and SaveMe Batteries North America, the parent companies of FuelRod portable chargers, according to the OC Register.
Veasey was upset that he bought a $30 FuelRod portable charger at Walt Disney World that came with the promise of “free unlimited swaps” at a kiosk machine, according to the report. Now, the swap would cost $3 starting Nov. 1.
“The price of the device is intended to cover not just the cost of the charger itself, it also essentially includes prepayment for the future swaps of the charger and the ability to get an essentially endless stream of portable power,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit says there could be thousands of potential class-action plaintiffs.