Geis v. Nestlé Waters N. Am., Inc.
Geis v. Nestlé Waters N. Am., Inc.
Opinion of the Court
INTRODUCTION
Alexis Geis brings this class action against Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. ("NWNA"), alleging that NWNA failed to honor one-year agreements for lower prices on its products. In the First Amended Complaint (Docket No. 29) ("FAC"), Geis asserts four counts on behalf of a putative class: Count I (breach of contract); Count II (violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11 ); Count III (fraud); and Count IV (violation of *236Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 9 ). NWNA filed a motion to dismiss Counts I-IV (Docket No. 35), based on lack of personal jurisdiction, lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, and a failure to state claims upon which relief can be granted.
Geis has also moved to amend the FAC to add Bristol-Plymouth Moving and Storage, Inc. ("Bristol-Plymouth"), as another putative lead plaintiff for the class action. See Docket No. 34. The motion to amend is ALLOWED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The following factual background focuses on the allegations relevant to Counts I-IV and is taken from the FAC. The allegations must be taken as true at this stage. See Foley v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
I. NWNA's Massachusetts Call Center
Geis is a resident of Florida, and NWNA is "a company with a place of business located at 375 Paramount Drive, No. 3, Raynham, Massachusetts." FAC ¶¶ 1, 4. Geis alleges that NWNA "conducts business in Massachusetts through its sale of product in this state and through the maintenance of a call center in this state." FAC ¶ 4. NWNA's business consists of selling and delivering bottled water, iced tea, coolers, and other items to individuals and businesses.
At its Raynham, Massachusetts, call center, NWNA employs a group of over 200 representatives who handle customer complaints about pricing. There is no pricing consistency among customers, so two customers may pay different prices for identical products. If a customer called to say she would be terminating her contract with NWNA, the call center representatives would try to "save" the customer. To "save" the account, the representative would lower the price that the complaining customer paid for a product. The price reductions negotiated by the representative and complaining customer would remain in effect for one year, and customers were informed of the one-year term over the phone. These one-year reductions were made pursuant to company policy. Call center representatives documented the agreements for one-year reductions in more than 50,000 "call notes."
II. The Price Increase
On or before January 1, 2016, NWNA "instituted a plan to raise all prices on its water products." FAC ¶ 31. This price increase was intended to apply to products under the one-year price reduction agreements, per NWNA Executive Vice President Henrik Jelert's instruction. Customers under these one-year agreements were not notified of the price increases. Jelert said "we will see what happens," when discussing the possibility of customers under one-year agreements complaining about or even noticing price increases. FAC ¶ 35.
Nearly 50,000 customers with one-year agreements never complained and therefore paid the increased prices. When customers with one-year agreements did call to complain, the call center representatives would lie about the reason for the price increase, as they had been instructed to do by management. Then, the representatives *237would always honor the one-year agreement and fix the pricing to align with it. The proposed class is described as: "All [NWNA] customers who had been provided with a one year agreement as to pricing but as to which [NWNA] raised prices during that one year period." FAC ¶ 83. Total class damages exceed $20 million.
The FAC includes specific facts relating to a number of putative class members, but Geis's situation will serve as an example. Geis called NWNA on July 5, 2016 (after the policy to increase prices had been implemented), and a call center representative promised her that the price of her water cooler would be reduced to $1.99 each month for one year, and that each three-gallon water bottle would be $5.99 until December 17, 2017. This agreement is reflected in the call notes. On September 27, 2016, NWNA raised the price of the water cooler to $3.49. Then, on October 31, 2016, NWNA increased the price of the three-gallon water bottle to $6.29. Geis paid the increased prices because she did not know they had been raised. She "paid a total of more than $100." FAC ¶ 46.
III. Bristol-Plymouth
In their proposed Second Amended Complaint ("SAC"), Plaintiffs seek to add Bristol-Plymouth, "a Massachusetts Corporation with a place of business located at 105 Weaver Street, Fall River, Massachusetts." Docket No. 34-1 ¶ 2. Bristol-Plymouth called NWNA's Massachusetts call center on June 18, 2015, to complain about pricing. NWNA offered to reduce the price by $5 for a period of one year, and Bristol-Plymouth agreed to remain an NWNA customer. This agreement is memorialized in the call notes.
On January 6, 2016, NWNA increased the price of Bristol-Plymouth's coolers by $2. Bristol-Plymouth paid the increased price "not realizing that it had occurred" and has lost more than $50. Docket No. 34-1 ¶ 66.
DISCUSSION
NWNA moved to dismiss Geis's FAC on three grounds: (1) lack of personal jurisdiction; (2) lack of subject-matter jurisdiction; and (3) failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Court addresses NWNA's personal jurisdiction arguments first, as they apply to all of Geis's putative class action claims.
I. Personal Jurisdiction
A. Legal Standards
When a district court considers a Rule 12(b)(2) motion without an evidentiary hearing, the plaintiff must meet the prima facie standard for establishing personal jurisdiction over the defendant. See A Corp. v. All Am. Plumbing,
For "specific" or "case-linked jurisdiction" to apply, the suit must arise out of or relate "to the defendant's contacts with the forum." Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of Cal., San Francisco Cnty., --- U.S. ----,
B. Analysis
1. Massachusetts Long-Arm Statute
The Massachusetts long-arm statute permits a court to "exercise personal jurisdiction over a person, who acts directly or by an agent, as to a cause of action in law or equity arising from the person's ... transacting any business in this commonwealth." Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 223A, § 3(a). The definition of "transacting any business" is construed broadly, and courts look to whether the defendant attempted to participate in the Commonwealth's economic life. See Cossart v. United Excel Corp.,
NWNA does not attack this Court's personal jurisdiction under the long-arm statute for good reason. Geis's complaint alleges facts that easily satisfy the long-arm statute's requirements. NWNA has a call center in Raynham where more than 200 employees worked. The call center handles approximately 50,000 calls per year. One purpose of the call center is to "save" customers who would otherwise terminate their water delivery agreements and to provide these customers with lower-priced contracts.
These allegations-particularly the number of Massachusetts representatives employed by NWNA-demonstrate that the company participated in economic life in the Commonwealth. See Cossart,
The "arising from" requirement, which is not a rigorous one, see Baskin-Robbins Franchising LLC v. Alpenrose Dairy, Inc.,
2. Due Process
For the Due Process Clause component of the personal jurisdiction analysis, the Court must decide:
(1) whether the claim directly arises out of, or relates to, the defendant's forum state activities; (2) whether the defendant's instate contacts represent a purposeful availment of the privilege of conducting *239activities in the forum state, thereby invoking the benefits and protections of that state's laws and making the defendant's involuntary presence before the state's courts foreseeable; and (3) whether the exercise of jurisdiction is reasonable.
Cossart,
A claim that arises out of the forum activities is one in which there is " 'an affiliation between the forum and the underlying controversy, principally, [an] activity or an occurrence that takes place in the forum State and is therefore subject to the State's regulation.' " BMS,
NWNA disputes this Court's specific personal jurisdiction under all three elements of the Due Process Clause test. The Court holds that it has specific jurisdiction over NWNA.
As a preliminary matter, the analysis of the "arising from" prong of the long-arm statute essentially addresses the analogous element under the Due Process Clause, as well. See
Moreover, NWNA has purposefully availed itself of the privileges of doing business in Massachusetts. The company voluntarily chose to set up its call center in Raynham and chose to hire 200 employees to "save" customers with better pricing. When NWNA allegedly instructed its call center employees to enter approximately 50,000 new pricing contracts, it was foreseeable that the company may have to answer for those contracts in the state where they were negotiated. According to Geis, the company also told the Massachusetts call center representatives to lie to callers about one-year pricing terms. Thus, the alleged fraud surged out from Massachusetts and foreseeably brought NWNA into a Massachusetts court. These allegations support a finding that NWNA's actions satisfy the purposeful availment standard. See Carreras v. PMG Collins, LLC,
NWNA argues that "[a] customer service call alone, by its nature, cannot be used to establish specific personal jurisdiction over NWNA in Massachusetts" or to satisfy the "arising from" element of the due process analysis. Docket No. 36 at 11. The company relies on Northwest Airlines, Inc. v. Astraea Aviation Services, Inc.,
The gestalt factors also come out in favor of personal jurisdiction. First, appearing in this Court would not be a burden for NWNA, a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Stamford, Connecticut, a state that borders Massachusetts. See Access Now, Inc.,
II. Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
A. Legal Standards
Rule 12(b)(1) motions ask a court to dismiss a case for "lack of subject-matter jurisdiction." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). Article III standing may be challenged through a Rule 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss. See Van Wagner Boston, LLC v. Davey,
The "irreducible constitutional minimum of standing" has three elements: (1) injury in fact; (2) causation; and (3) redressability. Lujan,
B. Analysis
NWNA maintains that Geis lacks Article III standing to pursue Count II and Count IV under chapter 93A because she has never lived in Massachusetts, has not suffered an injury in the state, and is not protected by its laws. NWNA relies on caselaw holding that named plaintiffs do not have standing to bring actions under the consumer protection statutes of different states. See *241In re HSBC BANK, USA, N.A., Debit Card Overdraft Fee Litig.,
Those cases involved multidistrict litigation, in which checking account customers challenged banks' practices related to overdraft fees. See In re HSBC BANK,
The parties cite no cases that squarely deal with the standing issue under chapter 93A. On its face, chapter 93A does not require that a plaintiff reside in Massachusetts to bring a claim. See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 9(1) ("Any person ... who has been injured by another person's use or employment of any method, act or practice declared to be unlawful by section two ... may bring an action.");
Finally, courts in this District and the Commonwealth have allowed chapter 93A suits by out-of-state plaintiffs to go forward, albeit without discussion of this particular standing issue. See Sharp v. Hylas Yachts, Inc., Civil No. 11-11814-JCB,
*242An injury under chapter 93A may be either economic or noneconomic. See Bellermann v. Fitchburg Gas & Elec. Light Co.,
III. Failure to State a Claim
A. Legal Standard
In evaluating a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the Court must accept the factual allegations in the plaintiff's complaint as true, construe reasonable inferences in its favor, and "determine whether the factual allegations in the plaintiff's complaint set forth 'a plausible claim upon which relief may be granted.' " Foley,
B. Analysis
1. Breach of Contract (Count I)
NWNA asserts that Geis fails to state a claim for breach of contract because she does not append a contract to her FAC, does not "plausibly establish the existence of a valid oral agreement," and does not "properly allege the damages element." Docket No. 36 at 15-16. These arguments do not hold water.
First, Geis was not obligated to attach a written contract to her complaint, as the alleged oral agreement negotiated by the NWNA call center representative for lower water prices is the relevant contract. See Brewster Wallcovering Co. v. Blue Mountain Wallcoverings, Inc.,
To adequately plead a breach of contract claim under Massachusetts law, a plaintiff need only allege "that there was an agreement between the parties; the agreement was supported by consideration; the plaintiff was ready, willing, and able to perform his or her part of the contract; the defendant committed a breach of the contract; and the plaintiff suffered harm as a result." Bulwer v. Mount Auburn Hosp.,
But NWNA also maintains that a written "Terms and Conditions" document negates any alleged oral agreement that Geis and the call center representative negotiated. The unsigned "Terms and Conditions" document that NWNA has produced states that "[t]he terms of this Agreement may be waived or amended only in writing signed by Company and Customer." Docket No. 37-1 at 4.
On a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, "any consideration of documents not attached to the complaint, or not expressly incorporated therein, is forbidden." Watterson v. Page,
Even if the Court were to consider the "Terms and Conditions" document, however, "a provision that an agreement may not be amended orally but only by a written instrument does not necessarily bar oral modification of the contract." Cambridgeport Sav. Bank v. Boersner,
2. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11 (Count II)
NWNA also argues that Geis's claim under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11 fails because she does not engage in trade or commerce and therefore does not have statutory standing. On this point, NWNA is correct.
Section 11 allows private causes of action under chapter 93A by "[a]ny person who engages in the conduct of any trade or commerce." Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11. This section of the statute "governs commercial transactions between two parties acting in a business context." Kraft Power Corp. v. Merrill,
3. Fraud (Count III)
NWNA next argues that Geis does not meet Rule 9(b)'s particularity requirement *244for her fraud count and that the economic loss theory precludes a fraud claim. Neither argument justifies dismissal of Count III.
A common-law fraud claim requires a plaintiff to allege that (1) the defendant made a false representation of a material fact; (2) the defendant knew of its falsity when it was made; (3) the defendant made the statement with the purpose of inducing the plaintiff to act; (4) the plaintiff relied on the representation as true; and (5) the plaintiff acted upon the statement and suffered damages. See Taylor v. Am. Chemistry Council,
The timeline alleged in Geis's complaint makes it clear that she has satisfied the pleading rules. By January 6, 2016, the pricing increase had been implemented for all customers, including those subject to one-year agreements. However, on July 5, 2016, the call center representative told Geis that her lower prices would be in effect for one year, as all representatives did at the direction of company managers. Thus, according to Geis, at the time the representation was made about the one-year term, NWNA knew that statement was false. Geis has also alleged that the offer of lower prices for one year was made to "save" customers from terminating their business with NWNA. Finally, she alleges that she paid the increased prices "because she did not know that they had occurred" and paid more than $100. FAC ¶¶ 45-46. Geis has pleaded all the elements of a common-law fraud claim and has cited the content and date of the alleged false representation.
Geis has also claimed that the alleged false statement was made over the phone by an NWNA agent who worked at the Raynham call center. In some cases, the First Circuit has required a plaintiff to specify the name of the person who made the allegedly fraudulent misrepresentation. See Rodi v. S. New England Sch. of Law,
*2454. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 9 (Count IV)
A claim under § 9"requires, at a minimum, a showing of (1) a deceptive act or practice on the part of the seller; (2) an injury or loss suffered by the consumer; and (3) a causal connection between the seller's deceptive act or practice and the consumer's injury." Casavant v. Norwegian Cruise Line, Ltd.,
NWNA asserts that Geis included a "sole conclusory allegation" for her § 9 claim, Docket No. 36 at 19, but that is unfounded. Geis specifically incorporates paragraphs 1 through 131 of her FAC in Count IV, which include the allegations of false representations about the one-year agreements. She also alleges that she suffered an injury as a result of the false representation that her lower pricing contract would be in effect for one year. Moreover, the Court has already found that Geis has successfully pleaded common-law fraud, which can serve as the basis of a chapter 93A claim. McEvoy Travel Bureau, Inc. v. Norton Co.,
NWNA's final argument is that the chapter 93A claim is "another recast of a simple billing dispute" and must be dismissed. Docket No. 36 at 19. NWNA is correct that a mere breach of contract is not an unfair or deceptive act or practice. See Woods,
For these reasons, Geis may pursue her claim under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 9.
IV. Motion to Amend
A. Legal Standard
Courts "should freely give leave [to amend pleadings] when justice so requires." Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). However, courts may deny leave to amend for several reasons, including "futility of amendment." United States ex rel. Gagne v. City of Worcester,
*246B. Analysis
For the same reasons outlined above with respect to Geis, Bristol-Plymouth has pleaded a valid breach of contract claim in the SAC. The motion to amend is therefore allowed with respect to that claim.
The SAC also states a claim under § 11 of chapter 93A. To decide whether § 11 applies, courts must analyze, first, "whether the interaction is 'commercial' in nature" and, second, "whether the parties were both engaged in 'trade or commerce,' and therefore acting in a 'business context.' " Linkage Corp. v. Trustees of Bos. Univ.,
Plaintiffs successfully allege an unfair or deceptive act or practice, as well. The SAC states that NWNA's upper management was attempting to sneak its breach of contract past Bristol-Plymouth when it covertly raised water prices on January 6, 2016. These allegations go beyond a simple breach of contract and suggest NWNA's "disregard of known contractual arrangements" that was "intended to secure benefits for the breaching party." Anthony's Pier Four, Inc.,
Allowing Bristol-Plymouth's fraud claim to go forward would be futile, however, because the allegations specific to Bristol-Plymouth do not establish that NWNA knowingly made a false representation when it entered the one-year agreement. See Taylor,
ORDER
The motion to dismiss (Docket No. 35) is ALLOWED, with respect to the claim for violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11 (Count II), and is DENIED in all other respects. NWNA's motion to dismiss Counts I-III of Plaintiffs' original complaint (Docket No. 25) is DENIED as moot.
The motion for leave to amend (Docket No. 34) is ALLOWED, with respect to the claims for breach of contract (Count I) and for violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11 (Count II), and is DENIED, with respect to the fraud claim (Count III).
The FAC also alleges that Kara Lyndon and Tiffany Morris were wrongfully terminated in violation of public policy by Defendants NWNA and Scott Kelly. Counts V and VI are breach of contract/wrongful termination claims on behalf of Lyndon and Morris. Defendants have not moved to dismiss these counts.
Geis does not argue that this Court has general personal jurisdiction over NWNA.
Any class under chapter 93A, therefore, must be limited to only those who allegedly suffered a loss as a result of NWNA's actions.
NWNA also briefly advances an argument based on economic loss theory, which is neither well developed nor clear to the Court. And regardless, NWNA does not cite any Massachusetts or federal court cases to support the assertion that the economic loss theory precludes a fraud claim based in breach of contract. See Docket No. 36 at 18 (citing only an unpublished Connecticut superior court case and a Florida appellate court case). The Court need not wade further into these waters.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alexis GEIS, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Kara Lyndon, and Tiffany Morris v. NESTLÉ WATERS NORTH AMERICA, INC. and Scott Kelly
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published