An arbitration provision for Samsung Galaxy S smartwatches is nonenforceable in a class action claiming the company exaggerated the product’s battery life, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has ruled.
A stipulation mandating binding arbitration, printed on page 97 of a 143-page product manual, is not a valid contractual term because the court could not presume that consumers read or had notice of the terms, the court ruled Friday in Noble v. Samsung Electronics America. The appeals court affirmed a ruling by a federal judge in Newark that held the arbitration provision nonbinding.
