Published
April 7, 2026
Updated
September 20, 2026
Claims closed July 6, 2026. The final approval hearing was held September 10, 2026, and payments are scheduled to issue about 60 days after final approval — around mid-November 2026 absent an appeal.
What Is This Settlement About?
Colgate-Palmolive Company and its Tom's of Maine subsidiary have agreed to a $2.9 million class action settlement to resolve allegations of deceptive marketing of Tom's of Maine toothpaste manufactured at the Sanford, Maine facility. The lawsuit stems from a May 2024 FDA inspection that raised concerns about compliance with the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Processes at the facility.Following the inspection, Tom's reviewed pre-release testing data for approximately 4,900 finished toothpastes manufactured over a three-year period and reported that no batch showed a safety risk to consumers. Several class action lawsuits were filed across the country alleging deceptive and misleading business practices, and they have now been consolidated for settlement purposes in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Colgate-Palmolive and Tom's of Maine deny all allegations of wrongdoing or liability and deny that they violated any law or made any misrepresentation. The settlement allows them to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continued litigation.
Status
Closed — Awaiting Payment
Claim Deadline
July 6, 2026
opt-out and objection deadline same day · final approval hearing held September 10, 2026
Estimated Payout
Avg MSRP for 1 — or full refund for up to 3
no proof: average MSRP for 1 Tom's of Maine toothpaste per household · with proof: full refund for up to 3 products · pro rata if claims exceed $2.9M fund
Proof Required
Optional
no proof needed for the 1-product tier (sworn attestation only) · receipts required to claim up to 3 products
Who Qualifies?
You qualify if you purchased one or more Tom's of Maine toothpaste products anywhere in the United States between November 21, 2020 and March 6, 2026, for personal use (not for resale or distribution). The settlement covers any Tom's of Maine toothpaste product purchased during that class period.That is a wide net. Tom's of Maine toothpaste is sold at major retailers nationwide including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, and most grocery stores. If you have used Tom's of Maine toothpaste in the past five years, you almost certainly qualify.
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No Proof Required for One Product
This is one of the easiest "no proof required" class action settlements available right now. Here are the two payment options:Without proof of purchase: You can claim the average manufacturer's suggested retail price for one Tom's of Maine toothpaste product per household. No receipt, no records, just an attestation that you bought it.
With proof of purchase: You can claim a full refund for up to three Tom's of Maine toothpaste products, capped at three. Acceptable proof typically includes receipts, online order history, or credit card statements showing the purchase.
If the total value of all approved claims exceeds the available settlement funds, payments will be reduced pro rata. If total claims are less than the funds available, the remaining money will be donated to Equal Justice Works.
How Do I File a Claim?
Claims are closed. The deadline to file was July 6, 2026, and the administrator is no longer accepting submissions online or by mail. If you filed before the deadline, there is nothing further to do — approved claims are paid automatically once the settlement becomes effective.When the window was open, filers submitted a claim at ToothpasteSettlement.com with basic contact information, the claim type (with or without proof), and an attestation that the information was true.
When Will Payments Be Sent?
The claim deadline passed on July 6, 2026, and the administrator is no longer accepting submissions. The final approval hearing was held on September 10, 2026 before Judge James M. Wicks at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Central Islip Courthouse, Courtroom 1020).Under the settlement terms, the administrator is scheduled to issue payments roughly 60 days after the court grants final approval. If the judge signed the final approval order without delay and no appeals are filed, approved claimants would expect payments to begin going out around mid-November 2026. An appeal, or any delay in entry of the final approval order, would push that timeline back — the effective date, not the hearing date, starts the clock. Check ToothpasteSettlement.com for the court's order and the current payment status.
Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Settlement Website: ToothpasteSettlement.com
Submit Claim
Sources
• Official Settlement Website -- ToothpasteSettlement.com• Court-authorized settlement notice, Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-6996 (JMW) (E.D.N.Y.)
Case Information
Lead Case: Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-6996 (JMW)
Court: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Judge: Hon. James M. Wicks
Defendants: Colgate-Palmolive Company and Tom's of Maine Inc.
Allegation: Deceptive marketing of Tom's of Maine toothpaste following FDA inspection of Sanford, Maine facility
Settlement Fund: $2,900,000
Class Period: November 21, 2020 through March 6, 2026
Who Qualifies: U.S. consumers who bought Tom's of Maine toothpaste during the class period
Without Proof: Average MSRP for 1 product per household
With Proof: Full refund for up to 3 products
Claim Deadline: July 6, 2026
Opt-Out / Objection Deadline: July 6, 2026
Final Approval Hearing: Held September 10, 2026 (Central Islip Courthouse, Courtroom 1020)
Attorneys' Fees: Up to 33% of the fund
Service Awards: Up to $1,000 each for class representatives
Class Counsel: The Wright Law Office P.A., Denlea & Carton LLP, Wilshire Law Firm PLC
Settlement Website: ToothpasteSettlement.com
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$2,900,000
Case Title
Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al.
Case Number
2:25-cv-6996 (JMW)
Court
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Final Approval Hearing
Held September 10, 2026 before Judge James M. Wicks
Courtroom 1020 — Central Islip Courthouse
Official Website
Toothpaste Settlement.com
