What Lowes.com appears to do

Lowes.com appears to send data to 15 outside companies as soon as a page loads, before a visitor clicks or types anything. This appears to happen even for visitors who have not logged in to a Lowe's account.

The companies that appear to receive data are:

  • Bing
  • Criteo
  • FullStory
  • Google Ads
  • LinkedIn
  • LiveIntent
  • LiveRamp
  • Meta
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Snap
  • Tapad
  • TikTok
  • The Trade Desk
  • X (formerly Twitter)

Meta's code appears to receive the address of the page a visitor is viewing, together with a scrambled identifier for the visitor. On a store's website, the page address shows which products and departments you are looking at.

The site does not appear to show a banner asking for permission. The site has a "Do Not Sell/Share" link at the bottom of the page, but the data appears to be sent before a visitor could reach it. Some people turn on Global Privacy Control, a browser setting that tells websites they do not want their data sold or shared. Code from Google Ads and FullStory appears to send data even when that setting is on.

How session recording works

One of those 15 companies, FullStory, makes session-recording software. Session recording is also called session replay. It is built to capture how a visitor uses a page: what they click, how they scroll, which pages they open and where they pause. Depending on how it is set up, it can also capture what the visitor types into search boxes and forms.

The point of session recording is to let someone watch a visit later, much like a video. The record is sent to the company that makes the software as the visitor moves through the site.

This is different from a simple page counter that notes a visit happened. A session-recording tool is designed to capture what you do on the page while you are doing it. On a home-improvement store's website, that can include the products you search for, the projects you research and the details you enter when you sign in or check out.

Who may qualify and what happens next

This investigation is for California residents. You may qualify if:

  • You live in California, or lived there when you used the site.
  • You searched, shopped, signed in or filled in a form on Lowes.com.
  • You do not remember agreeing to let Lowe's share your activity with outside companies.

Whether a claim succeeds depends on the facts, including what the site disclosed and whether a visitor agreed. Our investigation is looking at how long this has been going on and what visitors were told.

Recent visits matter most, so it is best not to wait. You do not need receipts or screenshots. If you have a MyLowe's account, the sign-up form has an optional box where you can give us the email on that account and roughly when you used the site.

There is no upfront cost. Maginnis Howard works on contingency and is paid only if you recover. After you sign up, our team will review your answers and contact you about next steps.

The legal basis

Why this may be illegal

Lowes.com appears to send data to 15 outside companies as soon as a page loads, before a visitor clicks anything. One of them, FullStory, makes session-recording software, which is built to capture what a visitor does on a page. The site does not appear to show a banner asking for permission. Shoppers who search, browse and fill in forms on the site are communicating with Lowe's. California law does not allow outside companies to record that communication without the consent of everyone involved.

The law

California law prohibits letting an outside company read or record what you type or do on a website while it is being sent, unless everyone involved agrees. When you search, browse or fill in a form on a store's website, you are communicating with that store. Session-recording and advertising companies are not part of that conversation unless you agreed to let them in. California law lets people whose communications were recorded this way bring a claim and seek damages without proving they lost any money. This investigation is limited to people who live in California.

What you could recover

Claims provide for statutory damages provided by California law. We cannot guarantee results but we believe these cases are strong.

How your claim would be handled

Claims like this are handled as individual arbitration cases — private proceedings, no courtroom. For Lowe's, cases are typically administered through AAA.

Think you're affected? Check if you qualify and sign up in about two minutes — no upfront cost.

Check if you qualify

Frequently asked questions

What is session recording?

Session recording, also called session replay, is software that captures how you use a web page. It can record your clicks, scrolling, the pages you open and, depending on how it is set up, what you type. The record goes to the company that makes the software so someone can replay your visit later. Lowes.com appears to load session-recording code from a company called FullStory.

Do I need to prove I lost money?

No. California law lets people whose communications were recorded without consent seek damages without proving the recording cost them money.

Why only California?

This investigation relies on a California privacy law that protects people who live in California. If you live in California now, or lived there when you used Lowes.com, fill out the form and we will review your situation.

What information do you need from me?

Your name, email and phone number, and a few yes-or-no answers. The form also asks for the email address on your MyLowe's account and your mailing address. Both help us identify your account and present your claim, but neither is required to sign up. If you qualify, we may later ask you to review and sign a few documents.

Does it cost anything?

No. There is no upfront cost. We work on contingency, which means we are paid only if you recover.

Do I need receipts or other proof?

No. An order confirmation or account email helps if you have one, but you can sign up without it.

I don't remember whether I agreed to tracking.

That is common. Lowes.com does not appear to show a banner asking for permission. We will look at what the site disclosed and when.

What if I have other questions?

Contact us at unlawfulcharges@carolinalaw.com.

What clients say

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— Daniel B.
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unlawfulcharges.com is operated by Maginnis Howard, a consumer-protection law firm.