Crumbl Cookie Text Message Lawsuit: 2025 TCPA Filing and “Stop” Request Violations
The fast-growing dessert empire is facing a new kind of “heat” in the courtroom. As of March 2026, the Crumbl Cookie company text message lawsuit (Serra v. Crumbl LLC) is moving through the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Filed in early 2025, this putative class action alleges that Crumbl systematically violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by sending unsolicited telemarketing text messages to consumers who had explicitly opted out of their marketing lists. With thousands of potential class members identified, the case represents a significant challenge to Crumbl’s aggressive social-media-driven growth strategy.
The Core Allegations: Ignoring the “Stop” Command
The lawsuit, initiated by plaintiff Irving Serra, centers on Crumbl’s alleged failure to honor “Stop” requests. According to the complaint, Serra began receiving promotional text messages in August 2024. Despite responding with the word “STOP”—a standard industry command to terminate automated messaging—the company allegedly continued to send numerous marketing texts through January 2025. The plaintiff argues that these “persistent and intrusive” messages constituted a willful violation of federal privacy laws.
This failure to respect digital boundaries is a common theme in 2026 consumer litigation. We see similar arguments regarding “illusory control” in the Audible digital ownership lawsuit, where users claim they lack true authority over the digital products they’ve purchased. In Crumbl’s case, the “invasion of seclusion” is the primary legal injury being litigated.
National DNC Registry Violations
Beyond ignoring individual opt-out requests, a secondary lawsuit filed in June 2025 (Lockhart v. Crumbl LLC) alleges that the company targeted phone numbers listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. Under the TCPA, companies are strictly prohibited from making solicitation calls or sending marketing texts to numbers registered on the DNC list for at least 31 days.
Plaintiffs argue that Crumbl utilizes an automated telephone dialing system (ATDS) to blast thousands of messages without checking registry status. This “automation-first” approach to marketing mirrors the risks seen in the Verizon class action lawsuit, where automated billing systems were blamed for the systematic application of undisclosed administrative fees. For Crumbl, the legal exposure is magnified by the fact that TCPA violations can carry statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per message.
Key Facts of the 2025-2026 Crumbl Litigation:
- Primary Plaintiff: Irving Serra (Central District of California).
- Alleged Violation: Sending telemarketing texts after explicit opt-out requests.
- Class Scope: Nationwide consumers who received texts from Crumbl after requesting to stop within the past four years.
- Other Legal Woes: In April 2025, Warner Music Group also sued Crumbl for copyright infringement regarding unauthorized music in social media posts.
The “Cookie Wars” and Trademark History
The Crumbl Cookie company text message lawsuit is just one part of a complex legal history for the brand. In 2023, the company made headlines for its “Cookie Wars” litigation against rivals Dirty Dough and Crave, which focused on trade secrets and “confusingly similar” marketing. While those cases ended in split decisions or settlements, they established Crumbl as a highly litigious entity when it comes to protecting its brand identity.
However, the 2026 TCPA cases represent a shift from Crumbl as the “plaintiff” to Crumbl as the “defendant.” This transition is similar to the Tyler Perry lawsuit, where a powerful brand must pivot from expansion to defending its internal operational practices in a public forum.
What Affected Consumers Can Expect in 2026
As of March 2026, there has been no official “Crumbl settlement” or payout announcement. The case is currently in the class certification phase, where the court determines if the lawsuit can proceed on behalf of all affected customers. If certified, consumers who received unwanted texts after 2021 may eventually be eligible for a portion of a settlement fund.
Legal experts suggest that users who wish to participate in a future payout should take the following steps:
- Save Screenshots: Keep dated images of your “STOP” requests and any subsequent messages from Crumbl.
- Document DNC Status: Verify if your number was on the National Do Not Call Registry during the time the messages were received.
- Monitor for Notices: If a settlement is reached, notice will likely be sent to the phone numbers on file with Crumbl’s marketing database.
The administrative process for these payouts can be slow, much like the Philips CPAP settlement, which took several years to move from filing to actual check distribution.
Conclusion: The Price of Aggressive Marketing
In conclusion, the Crumbl Cookie company text message lawsuit serves as a cautionary tale for “viral” brands in 2026. While aggressive text marketing can drive massive short-term sales, failing to maintain an accurate “Do Not Call” list can lead to multi-million dollar liabilities. As the California federal court continues to review the evidence of “willful” violations, Crumbl faces a defining moment: whether it can maintain its status as a social media darling while adhering to the strict privacy requirements of the TCPA.
