Remember Razer's Zephyr mask? Yeah, the one with the RGB lighting, the black colourway that went with everything in my wardrobe, and the deceptive claim of N95 protection during the Covid-19 pandemic. Marketing for the $100 mask originally made references to the included "N95 Filters," leading some to believe the Zephyr mask itself offered N95-level protection. It did not.
Razer soon backpedalled, adding a lengthy disclaimer that specified the Zephyr was "not a medical device nor certified as an N95 mask." Furthermore, the mask was only on sale throughout the first half of 2022. Regardless, the company soon found itself in legal hot water. That pot is now being brought to a boil—to the tune of $1 million in refunds (via Ars Technica).
The Federal Trade Commission first sued Razer back in April 2024, with the company ultimately agreeing to a settlement. This resulted in Razer paying both a $100,000 fine, as well as the princely sum of $1,071,254.33 for 'consumer relief' to the FTC. It's this latter amount that the FTC is using to send full refunds to 6,764 customers who bought the Zephyr mask.
A recent news post from the FTC explains that these payments will arrive with consumers either via PayPal or via check. The FTC advises, "Consumers should cash their check within 90 days, as indicated on the check, or redeem their PayPal payment within 30 days."
That same news post offers this little nugget of further clarity, saying, "The company never even submitted the [Zephyr] masks for testing to the FDA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the masks were never certified as N95."
Though Razer implemented a refund policy in January 2022, the FTC found this decidedly lacking. According to the FTC's April 2024 lawsuit, "In total, Defendants refunded less than 6% of U.S. Zephyr-related purchases." This is because many people who sought a refund directly were denied by Razer on a number of baffling grounds, including having already used their purchase and elapsing the company's standard 14-day return policy.
Worse still, the lawsuit goes on to detail, "Numerous customers were deterred from, or confused regarding their ability to, obtain full refunds because of statements by Defendants’ customer service representatives that they were ineligible for full refunds."
As someone who still masks up on the regular to avoid seasonal sniffles and repeated Covid-19 infections myself, Razer's mismanaged messaging was especially troubling. Alternating between both fun fabric masks with pockets for replaceable filters, and disposable FFP2 particulate respirators depending on the situation, I know there's a demand for a hardwearing reusable mask that can endure everyday use. While it's clear the Zephyr was never that, it's no less disappointing.
