Is that David Prager in the picture?

wait this is real? i got the letter and thought it was a scam or something, sweet 25 bucks!

I want to know how they're estimating the transactions for option #2. I lived abroad for a while, but don't have receipts from 5-6 years ago anymore.

Hell, I guess it's only a loss of a measly $25 even if they estimate it really low. I'll probably do it that way.

P.S. The lawyers, as always, are making an absolute killing on this. Remind me why I didn't go into antitrust law again? ^_^

Is Canada considered foreign?

I did conduct these foreign out of network transactions, and got a claim kit in the mail. I knew I was going to be gouged at the time and complained at the bank before I left the country. They told me they would find machines that didn't charge the extra fee. Except there weren't any in all of Ukraine.

I closed my accounts with BOA right after I got back.

Yeah, my wife got one of these in the mail, as well. I wasn't sure if it was real, either. I told her that if she didn't trust it, all we'd be losing was $25.

Maybe I'll have her send it in, now! Thanks!

@kimsama: yeah, I read the paperwork, they get like 30% of the big prize ($330M or so) and another big chunk from settling related suits into this one. All told the attorneys walk away with like $145M.

Are you sure its not necessary to have conducted foreign transactions? Because...

"Who may submit a claim?(top)
You may submit a claim if you made a foreign transaction between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006 with a U.S.-issued Visa-, MasterCard-, or Diners Club-branded card."

...is listed on the Claim form's FAQs. Admittedly, it could be clearer because elsewhere its more vague, but they do have a specific statement that eligibility is limited to people who made a foreign transaction between 1996 and 2006.

I shredded mine this weekend. Half because it felt a little scammy, and half because I didn't make any foreign transactions... so why am I entitled to the refund?

Yeah I got like 5 letters in the mail but it says that eligibility is 1 offer ($25) per customer! :(

@BStu: Yeah... I read that and figured I'd be weeded out as someone trying to get over.

I have used more than one credit card overseas. Can I submit a $25 refund for each one of the cards I used overseas?

Nice, I got this in the mail last week and have been wondering whether or not it was legit. I have indeed conducted foreign transactiion during the specified time period so my conscience is clear ;)

I have the same question as Kimsama, though. I feel like I could get more than $25 but I don't have receipts or the like anymore.

if you were out of the country... option 2 is a much better idea.

@BStu: I think you may have had to make a foreign transaction to be eligible...

From [www.ccfsettlement.com]

"If you made a transaction (purchase, cash advance, cash withdrawal or internet transaction) in a foreign currency on a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States at any time from February 1, 1996 to November 8, 2006, you may be a member of the Settlement Damages Class. Members of the Settlement Damages Class may (1) ask for a refund and/or object to the settlement, OR (2) request to be excluded from the settlement. If you do not request to be excluded from the settlement, you will be bound by the settlement and you will release certain claims against the Defendants.

If you held a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States as of November 8, 2006, you are a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class. If you are not also a member of the Settlement Damages Class, you may not ask for a refund or request to be excluded from the settlement. You may, however, object to the settlement."

Pulling letter out of desk drawer and filing for my 25 bucks now that I know it's not a scam.

I was totally waiting for Consumerist to hit on this before I did anything.

What bothered me the most when I first read about it was how much it looked like a scam, but wasn't. They really should have tried to make the mailings more legitimate looking.

I will go for the $25. I guess I would be one of the "lucky" ones that were not gouged for this much to begin with.

I went to Canada back in 1997 for a short vacation.

I believe you must have made a foreign transaction as it clarifies there are two classes: a settlement damages class (where you must have made a foreign transaction) and a settlement injunctive class (regardless of if you made a foreign transaction). The only class that gets any money are the people that are part of the settlement damages class (which makes sense since they are the only ones who were monetarily effected by this).

I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice but just my own take on what I read.

@Takkun:

That was probably intentional. The more people they get to throw it out, the less they pay in settlement.

I got a notice but wasn't sure why. I was overseas during this time but I always used cash--but now I remembered I did do a lot of purchasing via amazon UK and amazon Canada for items so maybe buying online overseas counts.

@GitEmSteveDave: Yes, since the credit companies charged the foreign currency fee Canada is included.

I just did it online. Really easy.

Now I am really curious when people will start receiving their refunds. Probably not for a long time. =(

omg....I spent 3 months in India last year, spending $75k...and I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS!!!!WHOO-HOO!!!!!

My GF got notice and I was almost sure it was a scam... You can never be too trusting of things like this.

Guess we'll hit it up.

I got that letter last week, scratched my head, went to the website, and went for the $25 easy refund.

I suppose I got the letter because I did make some purchases while in Canada a while back.

@MercuryPDX: You aren't; read the fine print carefully.

@gingerCE: After May of 08, which is when the approval hearing is. Save the link to their site if you think you'll have moved by then -- there's an address in the FAQ page to which you should send a letter with your new address.

I thought it was real but in reading the details it looked like even when you opt for the $25 you'll be put on a long list of people "filing" in the suit because it's a class action. Any legal folks out there know better?

I don't like getting my name on legal actions for something in the $25 range.

I went for option 3, and might get as much as $225 back! I figure if i ever need to documents it would be easy, I maxed out my credit card in Europe over 8 months in 2004. So $7500 at 1-3% is $75-225 returned, for about 5 minutes online, can't go wrong.

On and you don't need to get the letter to submit the claim, just submit it online anyway.

@PatrickIs2Smart: Absolutely right, you needed to spend some dough to get the dough. Lucky for me, I actually only spent about $25 internationally...

I spent about 3 years abroad, but I have almost no receipts for any of that. So I went for door number two.

Anyone know how they estimate spending? I couldn't find anything on the subject.

I got that late last week. I believe you have to show receipts if you go for more than $25.

@synergy:
No, you don't have to show receipts but I think you have to have a pretty good idea where you were and what you spent. There is a nice long paragraph of legal language re how to estimate.

@PatrickIs2Smart: Correct.

in small print it says that if more people than expected apply for the settlement the $25 may be reduced. So if you got this please quietly put in for your money but don't encourage anyone else to ;-)

Oh great, now my $25 will probably shrink to $10 due to this post. The fine print also says that the $25 amount is based on anticipated submittals, and if more people respond than they planned on, they reserve the right to reduce the amount awarded by a corresponding percentage. Thanks Consumerist!

I was out of the country for about 250 days during that period. So going by 1 week = $25, I should get $892 out of this.

@protest: I got the letter as well and thought it might be a scam even though it looked legit. I hadn't gotten a chance to look into it yet to see if it was. I'm glad to see this post on here confirming it.

@David Thomas: If all you do is claim your refund, your name will not show up as a plaintiff in online registries of actions (i.e., court dockets).

@Geekybiker: They have a form on there where you can document your foreign transactions and can be reimbursed based on expenses.

The lawyers will be "earning" $86,075,000 (27.5% of the $313,000,000 settlement) for this, not including their "expenses", which they insist will not be more than an extra $5,000,000.

Bastard lawyers like these, stealing dump trucks full of money, are the biggest reason why I'd enthusiastically endorse: "Tort reform, please!"

@MalcoveMagnesia: Eh, better the lawyers than the big businesses who commit antitrust violations!

I was stuck between options 1 & 2 until I hunted up option 2 in the FAQ. It says if you it works out to less than option 1, you'll get the option 1 amount. I wonder what 30 days is worth?

I got zinged by these fees when I purchased a couple things from EBay vendors during the time period in question. This means I qualify. You do not have to actually have been physically out of the country to have incurred foreign transaction fees.

They've revised the settlement several times. At first they wanted me to tell them every credit card I had held since 1996. Given that I spent 5 of the ten years outside the US I was not impressed. Now they just want dates, which is better, although the level of recompense goes up if you give them detailed information. Which I'm sure all of you could find in your files - every purchase made on every credit card you've held since 1996. Argh.

@speedwell: But did you pay with some method other than Paypal? I am pretty sure that Paypal will probably count as a domestic charge.

@aparsons: if you still have statements, submit for the full amount you spent. That's what I'm doing! I studied abroad during this time period, and I spent about $4500 on my credit cards. Even if I just get back 1%, that's still $45 -- much better than the silly $25 flat fee back.

I'm super excited by this! I'm starting a job search soon (finishing up grad school) and can totally use this money.