Americans face a tough choice Tuesday morning: watch Barack Obama’s historic inauguration, or storm department stores to take advantage of a first-come, first-serve cosmetics giveaway worth $175 million.
settlements
Dell Settles With 34 States Over Anti-Consumer Practices
By 1.12.09
A $3.35 million settlement has been reached with 34 states in the suit against Dell alleging deceptive practices like misleading consumers about financing terms, rebates, and warranties. The states are…
JetBlue Passenger Forced To Cover Arabic Shirt Gets $240k From JetBlue, TSA Employees
By 1.7.09
In 2006, Raed Jaer, an Iraqi-born U.S. resident, was forced by TSA officials and JetBlue to cover his t-shirt—it read, “We Will Not Be Silent” in both Arabic and English—before he could board a flight. The airline and the two TSA officials (TSA was not named in the suit) settled out of court last week for $240,000, although JetBlue still denies they did anything wrong, and the TSA says they don’t “condone profiling in any way shape or form.” [More]
By 1.6.09
../../../..//2009/01/06/monster-cable-has-agreed-to/
Monster Cable has agreed to drop a heavily mocked (by us, anyway) trademark lawsuit against Monster Mini Golf after a private phone call between the founders of the two companies. Great, now you won’t be able to tell if you’re playing mini golf or being gouged by a cable manufacturer. [News10.net] (Thanks to Trever!)
Gift Card Settlement Refunds Quarter Million Dollars In Inactivity Fees
By 1.6.09
A Connecticut mall has to pay $259,000 in settlement fees to consumers who bought gift cards that had monthly inactivity fees.
New Enron Stock Settlement
By 12.16.08
If you bought individual Enron stock, you might get a piece of a new settlement against all the companies who supported Enron along the way and knew, or should have known, what was up. [TopClassActions]
Ringtone Scam Class Action Settlement Announced
By 10.7.08
We’ve known how “free” ringtones and other “free” cellphone content comeons are often lures to get you signed up on a hidden monthly subscription, and now there’s a class action lawsuit settlement to punish MobileMessenger, one of their purveyors. The settlement covers customers from every cellphone provider who bought content from January 1, 2005 to August 13, 2008. If you paid for your kids cellphone plan during that time, chances are they ordered some. You can check your bills for any the “short codes” (listed inside) or call 1-800-416-6129. The deadline for filing a claim is January 30, 2009. More information about Gray v. Mobile Messenger at cellphonedownloads.class-action-admin.com.
Cellphone Extras Aggregator Mobile Messenger Agrees To Pay Out Triple Damages
By 10.5.08
If you or your teen racked up surprise monthly fees from Mobile Messenger after texting a random code to a strange number because the tv told you to, then you may be eligible for a refund, if not triple damages.
Timberland Offering Up To $150 To Recipients Of Its Text Message Spam
By 9.24.08
Under the terms of a preliminary settlement agreement, [Timberland and e-commerce company GSI] will pay $7 million into a cash fund to reimburse those who received the messages, according to KamberEdelson LLC, one of the law firms that helped bring the suit.
Vienna "All Beef" Hot Dogs Are Made With Sheep, Pigs
By 9.21.08
Sorry Chicagoans, your beloved Vienna “100% All Beef” hot dogs are actually encased in sheep and pigs, according to a recently settled class action suit. Under the settlement, all class members—anyone in the U.S. who bought a Vienna hot dog at a hot dog stand in the past five years—are entitled to $3 per consumed hog dog. To submit a claim, visit caclawyers.com/viennasettlement.html and follow the procedures listed there.
By 9.11.08
../../../..//2008/09/11/just-a-reminder-you-can/
Just a reminder: you can get free credit reporting services for at least six months by participating in a class action settlement against TransUnion. Carey posted details about it back in June; the deadline to participate is September 24th. (Thanks to Michael!)
Citibank Must Pay Back The $14 Million It Stole From Customers Over A Decade
By 9.4.08
Between 1992 and 2003, Citibank operated an “automatic sweeping” program that would without notice remove positive balances from customers’ credit card accounts—mainly those of the poor and the recently deceased—and pocket the money. Now it’s paying back $14 million dollars to the affected customers, plus another $3.5 million in penalties to California, thanks to that state’s Attorney General.
Sorry About The Rocks In Your Raisin Bread. Here's $5.
By 8.13.08
We’ve never really stopped to wonder what sort of compensation we would require if we found small rocks in our raisin bread, but we’re pretty sure that it’s more than $5. Maybe we’re being unrealistic, because when Michael Snyder found rocks in the raisin bread he bought from a bakery in Somerville, Massachusetts, he asked for 5 loaves of bread in compensation and settled for $5 instead.
Suing? Settle.
By 8.8.08
Would-be coffee spillers take note: If you’re ever suing and get offered a settlement, take the deal. A new study shows that plaintiffs who turn down settlements and go to trial end up getting less than if they had settled.
Settlement In BA-VA Price-Fixing Class Action
By 8.6.08
You’re entitled to a small refund if you bought tickets for a long haul flight on British Airways or Virgin Atlantic between August 11, 2004 and March 23, 2006. The amount is $7-$34 per flight taken. This is the settlement in a class action lawsuit contending the two airlines colluded to fix the price of fuel surcharges. More info at airpassengerrefund.com. [via RickSeaney]
Judge Rules That Early Termination Fees Are ILLEGAL In California
By 7.31.08
A California Superior Court judge has ruled that cellphone early termination fees are ILLEGAL and that Sprint must pay $18.2 M as part of a class action lawsuit. Of course, the decision could be appealed, but in the meantime…. (drum roll, please) the judge ordered Sprint to stop trying to collect the fees from customers in California who were refusing to pay them!
Sprint Loses Early Termination Fee Case In California
By 7.29.08
A California judge has issued a tentative ruling against Sprint regarding early termination fees. Although Sprint has two weeks to respond before the judge issues a final ruling, if the ruling stands then Sprint will have to pay $73 million in refunds to former customers. That Verizon settlement for $21 million earlier this month must be looking pretty sweet to Sprint’s investors right about now.
By 7.15.08
../../../..//2008/07/15/if-you-worked-at-frys/
If you worked at Fry’s Electronics between March ’02 and July ’07, you can participate in a newly announced class action settlement. You should be contacted directly, but you can also download the settlement and claim form from here. [FrysForum] (Thank to Luis!)
