10 Major Class Action Settlements: Is the Cash Worth Claiming?
If you bought anything from deodorant to soft drinks in the past several years, you could have hundreds of dollars waiting for you. Major companies dole out millions of dollars every day in class action lawsuit settlements. You may need to show proof that you made a purchase, such as a receipt. But many class action settlements will accept other supporting documents as proof of purchase.
Read: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS
It’s typically easy to file a claim online and receive payment in the form of a check, Paypal deposit or electronic gift card. Keep reading to learn more.
What Are Class Action Settlements?
A class action settlement occurs when a group of people bring a civil lawsuit against a company or organization. The company may negotiate a settlement and pay a large amount of money, which gets distributed amongst the plaintiffs, or “class members.”
Companies often face class action lawsuits for making misleading claims about their products or services, false advertising or even for damage their company may have caused. Often, the company will settle without admitting wrongdoing.
By opting into a class action lawsuit or filing a claim, you waive your right to sue the company independently over the same issue. You have a choice to opt out of the class action suit, if you prefer. In most cases, it’s worth it to file a claim in a class action settlement. Payouts can range from a few dollars, or even less, up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
10 Major Class Action Settlements
Here are 10 major class action settlements that you may qualify for right now. Pay attention to the deadlines for filing your claim, so that you can receive the money you are due.
Hyundai and Kia
Disney Magic Key
Vivint
Steam
A&W Root Beer and Cream Soda
Ethos Technologies
CVS Lidocaine
Dude Wipes
Equifax Data Breach
Right Guard
1. Hyundai and Kia
If you owned or leased a certain model of Hyundai or Kia vehicle manufactured between 2010 and 2020 that suffered from a defect that could cause engine failure, you may be eligible to participate in this class action suit.
Kia, the car manufacturer that also owns the Hyundai brand name, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum in the class action settlement. You must file a claim form by Dec. 7, 2023 to be eligible.
To file a claim in a class action lawsuit or receive a portion of the settlement funds, search for the class action settlement website and fill out a claim form.
In some cases, you may need to provide proof of purchase, such as a receipt, but other class action forms do not require proof.
2. Disney Magic Key
Disney agreed to pay $9.5 million in a class action settlement. Allegedly Disneyland Magic Key annual passholders weren’t able to make park reservations on certain dates, in spite of claims that pass-holders could visit “every day of the year,” according to a press release.
You won’t have to file a claim form to receive compensation, but you probably won’t see any money for at least three months, CNN recently reported.
3. Vivint
Home security company, Vivint, faced charges from the Federal Trade Commission for fraudulently opening Vivint home security accounts under people’s names without their permission. The FTC is mailing claim forms to 9,000 individuals who may be eligible. But you can apply online even if you didn’t receive a form.
The amount of the settlement depends on how many people apply. The deadline is Oct. 9, 2023.
4. Steam
If you made purchases in the last four years on the streaming platform Steam, you could receive a refund of up to 60% of what you spent. This isn’t a class action suit, but individual users can make claims through an arbitration process.
Rather than filing a claim form to receive compensation, you can file with one of three law firms: Mason LLP, Bucher Law PLLC, and Zaiger LLC. The law firms will take 40% of what they recover for you. Do not file with other firms, as these might be scams.
5. A&W Root Beer and Cream Soda
If you purchased A&W root beer or cream soda that made a claim of being “made with Aged Vanilla” on the label between Feb. 7, 2016 and June 2, 2023, you may be eligible to participate in this class action settlement.
If you do not have proof of purchase, you will receive $5.50. If you have your receipts, you can receive up to $25. You have a choice of payment through Paypal, Venmo, direct deposit to your bank, Zelle or a prepaid Mastercard. File your claim online by Oct. 18, 2023.
6. Ethos Technologies Data Breach
Ethos Technologies, a life insurance company, settled a class action lawsuit for $1 million. Payments will go to customers whose information may have been compromised in a data breach between Aug. 2022 and Dec. 2022.
Claimants can receive up to $100, with California residents receiving up to $200. You are also entitled to seek reimbursement of up to $5,000 in out-of-pocket expenses related to the breach. Submit your claim form by Dec. 20, 2023. You will need a receipt to show proof of purchase.
7. CVS Lidocaine
Consumers who purchased CVS-brand lidocaine patches, creams, roll-ons or sprays between Dec. 11, 2017 and July 18, 2023, may be eligible for this class action settlement. Without proof of purchase, you can receive up to $4.50 each for up to three products. If you have a receipt, you will receive $4.50 for every product you purchased and can show proof. The deadline to file is Nov. 20, 2023. Find a claim form online.
8. Dude Wipes
Dude Wipes settled a $9 million class action lawsuit alleging that the Shark Tank winners made false advertising claims. Product packaging stated that the wipes were “safe to flush,” when, in fact, they may have damaged plumbing systems.
If you purchased the wipes between Feb. 5, 2015 and Aug. 8, 2023, you can file a claim. You may receive up to 50 cents per package of wipes purchased without a receipt, up to five packages. With a receipt, you can claim up to 40 packages, for total compensation of up to $20. File your claim by Nov. 11, 2023.
9. Equifax Data Breach
The Equifax data breach settlement, which was finalized in January 2020, still has opportunities for those who experienced losses to file a claim. You can seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket losses or time spent during the Extended Claims Period if you were not already reimbursed through other means.
If you lost time or money due to the data breach between Jan. 23, 2020 and Jan. 22, 2024, you can file a claim for up to 20 hours at $25 an hour or out-of-pocket losses of up to $20,000. Fil by Jan. 22, 2024.
10. Right Guard
If you purchased Right Guard antiperspirant aerosol or sprays between Nov. 19, 2018 and June 8, 2023, you could qualify for this class action suit. If you have a receipt, you can receive up to $3 for each qualifying product. Without a receipt, you can still make a claim. You will receive up to $1.75 each for a maximum of five products. Submit the claim form online by Oct. 14, 2023.
Final Take
Are class action settlements worth it? Class action settlements can pay anywhere from a few cents up to thousands of dollars, depending on the severity of the damages, the number of people participating and the total settlement amount. Since it typically takes just a few minutes to fill out a claim form online, it’s usually worth participating in class action settlements if you have purchased the products or services.
Data is accurate as of Sept. 22, 2023, and is subject to change.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Major Class Action Settlements: Is the Cash Worth Claiming?
