Examples of Class Actions with No Proof Requirement
Below are summaries of recent class action lawsuit settlements in which consumers were able to get money simply by submitting claim forms.
LensCrafters AccuFit Class Action Settlement
Anyone who purchased LensCrafters eye glasses over the last 10 years may be entitled to compensation under the terms of a $39 million class action settlement. The lawsuit alleged that LensCrafters made false and misleading claims when advertising its AccuFit digital measurement system would give customers “clearer, crisper vision.”
Although LensCrafters denied any wrongdoing, it agreed to settle the class action for $39 million. Anyone who bought prescription glasses from LensCrafters between September 2013 and September 2023 and was fitted with the AccuFit system is potentially eligible to participate in the settlement and receive a payment.
How Much Can You Get?
Qualifying customers who submit valid claims can receive as a much as $50 for each pair of prescription glasses that they purchased from LensCrafters.
Claim Deadline: April 26, 2024
How To File a Claim: To participate in the settlement, customers need to submit a completed claim form before the April 26, 2024 deadline. Claim forms can be submitted online or a print version of the claim form can be filled out and submitted by mail.
Panera Bread “Free Delivery” Class Action Settlement
Panera recently agreed to settle a class action lawsuit by paying $2 million, which alleges that the company misled consumers regarding fees and menu prices for delivery orders. The settlement benefits consumers who placed delivery orders through the Panera app and/or the Panera website between October 1, 2020, and August 31, 2021.
Plaintiffs involved in three separate class action lawsuits asserted that Panera deceived them and other consumers regarding the total costs of delivery orders, particularly concerning delivery fees and menu prices. The consumers argued that they ended up paying more than anticipated based on Panera’s representations.
How Much Can You Get? Qualifying customers who participate in the settlement will be eligible to receive either a cash reimbursement of up to $12 or 2 Panera vouchers for a free item from the “Soups&Mac” menu section at Panera. Each voucher has a total value of about $10.
Claim Deadline: March 11, 2024
Proof Requirements: Claimants simply need to provide the phone number that they used when placing their Paner app or online orders. No other proof is required.
How To File a Claim: Eligible Panera customers can file a claim by submitting an online claim form.
ONLINE CLAIM FORM
Grande Cosmetics Class Action Settlement
Grande Cosmetics has agreed to set aside $6.25 million for a settlement fund to resolve a consumer class action lawsuit asserting that Grande failed to warn consumers about harmful chemical ingredients in its eyelash, eyebrow, and hair products. Specifically the lawsuit alleged that GrandeLASH-MD, GrandeBROW and GrandeHAIR products contain a drug/chemical called isopropyl cloprostenate, that is sometimes used to treat glaucoma. Isopropyl cloprostenate can allegedly cause eye inflammation and other serious side effects and Grande Cosmetics failed to disclose any of this to consumers on its product labels.
Customers who are eligible to participate in the class action settlement include anyone purchased GrandeLASH-MD, GrandeBROW or GrandeHAIR from Grande between January 1, 2018, and December 14, 2023.
How Much Can You Get? Qualifying claimants can get cash payouts of $150 (even without any proof of purchase). If there is money left in the settlement fund after payments are made to all eligible claimants, individuals who bought two or more Grande products can get an additional $150 payment (with proof of purchase).
Claim Deadline: February 27, 2024
Proof Requirements: No proof of purchase is required to qualify for the $150 initial payment. Proof of purchase is required to qualify for the additional $150.
How To File a Claim: Eligible claimants can complete and submit an online claim form directly to Grande Cosmetics.
ONLINE CLAIM FORM
Visa and Mastercard Fees Class Action Settlement
Businesses that accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards between January 1, 2004, and January 25, 2019, now have the opportunity to apply for a share of a $5.6 billion settlement.
If your business engaged in transactions with Visa or Mastercard during this period, you may be eligible for a portion of this significant settlement, which is the result of litigation that has been ongoing for nearly 2 decades.
These lawsuits, initiated by retailers, alleged that Visa and Mastercard conspired to fix exorbitant “swipe fees” intended for processing, while simultaneously imposing regulations preventing merchants from directing customers towards alternative payment methods. These fees typically ranged from 1% to 2% of the purchase price, with customers often unaware of whether the merchant factored these charges into their prices.
How to File a Claim: Visit the official court authorized settlement website for information about submitting a claim.
Apple Family Sharing Plan Class Action Settlement
Apple has reached a $25 million settlement in a class action lawsuit, addressing allegations of misrepresentation regarding its Family Sharing plan with the intention to deceive users. According to the lawsuit, Apple concealed the fact that app subscriptions purchased by consumers could not be shared with family members through Apple’s Family Sharing groups. Plaintiffs argued that Apple deliberately misled them about the capabilities of features within the Family Sharing plan.
The settlement covers all consumers who subscribed to an app through the Apple Store while being part of a Family Sharing group with at least one other member between June 21, 2015, and January 30, 2019.
How Much Can You Get?
Under the settlement terms, class members are entitled to an equal portion of the net settlement fund, with a maximum payment capped at $30. The actual payment each member receives will fluctuate based on the total number of claims submitted. Settlement payments can be received either as a check or through a direct ACH transfer, providing class members with flexibility in payment method selection.
Claim Deadline: March 1, 2024
How to File a Claim: Eligible class members who got an app from the Apple Store while part of a Family Sharing group between 2015 and 2019 can submit a online claim form. ONLINE CLAIM FORM
Required Proof: Claimants will not be required to provide any proof, other than their Apple account information.
Chick-fil-A Delivery Orders Class Action Settlement
Chick-fil-A has reached a $4.4 million settlement to address allegations from a class action lawsuit regarding the misrepresentation of its delivery fees and menu prices. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed that Chick-fil-A misrepresented its delivery service as either free or low-cost while simultaneously increasing menu prices on delivery orders to impose hidden fees. Allegedly, Chick-fil-A intentionally misled consumers about its delivery costs to entice them into making purchases.
The settlement is designed to benefit consumers who placed delivery orders through the Chick-fil-A app or website between November 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, from Chick-fil-A locations in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, or New York. Consumers who placed orders outside these states are not eligible.
How Much Can You Get?
According to the terms of the Chick-fil-A settlement, class members who submit a valid claim form have the option to receive either a cash payment or a gift card award, each valued at $29.25 per claimant. The settlement fund allocates $1.45 million for cash payments and $2.95 million for gift card awards. If the number of claims submitted surpasses the allocated fund total for either category, payments and gift card awards will be proportionately reduced.
Claim Deadline: January 2, 2024
How to File a Claim: Eligible class members can submit a claim online by completing the ONLINE CLAIM FORM
Required Proof: Claimants will not be required to submit proof of purchase.
iPhone 7 & 7 Plus Class Action Settlement
Apple has agreed to pay $35 million to address allegations that its iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices were equipped with faulty audio chips, resulting in audio-related problems for users. The class action lawsuit alleged that Apple neglected to disclose to consumers that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices contained defective Audio IC chips, which purportedly led to various audio issues, including complete audio failure.
The settlement is designed to benefit consumers who either currently own or previously owned an Apple iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16, 2016, and January 3, 2023, and who reported audio issues to Apple, regardless of whether they incurred out-of-pocket expenses for audio repairs.
How Much Can You Get?
As part of the settlement, class members are eligible to receive payments based on whether they incurred out-of-pocket expenses to repair their devices or if they reported the issue to Apple without paying for repairs.
For those who paid for repairs, the payment could range from a minimum of $50 up to $349. Meanwhile, class members who reported the issue to Apple but did not pay for repairs will receive an equal payment of up to $125.
Claim Deadline: June 3, 2024
How to Submit a Claim: Eligible class members can participate in the settlement by submitting a claim form online. ONLINE CLAIM FORM
Required Proof: Claimants will not be required to provide any proof with their claims. Apple will be able to verify claims with their own account data.
Verizon Administrative Charge Class Action Settlement
Verizon recently agreed to set aside $100 million for a settlement fund to resolve a consumer class action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged Verizon customers were unfairly billed for an administrative charge as part of a “deceptive scheme.” The settlement class is large, and includes both former and current Verizon customers that had a postpaid phone plan with Verizon between Jan. 1, 2016, and Nov. 8, 2023, and were charged an “Administrative Charge” or a “Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge” on their phone bill.
How Much Can You Get?
The exact amount that claimants will qualify to receive is not yet known. The minimum payment for eligible members is expected to start at $15, according to the settlement administrator, and grow by increments of $1 depending on how long you were a Verizon customer. The longer you had one of the postpaid phone plans described in the settlement, the bigger your payment will be.
Claim Deadline: April 15, 2024
How to File a Claim: Eligible class members can submit a claim online through the Court approved settlement administration website and get additional information.
Fortnite In-Game Purchases FTC Settlement
Epic Games recently agreed to pay $245 million to settle a consumer fraud action brought by the FTC alleging that Epic Games used deceptive practices to induce players on the popular game Fortnite to make unintended in-game purchases. Among other things, the FTC claimed that Epic made it easy for children to rack up charges without parent consent and when consumers complained, Epic retaliated by freezing their user accounts.
To be eligible for a refund, individuals must be 18 years of age or older, or have a parent or guardian complete the refund form on their behalf. You may qualify for a refund if, between January 2017 and September 2022:
- You were charged for in-game currency for items you did not want.
- Your child made unauthorized charges for game items using your credit card.
- Your account was suspended following disputes over incorrect charges with your credit card issuer.
How Much Can You Get?
The exact amount that individual claimants will receive is undetermined at this time. The final amount will depend on various factors, including how many class members file accepted claims.
Claim Deadline: January 17, 2024
How to File a Claim: Eligible class members can submit claims online. Details on claim submission can be found on the official claim administration website.
Capital One Data Breach Settlement Checks
Capital One agreed to pay out $190 million to settle allegations that it put the information of 98 million customers at risk during a 2019 data breach. The settlement is designed to benefit approximately 98 million Capital One customers who were notified about their compromised information following the 2019 data breach.
According to the lawsuit, Capital One allegedly failed to prevent a significant data breach that allowed third-party hackers to infiltrate the bank’s systems. The breach reportedly exposed sensitive customer data, including Social Security numbers, credit records, and contact information.
A class action lawsuit was filed against Capital One over the data breach. Eventually, Capital One reached a $190 million settlement agreement. Under the settlement agreement, claimants who qualified received payments ranging from hundreds of dollars to over $1,000, with one claimant reportedly recovering more than $2,000.
The Capital One data breach lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia: In re: Capital One Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Case No. 1:19-md-02915-AJT-JFA. The deadline to file a claim and get a settlement payment was September 30, 2022, so it is too late to get any money out of this settlement.
DoubleDown Casino Games Class Action Rebates
In 2022, DoubleDown agreed to pay $415 million for settlement fund in a class action lawsuit alleging that its mobile casino games violated gambling laws in Washington State.
The settlement fund is available to all individuals who played DoubleDown Casino, DoubleDown Fort Knox, DoubleDown Classic, and/or Ellen’s Road to Riches on their mobile devices at any time prior to November 14, 2022. The class action lawsuit contended that the mobile casino games by DoubleDown were tantamount to real gambling, citing the use of in-game chips purchased with actual money. Allegedly, these applications violated Washington’s anti-gambling laws, leading to financial losses for consumers amounting to thousands of dollars.
To resolve the resulting class action lawsuit, DoubleDown agreed to a $415 million settlement. Claimants who qualify to participate in the settlement can receive various amounts of money depending on their individual damages. Some claimants received several thousand in settlement payouts.
The DoubleDown class action was filed in the Western District of Washington (Benson, et al. v. DoubleDown Interactive LLC, et al., Case No. 2:18-CV-00525).
20/20 Eye Care Data Breach Settlement Checks
iCare Acquisition agreed to a $3 million lawsuit to resolve a class action involving an alleged data breach in 2021 that compromised patient data for 20/20 Eye and Hearing Care Networks. The data breach occurred in January 2021, and it impacted all patients in the 20/20 Eye Care Network and 20/20 Hearing Care Network.
The class action lawsuit alleged that iCare could have easily prevented the data breach by implementing adequate digital security features to protect sensitive patient information. The class action lawsuit brought claims of negligence and breaches of other consumer protection laws. iCare agreed to settle the class action by establishing a $3 million settlement fund to cover accepted claims from patients.
The deadline for submitting claims in this class action settlement was May 1, 2023. Claimants who submitted claims and received settlement payments reported receiving an average of $60.
UMass Memorial Health Data Breach Class Action Rebates
UMass Memorial Health Center (UMMHC) agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle allegations that a six-month data breach in 2020 and 2021 exposed sensitive patient information. The settlement is designed to benefit individuals who received a data breach notification, notifying them of their compromised information during the UMMHC data breach between June 24, 2020, and January 7, 2021.
The alleged data breach impacted the data of nearly 3,000 Massachusetts residents. The breach reportedly compromised various sensitive information, including financial account details, Social Security numbers, and other personal data.
UMMHC resolved the class action lawsuit through a $1.2 million settlement agreement. Under the terms of the settlement, victims of the data breach were eligible to receive compensation of up to $5,150 for damages related to the data breach. The average payout to claimants was reportedly much lower. The deadline for submitting claims in this class action was April 14, 2023.
IKEA FACTA Settlement Checks
IKEA agreed to a $24.25 million settlement in a class action lawsuit claiming it put too much credit card information of customer receipts, in violation of federal law. The settlement is intended for IKEA customers who used a debit or credit card at any IKEA retail location and received an electronically printed receipt revealing the first six and last four digits of the payment card number between October 18, 2017, and December 31, 2019.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claimed that IKEA violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) by printing receipts with more than the permissible last five digits of payment card numbers. Allegedly, IKEA’s receipts displayed the first six and last four digits, exceeding the five-digit limit mandated by FACTA.
IKEA’s resolution involves a $24.25 million settlement to address the FACTA class action lawsuit. According to the settlement terms, claimants had the opportunity to receive an equal share of the net settlement fund. The average payout to individual claimants was $25. The deadline for submitting claims was May 4, 2023.
Gannett TCPA Class Action Rebates
Media company Gannett agreed to a $13.8 million settlement to address allegations of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) through unsolicited robocalls. The settlement is designed to benefit consumers who received unsolicited robocalls from Gannett between January 2, 2010, and August 4, 2016.
Gannett allegedly breached the TCPA by making unsolicited robocalls using an automatic dialing system. These calls purportedly encouraged recipients to subscribe to Gannett’s publications without obtaining the necessary consumer consent, as mandated by federal law.
To resolve the TCPA class action lawsuit, Gannett agreed to a $13.8 million settlement. To be eligible for a settlement payment, claimants were required to submit a valid claim form by November 5, 2016.
When Proof Is the Obstacle
Joining a consumer class action lawsuit can sometimes be challenging due to difficulties in providing the necessary proof for several reasons:
- Documentation: Claimants are often required to provide evidence of their purchase or use of the product or service in question. This could include receipts, purchase records, or other documentary evidence. Over time, these documents may be lost, discarded, or were never obtained in the first place, making it hard to prove purchase or usage.
- Product Identification: In cases involving products that have been on the market for a long time, or where there are many similar products, it can be difficult for claimants to precisely identify the product that caused harm. Lack of serial numbers, batch codes, or specific product details can complicate this process.
- Causation: Proving that a specific product or service directly caused harm can be complex, especially in cases involving medical conditions or environmental damage. Establishing a clear link between the defendant’s actions and the plaintiff’s injuries requires expert testimony, which can be costly and time-consuming to obtain.
- Time Lapse: The effects of a harmful product or service may not become apparent until years after its use. This time lapse can make it difficult to establish a direct connection between the product and the harm, and relevant evidence may be harder to gather or have deteriorated over time.
- Record-keeping and Privacy Issues: In some cases, the necessary proof may involve sensitive or private information, such as medical records. Accessing these records can be difficult due to privacy laws and individual rights to confidentiality. Additionally, poor record-keeping practices by the affected individuals or entities can hinder the collection of needed evidence.
- Class Action Specificity: Class actions often define a class based on very specific criteria. Individuals who do not meet these criteria exactly may find it difficult to join the class action, even if they suffered similar harms as those within the class. The specificity of the criteria can exclude potential claimants who cannot prove they fit the exact parameters of the class.
These challenges highlight the importance of maintaining good records, understanding the legal requirements for proving claims, and seeking the assistance of legal professionals when considering joining a consumer class action lawsuit.
Examples of Class Action Settlements With Proof Requirements
Below are a few class action settlements in which claimants are being required to submit some type of proof to support their claims.
Vizio TV Refresh Rate Class Action Settlement
Vizio has reached a $3 million settlement in a class action lawsuit, addressing allegations of misleading advertising regarding the refresh rate of its televisions. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that Vizio misrepresented the refresh rate of its TVs, leading consumers to believe they had superior picture quality and were therefore worth a higher price. The settlement covers all consumers in California who purchased Vizio TVs advertised with a “120Hz Effective Refresh Rate” or “240Hz Effective Refresh Rate” between April 30, 2014, and June 20, 2024.
How Much Can You Get? Under the settlement terms, eligible class members are entitled to claim up to $50 for each television. However, the amount of these payments might be adjusted proportionally based on the total number of valid claims submitted. In addition to monetary compensation, class members can enjoy an upgraded service and warranty package valued at $25. This package encompasses access to a dedicated customer support line and a one-year limited warranty aimed at addressing picture quality concerns.
Claim Deadline: March 20, 2024
How to File a Claim: Eligible consumers can file a claim by submitting an online claim form or by completing a print version of the claim form and submitting it by mail.
Breyers Ice Cream Class Action
A class action settlement of nearly $9 million has been reached with Breyers ice cream following allegations that some of their vanilla-flavored products were sold under misleading claims. The lawsuit accuses Conopco/Unilever of falsely marketing Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream, suggesting it was flavored solely with vanilla from vanilla plants, while it allegedly contained non-vanilla “plant flavors.” Though the makers of Breyers deny these claims, they have agreed to the settlement to resolve the matter and move forward.
How Much Can You Get? Eligible claimants can get $1.00 for each covered Breyer product purchased. There is NO proof of purchase requirement, however, without proof of purchase, the maximum any individual claimant can get is $8.00. There is no maximum limit for claimants who have proof of purchase.
Claim Deadline: February 19, 2025
How to File a Claim:
VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com
