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If you were or remain a customer of Verizon Wireless under either their America’s Choice I or America’s Choice II plans (unavailable to new customers), a class action settlement benefit should be arriving in your mailbox this week.
In July 2005, a lawsuit was brought against Verizon Wireless alleging the company improperly assessed roaming charges on customers. Cowit et al. v. Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless was filed in Hamilton County, Ohio. In eventually became a nationwide class action case.
The two sides reached a settlement for all America’s Choice customers, one that considerably benefits the plaintiff’s lawyers. They will receive attorney’s fees, costs and incentive awards not to exceed $6 million dollars. The original complainant, Barry Koblenz, will receive a check in the mail from Verizon Wireless for the princely sum of $50. Koblenz can also apply for an “incentive award” not to exceed $10,000. Other Class Representatives can apply for their own awards not to exceed $20,000 each.
What do customers get? Not much:
- Customers who did not submit a valid claim to participate in the action by the fall of 2011 will receive 25 additional calling minutes good on any Verizon Wireless plan when you exceed your current calling allowance. The minutes expire in one year.
- Customers who submitted a valid claim will receive a transferable long distance calling “card” worth up to 40 minutes of domestic long distance calling (or around 13 minutes of international calling) valid for 24 months.
- All affected customers enrolled in an unlimited calling plan will receive the long distance calling “card” as described above.
Other stories of interest:
- Verizon Wireless Class Action Settlement: A Few Dozen Free Minutes for You, $6 Million for the Lawyers
- Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Verizon Wireless for “Mystery Data Charges”
- Law Firm Reminds Consumers of Mobile Broadband Class-Action Lawsuit Against Verizon
- HughesNet Customers May Qualify for $5-40 Settlement in Class Action Case
- Supreme Court Helps Verizon Wireless Thumb Nose at Customers Upset Over Unilateral Cell Fees
Check out tons of class action settlement claims at http://www.mysettlementclaims.com. I already claimed $400. This is legit. Gotta keep these companies accountable!
Keep them accountable? What a joke. The attornies benefit. Nothing really gets changed and the ‘companies’ go merrily on their theiving ways. If the people that they damage were really given some compensation, it just might make a difference, but, as it is right now, these companies make agreements with the greedy attorneys and walk away with a smile!
We Americans have become ‘suckers’ by not thinking things through.
Settlements are exactly that, a settlement between the company and lawyers that leaves large amounts of money in both of their pockets so business can continue as usual.
These are slaps on the wrist, not an admission of guilt, and purely a calculation by the defendant on how they can still profit yet pay the lawyers enough but not too much to justify them to go away.
I do find it funny now days that many of the settlements are disbursing the funds primarily to non-profits and the lawyers primarily with a token amount to the named individuals that brought it forward, then finally some service credits for anyone else.
What do customers get? Not much:
Exactly. This is why I never claim benefits or participate in class actions. Until the day a class action can net me some real compensation (read a few hundred to couple thousand dollars) I am not interested.
I just received my ‘free’ minutes in the mail. The lawyers should be embarrassed. They got paid 6 million!
If someone wants to use the free minutes to call their loved ones serving in Afghanistan, they get 3 minutes out of this deal.
If someone wants to use them to call Mexico, they get 13 minutes.
How is this holding anyone accountable? 40 minutes of free long distance service in the US when most people get that included in their plans for free now! Really guys!