LCD Class Action Lawsuit

If you bought a LCD flat-panel TV between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2006, you may be entitled to a settlement in a current class action lawsuit.  The case alleges price fixing of the screens.  

Unfortunately, the class action does not apply to purchases made in Illinois.  So, if you reside outside of Illinois, and you picked up this blog on Google, or if you happened to purchase a TV while on vacation out of state, you are in luck.

Claims can be submitted online at www.lcdclass.com. Anticipated payment to claimants is $25.00.

The Rich Get Richer. (Sarcasm)

You will recall that I have been alerting my loyal readers for years about class action lawsuits in which you may be able to file claims.  I have written about some of my greatest settlements HERE and HERE.  

Well, today I received another check.  This case involved the use of credit cards overseas.  I heard about it just after I returned from the Philippines last summer.  Luckily I used my credit card when I was down there because HERE is copy of my latest settlement check.  That's right.  Read it and weep.

You will also see at the very bottom, I have been alerted that I may be a member of another class in a second lawsuit involving foreign transaction fees.  How much good luck can one guy have?!?!?!  

I haven't looked into it yet, but it appears that I may be entitled to another settlement check.  Three or four more of these and I'll be able to buy a nice steak dinner!!

Blue-Rhino Propane Tank Class Action

Did you purchase or exchange one or more pre-filled Blue Rhino propane gas cylinders in the U.S. between June 15, 2005 and October 11, 2011?  


If so, you better sit down.  You may be entitled to damages totaling dozens of dollars.  To claim your riches, you must submit a claim on or before May 23, 2012.  


Details here: www.propanesettlement.com

iTunes Class Action

I just received the following email:

LEGAL NOTICE

If you purchased an Apple iTunes gift card, you could get benefits under a class action settlement.

A proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit could affect you if you purchased an Apple iTunes gift card and the card or packaging to which it was attached contained language that “songs are 99¢” or other language indicating that songs are priced at 99¢ (referred to as a “99¢ iTunes gift card” in the rest of this Notice).

The settlement will provide you a $3.25 iTunes Store credit if you purchased or received a 99¢ iTunes gift card and used it to purchase one or more $1.29 songs from the iTunes Store on or before May 10, 2010.

If you qualify, you may submit an online Claim Form to ask for the credit.

The Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara authorized this Notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement.

Who’s Affected?

You’re a “Class Member” if you purchased in the United States a 99¢ iTunes gift card and used the card to purchase one or more $1.29 songs from the iTunes Store on or before May 10, 2010.

What’s this About?

The lawsuit claimed that Apple advertised, distributed, and sold 99¢ iTunes gift cards. It further alleged that in April 2009, Apple raised the price of certain songs at the iTunes Store from 99¢ to $1.29 and that 99¢ iTunes gift card holders who purchased $1.29 songs were overcharged. Apple denies all allegations and has asserted many defenses. The parties are entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrong-doing or an indication that any law was violated.

What can you Get from the Settlement?

The settlement provides for an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $3.25.

How do you Get an iTunes Store Credit?

You must submit a completed online Claim Form by September 24, 2012: A detailed Notice, online Claim Form, and instructions are available at www.JohnsoniTunesSettlement.com. You can also receive a detailed Notice, sample Claim Form, and instructions by calling 1-888-332-0275.

Important Deadlines

You must submit the completed online Claim Form on or before September 24, 2012.

What are your Options?

(1) If you want to participate in the settlement, submit an online Claim Form by September 24, 2012. The Claim Form is available at www.JohnsoniTunesSettlement.com/FileAClaim.

(2) If you don’t want a payment and you don’t want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must postmark your request to exclude yourself by December 29, 2011, or you won’t be able to sue, or continue to sue, Apple about the legal claims in this case. If you exclude yourself, you can’t get a payment from this settlement.

(3) You may also object to the settlement. Objections must be received by December 29, 2011.

The detailed Notice describes how to exclude yourself or object. Apple retains the right to withdraw from the settlement in the event an excessive number of requests for exclusion are received.

The Court will hold a hearing in this case (Johnson v. Apple Inc., Case No. 1-09-CV-146501) on February 10, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve the settlement and the attorneys’ fees and expenses requested by Class Counsel. Class Counsel will request from the Court, and Apple has agreed not to oppose, an award of attorneys’ fees and expenses of up to $2,117,500. The attorneys’ fees and expenses were negotiated separately from the amount to be paid to the Class and do not reduce the amount of the award to the Class. The Court will determine the amount of fees and expenses that will be paid to Class Counsel. You may appear at the hearing, but you don’t have to. For more details, go towww.JohnsoniTunesSettlement.com or call 1-888-332-0275.

Lawn Mower Class Action Settlement

About a year ago, I wrote about a class action lawsuit that involved purchases of gas engine lawn mowers dating back to 1994.  Claims had to be filed by August 31st, 2010.  The original post can be found HERE.

Well, today I received my settlement check.  Drum roll please....

Please click HERE to see my check.  I'm going to try not to spend it all in one place.

BAR / BRI Class Action Settlement

Carmel and I filed claims in the BAR / BRI class action case in the fall of 2007.  Since then I have seen various news reports about appeals, delays, etc., but I hadn't paid too much attention.  I think the case was even dismissed at one point and then refiled.

Anyway, Carmel got a settlement check last week for $345.54.  There was language on the check stub which says that the District Court has approved a partial distribution in the case.  It says that this check that she received represents her partial award.  It also says that the balance of her net settlement proceeds will be distributed after all outstanding appeals have been resolved. 

I'm still waiting for my first check.  It seems like she will get two checks.  Did anyone else file a claim?  Has anyone else received a check yet?  If so, for how much?  They give a number to call if we have questions (1-888-285-7850), but I have been too busy to look into it.  I figured I'd take the easy way out and ask the law blog readers if anyone has any news.  Anyone?

Class Action Lawsuit Over iPhone 4?

I'm sure most of the technophiles out there have heard about the iPhone 4's poor reception and dropped call problems. Maybe some of you have even experienced it for yourself. If you have, you might want to consider contacting the law firm of Kershaw, Cutter, and Ratinoff, LLP. They are investigating a potential class action lawsuit against Apple for the poor reception quality, dropped calls, and weak signal received by the new iPhone 4. More information here.

Another Settlement Received.

Just about two weeks ago I wrote about a lawn mower class action settlement. I have filed my claim in that case and I suggest that you do the same, if you qualify. Claims must be filed by August 31, 2010. Here is a link to the lawn mower post for more information. Here is a link to another post I wrote about filing claims in class action cases.

Well, all of these claims are finally paying off for me. I just looked back through the archives of the Northern Law Blog and I don't believe that I didn't write about this case previously.

After Carmel and I bought our current house, we went furniture shopping. We ended up buying at Ashley Furniture. They were offering this great rebate program where we could get up to $500 cash back if we sent in gasoline receipts for 12 months after the purchase. I downloaded the forms, started saving all of my gas receipts, and then submitted my claim in a timely manner.

The rebate checks never came. Then I heard about the class action lawsuit against Ashley Furniture. So, I filed my claim. Sorry for not alerting you guys about it at the time.

Well, here is the result. Not too bad.

Keep checking back to this blog, or better yet subscribe via email. I will start alerting everybody of these claims that I file so that you can try to cash in as well.

Lawn Mower Class Action

If you purchased a lawn mower with a gas engine up to 30 horsepower, you could receive benefits from a class action settlement. At least that is what a post card said that I received in the mail this week.

Seriously though, I have already filed my claim. You will recall that I am an active participant in class action settlements. This one seems like a pretty good deal. The settlement applies to all purchases of gas mowers up to 30 horsepower made between January 1, 1994 and April 12, 2010. That could be about 90% of the people who read this blog.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants, nearly every lawn mower manufacturer in the country, sold mowers with false or misleading horsepower ratings. It has nothing to do with the safety of the machines. Depending on what type of lawnmower you purchased, you can receive up to $35 for a push mower and $75 for a riding mower. You can also receive an extended warranty. The claim must be filed by August 31, 2010.

You can file your claim online at LawnMowerClass.com. To file your claim you will need to know your lawnmower brand and model number along with the engine brand and engine model number. That information will be found on your lawnmower or you can look it up right from the website. You don't need to know when or where you bought the lawnmower, how much you paid for it, or anything else. It took me about 5 minutes.

Then you just wait for that sweet cash to roll in, big spender.

Class Action Lawsuits

I have filed claims in many class action lawsuits. If I read an article about a class action case, and if I am a potential member of the class, I will file a claim. I have received as settlements, from what I can remember, and among other things, a $25 check and a gift certificate for a free music CD, but now I'm moving on to bigger and better things. I'm sure that most of you have heard about the class action against Bar-Bri. I read recently that all class members can potentially receive up to $250 dollars as part of that settlement. If you haven't heard about that one yet, however, you are too late. The time for filing claims passed sometime last fall. (Sorry.)

But, I have two new ones for you. Check out this article from today's National Law Journal. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a federal court summary judgment ruling in a class action case against Access Group, the student loan provider. Apparantly, Access Group has charged each of its borrowers about $700 in improper interest charges. All of my student loans are through Access. I don't expect a huge settlement check, but it could be decent. The articles does not contain any specific information about when or where to file claims, but identifiable, potential class members are sometimes notified by mail, and the courts usually set up websites to handle online claims.

But, here is the good one. There is a monster class action suit against DeBeers, the global diamond cartel responsible for almost half of all diamond sales worldwide. Go to www.diamondsclassaction.com for more information. From what I understand, claimants will receive up to 10-15% of the purchase price back for any and all diamonds purchased between January 1, 1994 and March 31, 2006. I got lucky again, considering that I purchased an engagement ring during that time period. I just filed my claim online. Claimants do not need documentation for purchases less than $10,000. Simply fill in the price that you paid for any and all diamonds purchased during the subject time period, and wait for your check.

Please note that the last date to file claims in the diamond case is May 19, 2008.