Some Apple AAPL,
iPhone users recently began receiving payments of $92 as part of a class-action lawsuit over the 2017 Apple Batterygate uproar. The deadline to claim that money has long passed, but other class-action settlements involving Apple and Verizon VZ,
Epic Games, developer of “Fortnite,” is still open.
Here's what to know if you're interested in trying to claim some of the money.
Apple will pay eligible consumers a total of $25 million for allegedly misrepresenting its Family Sharing feature, which is used to share app subscriptions. While Apple has denied that it made any misrepresentations, consumers who had Family Sharing between June 21, 2015 and January 30, 2019, and who filed a claim before March 1, will receive up to $30 each, depending on their situation. To the case site about the settlement.
Verizon is also participating in a settlement that allows consumers to demand cash. It includes customers who have a postpaid wireless plan — meaning they are allowed to pay their bill after receiving Verizon service — and are charged an administrative fee. They have until April 15 to file a claim to get up to $100, with a minimum of $15, depending on how long they've been a Verizon customer, according to the settlement website.
As for players, Fortnite's parent company, Epic Games, has agreed to pay $245 million following allegations from the Federal Trade Commission related to in-game purchases. Players who were charged for unwanted purchases by “Fortnite” can apply for a refund online by February 29, according to the FTC, and the FTC will refund users using the settlement funds. For users under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must submit the claim.
Apple and Verizon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When asked for comment, Epic Games directed MarketWatch to this blog post as of December 2022.
Class action lawsuits are one way customers seek recourse when they feel they have been harmed by a company. But when these lawsuits are successful and result in consumer payouts, it's not always easy to know if you're eligible for payment.
In some cases, companies notify eligible consumers via email or paper mail. But for cases that are likely to affect large groups of people, the company may choose to publish a notice online or in a newspaper or create a separate website to explain the details of the settlement. In other words, sometimes it's up to the consumer to find out whether they qualify. Some websites, such as ClassAction.org, track class action lawsuits and people can sign up to be notified of new lawsuits.
If you are not sure whether you are eligible for payment, you may contact the case adjuster, whose contact information can be found on the settlements' websites and notices.
Eligible customers typically file claims either online or via the U.S. mail. To do this, they will need to provide basic information including name, address and phone number. If Verizon settles, customers who believe they are eligible will need to provide their Verizon account information. “Fortnite” users will need to provide their Epic Account ID.
It may take months for the settlement payment to reach the client. It is also worth noting that sometimes customers who believe they are eligible to pay are rejected.
For example, as many as 500,000 people filed claims in Meta's META,
The settlement over Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal had been rejected by last November, the company managing the settlement fund, Angion, told The Hill. Some were rejected because they appeared to be fraudulent, but in some cases, the claim may have been incorrectly flagged as fraud because the information the user provided did not match what Facebook had on file.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
