Today I got a letter from Schwartz Refund of Jacksonville, Florida telling me that I've been identified as a member of the class of Citibank credit card customers eligible for a refund under the terms of a settlement agreement reached in a class action lawsuit. Attached thereto was a check for zero dollars and three cents.
But the lawyer was handsomely paid and the company was handsomely burdened, and that's enough for me.
I was indentified as a member of the law suit as well. I was bestowed $.017 though... What was the case about? The fact that I sold my life away one day buying overpriced books for Citi bank T-shirt?
I remember one time, when through a haze of pain medication, I read a letter from AT&T Universal Card saying they had put a hit on my credit rating. How about a letter warning me about this first, THEN hit my credit rating if I don't pay? Anyhow, I got more than you guys: 27 cents from the lawsuit, so they must have known how mad I was. :)
I got 5 cents! I'm donating mine to charity :)
Hah! Got ya all beat ... $1.17. No idea what it's about, though (saw something about tax anticipation loans, which I've never ... and would never ... use).
I got a whopping .08 cents
I wonder if the lawyer got the other .92 cents multipled by a million or so
the lawyer typically takes a third, so he got four cents for your eight. the whole point of class action litigation is that no individual plaintiff was damaged enough to go through the hassle of a lawsuit, so the lawyers gather everyone together and force the company to disgorge a (hopefully) substantial portion of the ill-gotten gains. it's about deterrence, not compensation.
Amazing how the only info. available is the cryptic phone no. 800-558-5854 on my statement -- no further explanation about the suit. For anyone interested, they will send you more detail about it if you leave a message. I figure the lawyers got paid out handsomely, so I'll dispense with my curiousity and keep my generous $1.82 (!) credit for some future purchase.
i got one too...
its this case
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml
it states that anyone that ordered stuff oversea was charged a hidden fee for processing a forien order...
i got $.86
yea...
I got 22 cents. To my knowledge, my only international credit card orders were one to the UK and one to Canada, but I never used an AT&T Universal Card. Attached to my credit card bill which arrived today was a notice that finance charges will be calculated differently from now on - virtually untranslatable financial legalese.
Thanks to all of you for having this post on the Internet; I received my $.60 refund yesterday, and had no idea what this was for. Thanks especially to phazah for including the URL of a news story regarding this refund.
Enjoy the holidays! :-)
Our household received two refunds - - one for $.11 and one for $.55. Mall, here I come!
I received a very average $.31 from looking the refunds everyone received. That's the story of my life "very average". I think I will send mine back to the lawyer, I'm sure he needs it more than I.
I got $0.22 I think we should all at least cash the checks. It may not seem like much but if we all cash them than it might add up to something. Happy Holidays All
I received a whopping .16 cents. Now I can really pay off my student loans. Thanks a lot Schwarts!!!!!!
I got $0.13. It cost more to mail the check. Mine will go to charity. Maybe that offsets the sinfulness of my feelings, which are Shakespearean: "First, kill all the lawyers." Actually that's not sinful at all. It would be the absolutely moral thing to do. The sinful part is I'm not acting on my convictions.
Hey, I think I've beaten all of you to it, even if you add up all your amounts...I got $5.46!! Now I can go buy that dream run-down shack that I've always wanted!
The individual awards of about 50 Cents would make for a total recovery of tens of millions of dollars. As small as the individual checks are, the total value to the American Consumer (for past and future) conduct is substantial.
Schwartz fund- is it legit?
Think about it- Schwartz was an obscure case out of Oregon- He was found guilty for computer fraud-running a "Crack" program designed to find out account passwords-
I've NEVER had a Citibank account of any kind and I got a check for $1.34- Anybody can print these checks on legitimate accounts from even more obscure places like South Dakota, make good on the paymnets of 0.03 cents or whatever- the canceled checks go back to a covert PO box with your name, bank, bank account number and signature- They run a "Crack" program knowing exactly which bank and account number, find your password and dump your account- Talk about identity theft- You've been had.
Hey, I received $0.31, the same as Bill. The first to have a check in the same amount as someone else here! I win!
I love the confused paranoid conspiracy ramblings of "Dude", who apparently thinks this has something to do with Randal Schwartz. It made me laugh even more than receiving a $0.31 check from a lawsuit I'd never heard of for reasons un-identified (in the letter that came with the check).
I got 46cents. This stops big companies from ripping off the public because slimy class action lawyers will try to rip them off in our name. Read "king of Torts" by Grisham and see how these 9 million dollar recipients rip off the legal system
I want more
I'm glad I found you guys. I just checked by bank statement and saw I had been credited $0.11 from the Schwartz Settlement Fund. I Googled their phone number (800-558-5854) and found this page. Thank you phazah for the CBS news link.
My check for $.35 came a little while back. It was an $800 million settlement. That means the attorneys probably split $270 million dollars. I don't give a crap about what the credit card companies did. I think the lawyers should be the ones punished for what they have done with this lawsuit. Class action attorneys are the bane of the earth!!!!!
I got my $0.15 credited to my AT&T Universal Card but I think the correct settlement was this one:
http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf
Happy spending!
I received a 24 cents credit back to my account. That amount would've really helped me with my penis enlargement fund, and my dying grandmother's boob job. I wish they would've mailed me 24 x 1 cent checks everyday instead of doing the 1 time credit. That would've made me excited for at least 24 days.
I do believe that Russell is correct based on the fact that I hold an ATT universal card and I live in Oklahoma which would exclude me from the suit filed in CA----"Because it's based in California, Visa is more deeply affected by the decision than MasterCard. Visa must issue refunds to cardholders throughout the country. The decision applies only to MasterCard's California customers. "--quoted from www.cbsnews.com/stories.....
I recieved a whopping $.34--and here I thought it must be a mistake because I never ordered anything from SCHWARTZ SETTLEMENT!!! LOL :-)
The lawyers got $9,000,000.00.
I got $0.04. :(
The money will go to whatever charity they eventually give it too. We recieved $1.55 and the check is proudly displayed on my cubicle wall at the office. It's a great conversation piece.
I just hope that the amount that goes to the charity is the same as the amount for which people didn't cash their checks.
It would be a shame if the lawyers took a cut of administering that money too.
The whole deal would then look something like this:
9,000,000 for the lawyers, 18,000,000 for the "plaintiffs". The plaintiffs DON'T cash checks totaling "X dollars" so the lawyers take a portion (N) of X to distribute the money to charities. So that the lawyers then get N of X also.
I wonder what the ultimate disposition of the funds will be after July 31 2004. How can we find out?
Happy New Year All.
Geof
I got my biggie of $.51 credit. I had no idea, but glad I got it. Now it can go towards my dog's next grooming appointment!
$ 0.04 for me, yeeeeha!
I guess I hadn't bought enough stuff from other countries?
I got a dime on a credit card I cut up 3 years ago. Do you think they'll apply 19% interest to this credit? If so, I should be set for life in 500 years.
My mother received $.16. We only discovered this when we couldn't reconcile the checking account. Her VISA bill is deducted automatically and somehow we missed the BIG credit of $.16.
My wife and I received a check for $0.05. I'm thinking of framing it. Does anyone see something wrong with a getting these "big bucks" for some action that we know nothing about? We even opted out of the suite. The only ones who win anything are the lawyers. Everyone else pays.
I suggest our tort systems needs a bit of reform.
I got a $.062 refund from the Citibank case that Russell pointed out. One thing that strikes me as ridiculous is this: a total Class settlement of $36 million?
The suit was over Citibank's failure to always post payments on the day they arrive. (They tried to hook me for several hundered dollars over 15+ years.) I have no doubt whatsoever that $36 million is the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what they SHOULD be paying. So, the amount isn't compensatory in the least. Furthermore, $36 million is like PETTY CASH to a corporation of their size. So the amount isn't really punitive, either.
If it's not compensatory, and it's not punitive, then where did "$36 million" come from. I'll bet the lawyers picked a nice round number that "sounds good" and is four times what they receive - so as not to anger too many of the Class. Good grief!
I got 3.22 on my card as of 12/1.
The news story [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml]
(thanks Phazar) says VISA overcollected $817M and MC $195.5M and that they "face refunds" of $740 and $60M. There is no explanation of the decrepancy between the former figures and the latter. There is also no mention of how much the lawyers will rake in. A third of the settlement would be $400M.
The proposed settlement, undated but evidently sometime in 2000, [http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf] (Thanks Russell) was for $18 Million plus $9.25 for the lawyers. It then mentions that the total "benefit" would be $36 Million.
It would seem from other sources that the final settlement was indeed for $36M plus the $9M for the lawyers. This is a little more than 20%.
You can get written info by calling 1800-558-5854.
The news story [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml]
(thanks Phazar) says VISA overcollected $817M and MC $195.5M and that they "face refunds" of $740 and $60M. There is no explanation of the decrepancy between the former figures and the latter. There is also no mention of how much the lawyers will rake in. A third of the settlement would be $400M.
The proposed settlement, undated but evidently sometime in 2000, [http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf] (Thanks Russell) was for $18 Million plus $9.25 for the lawyers. It then mentions that the total "benefit" would be $36 Million.
It would seem from other sources that the final settlement was indeed for $36M plus the $9M for the lawyers. This is a little more than 20%.
You can get written info by calling 1800-558-5854.
I got $.13 credited to my bill.
The news story [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml]
(thanks Phazar) says VISA overcollected $817M and MC $195.5M and that they "face refunds" of $740 and $60M. There is no explanation of the decrepancy between the former figures and the latter. There is also no mention of how much the lawyers will rake in. A third of the settlement would be $400M.
The proposed settlement, undated but evidently sometime in 2000, [http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf] (Thanks Russell) was for $18 Million plus $9.25 for the lawyers. It then mentions that the total "benefit" would be $36 Million.
It would seem from other sources that the final settlement was indeed for $36M plus the $9M for the lawyers. This is a little more than 20%.
You can get written info by calling 1800-558-5854.
I got 13 cents credited to my account
The news story [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml]
(thanks Phazar) says VISA overcollected $817M and MC $195.5M and that they "face refunds" of $740 and $60M. There is no explanation of the decrepancy between the former figures and the latter. There is also no mention of how much the lawyers will rake in. A third of the settlement would be $400M.
The proposed settlement, undated but evidently sometime in 2000, [http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf] (Thanks Russell) was for $18 Million plus $9.25 for the lawyers. It then mentions that the total "benefit" would be $36 Million.
It would seem from other sources that the final settlement was indeed for $36M plus the $9M for the lawyers. This is a little more than 20%.
You can get written info by calling 1800-558-5854.
I got 13 cents credited to my account
The news story [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/09/national/printable548446.shtml]
(thanks Phazar) says VISA overcollected $817M and MC $195.5M and that they "face refunds" of $740 and $60M. There is no explanation of the decrepancy between the former figures and the latter. There is also no mention of how much the lawyers will rake in. A third of the settlement would be $400M.
The proposed settlement, undated but evidently sometime in 2000, [http://www.strangeandcarpenter.com/pdf/citibank.pdf] (Thanks Russell) was for $18 Million plus $9.25 for the lawyers. It then mentions that the total "benefit" would be $36 Million.
It would seem from other sources that the final settlement was indeed for $36M plus the $9M for the lawyers. This is a little more than 20%.
You can get written info by calling 1800-558-5854.
I got 13 cents credited to my account
Oh my god... is someone going to sue I Fought The Law for overcollecting that last comment by 400%? Are 5,000 people going to get awarded one-half of a letter as compensation?
Hail to the attorneys for a job well done. We need attorneys who are willing to fight these corporations who think that they are above the law. And after all don't attorneys need to eat?
They were robably underpaid for theservice they did for humanity. keeping the "Big Guys" in toe.
They have my vote on this issue.
I have not used my credit card in 5 years. I got a huge 35 cent credit on my zero balance. Now the statement shows a new balance of negative $0.35
I Think that I will take that cruise to the Bahamas with it. Of course, I'll have to charge it on my card so I can use up that credit balance.
YeeeeeHaw!!!!!!
Betty
P.S. It is ridiculous that the lawyers didn't have to contact folk for opt in or opt out consent and for whether we preferred donation to charity rather than checks and credit balances for amounts of money that won't even buy us half of a soda pop. I resent being included in a class action suit that I never opted into and didn't get an opportunity to opt out of. None of this gives any of us a break on the high interest rates; might even make it worse.
I am completely lost. I received a check from citibank for $.05. I am confused because a few years ago I had this credit card that I thought was so great to have for college. Turns out when you screw up a little bit, and the account charges off, you owe a collection agency. What does this mean for me? I have $.05 cents to pay on an account that charged me so many late fees/overlimit fees I couldn't pay it anymore? Thanks for the refund, i guess I will send it to the collection agency?
I guess I should be happy with my $3.67. Woo hoo!
Glad to hear of your various small checks.
I received a check for $771.65. This is the delayed fruit of leading a disorderly life, being late more often than not. And at the right time, too.
Don't forget to include your settlement on your income tax....It's THE LAW...!!!
The guy that posted "Schwartz fund- is it legit?" is a moron. Not everyone recived a check; some of us got direct credit on our monthly statements.
I wonder why some people got checks and some had their accounts credited. My $0.59 was credited to my account, but now I'm kind of envious of the people who got checks. Like someone mentioned, it would make a good conversation piece.
Perhaps it's because I live in Japan and it would have cost them more than $0.59 to mail it to me!
The $0.69 that I was credited on my AT&T Universal account must be from a $35.00 fee that they charged me on a $15.00 bill that they said was one day late. I guess it's the lawyers who get the other $34.31.
Thanks to all of you for clearing this puzzle up (or you sort of did!). I got $7.80 on my credit card, and like others, could not figure out why the account did not balance. I thought that I was the "high roller" at $7.80 until I saw that davidanshus got $771.65. I guess I'll just have to be first runner up.
Thanks for hosting this website. It fixed my curiosity regarding my 2 checks: $.06 & .49
I received my check for .21 cents, Didn't have a clue since I have never had a connection with Citibank. I wish they would have made it for 37 cents, I then could have purchased a stamp and written a letter to find out.
No fair! You got your refunds a lot faster than I did! I could have used my .23 to help with holiday expenses.
I got a check for "Zero dollars and .30 cents" --
.30 cents would be $.003 right? thats 3/100 of one cent... (yet the amount field shows **$0.30**)
Let's see now. .03 cents compounded daily at .000001% for 20 years, and I might get up to one cent someday. Then I will give my one cent to charity in the name of Citibank - the most generous bank in the world.
I got .03 cents! I'll bet the IRS gets notified that I am .o3 cents richer and audits me next year!
I got a check for 57 cents in the mail. Now, if I mail the check in to my bank to have it deposited, that's 57 cents minus the 37 cents postage and the 3 cent envelope, for a gross profit of 17 cents. HAHAHAHAHA!!! I'm RICH!!!
I sure hope my $0.57 doesn't bump me up into the next tax bracket...
Well, I am in the worst side of this, I am being sued for the amount due, as I become disabled and the insurance company was sending the payment late and then Citi was posting late, so I think they have about $4900.00 of late fees that were also charged a finace charge on. Woe is me now trying to get info on my account that no one is willing to provide. I too got a check, I think it was in the amount of $.03. Anyone out there have the insurance company do the same, or cancel your disability insurance. Also, the lawyers sueing me are not willing to take the time to call and have the info sent to me - they are using their legal prowess to intimidate me and make me look like I am a welcher, which I am not and made payments on this account until it was sold out to another company who never sent me a statement just an attorney.
I actually got $200 from a Toshiba class-action when nothing was wrong with my laptop. After all the excitement, I was then awarded fifteen cents in a credit card case. Now I'm part of the Bar/Bri suit. After paying $2500 for it, and not passing the first time, I'm hoping for the best.