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Esoteric U.S. laws can be a pain sometimes—what other country makes it a federal crime to write a check for less than $1? But they can also work in our favor, like that $25 check T-Mobile is legally obligated to send me as part of a class-action settlement for carelessly handling my data in violation of the law.
If you were involved with any of the companies below when they messed up, make sure you submit your own claim before the deadline passes this month, and ensure a check—worth more than $1—will be on its way to you soon.
Celsius drinks advertising falsehoods—Feb. 13 deadline
If you bought any of the following Celsius drinks or powders between Jan. 1, 2015 and Nov. 23, 2022, you are eligible to take part in this $7.4 million class action settlement:
CelsiusCelsius BCAA+ EnergyCelsius HeatCelsius Live FitCelsius On-the-Go Powdered DrinksCelsius With SteviaFlo Fusion Powdered DrinksThe Hezi v. Celsius Holdings, Inc lawsuit alleges Celsius falsely advertised the listed liquid and powdered drinks were produced with no preservatives. Citric acid, a preservative, was found in the drinks. If you purchased cans during the dates above, you’re entitled to $1 per can and $5 per 14-pack package of Flo Fusion powder. You can claim a max of $250 if you provide receipts with your claim. Without a receipt, the cap goes down to $20.
Submit your claim form electronically by Feb. 13, 2023 here. If filing by mail, your submission must be postmarked by Feb. 13, 2023. The hearing for the settlement is on March 31, and you can expect the payments to be sent after that date.
American Airlines charging for free checked bags–Feb. 22 deadline
If you flew with American Airlines and checked a bag for flights purchased between Feb. 24, 2017 and April 9, 2020, you may qualify for a slice of a $7.5 million settlement if any one of these is true:
You received an email confirmation for one or more free checked bags.You had an American Airlines Citi credit card, which should’ve entitled you to one free checked bag per flight.You have an American Airlines branded Barclay’s credit card, which should’ve also granted you one free checked bag per flight.G/O Media may get a commission
If you qualify, you can submit a claim against the $7.5 million settlement fund. You will receive a full refund for your checked bag fees, ranging from $30 to $200 for four or more bags. You can file your claim here. American Airlines will use your information to verify whether you qualify for the settlement, so you don’t need a proof of purchase to submit the claim.
The settlement’s final hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 5, 2023. You can expect the payments to be sent afterward.
Avis and Budget charging hidden fees—Feb. 28 deadline
If you rented a car with Avis or Budget between 2007 and 2015, you might be eligible for the $45 million settlement the companies have been ordered to pay out. The companies are being accused of not communicating hidden fees to customers when they used the “e-Toll” electronic toll payment system, and therefore, breaking their rental agreement and violating fee disclosure laws.
To be eligible, you must:
Be a U.S. resident.Have rented a car from Avis or Budget between April 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2015 (or had transactions in Florida, Texas, and Colorado, between March 2, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2015).Paid e-Toll charges associated with the e-Toll electronic toll payment system.Not have received a refund for any portion of the rental transaction directly from the rental company.Not have had the charges paid directly by a third party.If you meet these requirements, here’s how much you’ll receive based on the number of rentals :
1 rental transaction; average settlement will be $9.362 rental transactions, average settlement will be $18.133 rental transactions, average settlement will be $24.894 rental transactions, average settlement will be $31.585 rental transactions, average settlement will be $38.136 rental transactions, average settlement will be $44.617 rental transactions, average settlement will be $46.07To submit your claim, start here. The court has a hearing on Feb. 23 to decide if the settlement will be approved. If it is, payments will be sent out shortly thereafter. You can find more information about the settlement in their FAQ page.
Salmon companies artificially inflating the price of salmon—Feb. 17 deadline
If you indirectly purchased (that is, purchased from a store and not directly from the manufacturer) farm-raised salmon or salmon product in any of the following states between April 10, 2013, and Nov. 17, 2022, you qualify for a $33 million class action settlement:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia or Wisconsin.
The class action lawsuit alleges six different salmon companies conspired to raise and fix the price of farm-raised salmon by creating a new price index they then manipulated to artificially increase the prices for Atlantic salmon. There is no payout estimate at this time, but class members who paid larger sums for the products will receive larger portions of the settlement. The final approval hearing for the salmon settlement will be Feb. 24, 2023.
To file your claim, fill out this form. You may be asked to provide some proof of purchase, but maybe not—those decisions will be made at later hearings.
