You may be eligible to claim part of a $100 million class-action settlement if you are or were a Verizon post-paid customer and were charged a monthly administrative fee — but you must act fast.
Claims must be filed by April 15 to receive payment from the settlement, Verizon said. The settlement follows a class-action lawsuit filed by Verizon's post-paid wireless service customers that charged an “unfair and not adequately disclosed” monthly administrative charge. Verizon denies that it did anything wrong and that the suit lacks merit but has agreed to the proposed $100 million settlement to resolve the suit.
Here's what to know:
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Are you eligible for a payment?
If you were a Verizon post-paid subscriber and were charged a monthly administrative fee between January 1, 2016 and November 8, 2023, you are eligible to receive a part of the settlement, according to the settlement website.
Likewise, if you received a notice about the settlement, you are in the settlement class according to Verizon's records and can submit a claim.
How much could you be paid?
If you are an eligible customer, you will receive at least $15 and up to $100, depending on how long you were a Verizon customer and the number of other settlement class members, according to the settlement website.
You will initially receive a minimum of $15, with an additional $1 for each month you were a Verizon subscriber and were charged an administration fee between January 1, 2016 and the date of the settlement agreement.
How do you apply for payment?
To recap: If you are eligible to receive a payment, you must file a claim by April 15.
You can submit a claim here. To submit a claim, you will need the Notice ID and confirmation code that was mailed or emailed to you.
How and when will you be paid?
Payments will be issued to valid claimants after the settlement is approved and becomes final, according to the settlement website. The payments will be sent by check or electronic payment.
What if you choose to do nothing, opt out or want to send comments?
If you choose to do nothing, you will not receive a payment and forfeit the right to sue Verizon about the issues.
If you want to be excluded from the settlement entirely, also known as opting out, you will need to mail a signed request for exclusion to the Verizon Administrative Charge Settlement Administrator by February 20. Details on this can be found on the FAQ page of the settlement website.
That page also provides details on how to object to the settlement or file comments on it. The deadline for objections and comments is February 26.
What happens next?
The Superior Court of the State of New Jersey will hold a Fairness Hearing on March 22 to consider whether the settlement should be approved. A date for approval or denial has not been provided.
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