If you are a Verizon customer, you may be entitled to a portion of a $100 million Verizon settlement that has been proposed to end a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit, which was brought in New Jersey, claims that Verizon charged some of its monthly plan customers hidden administration fees in an “unfair and deceptive way.”
The Verizon settlement covers the charges that were applied to customers from January 1, 2016, to November 8, 2023, and those who were affected have until this spring to file a claim.
What is a class action lawsuit, and how does it affect the Verizon settlement?
A class action lawsuit is a legal action where one or more people sue on behalf of themselves and others who have similar claims. When a class action lawsuit is approved, every member of the class gets a share of the settlement, unless they choose to opt out of the group.
What to know about the Verizon class action lawsuit
In this case, the plaintiffs and Verizon have agreed to a settlement to resolve the lawsuit.
Verizon has not admitted any wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement. The settlement class and Verizon do not make any statement that Verizon is responsible or that the claims and defenses in this case have any validity.
Those who join the lawsuit cannot sue Verizon over the same issue in the future.
Verizon will keep charging the administrative charge in question, according to the Verizon settlement website, and argues that it has the right to raise the charge.
“Verizon will update its Customer Agreement to include revised Administrative Charge Disclosures as part of this Verizon settlement,” the settlement agreement on the website says.
“Verizon clearly identifies and describes its wireless consumer Admin Charge multiple times during the sales transaction, as well as in its marketing, contracts, and billing,” Verizon spokesperson Rich Young told USA TODAY. “This charge helps our company recover certain regulatory compliance and network-related costs.”
Who qualifies for the Verizon settlement, and how much can they get?
Current and former customers with wireless or data services who were charged administrative charges from January 1, 2016, to November 8, 2023, are eligible for the Verizon settlement.
Each eligible customer will qualify for up to $100 each. The final amount each customer will get depends on how long they’ve been a customer.
How to Get Your Verizon Settlement Payment
Those who qualify will either get a letter in the mail or an email with instructions on how to get paid.
Eligible customers must file a claim by April 15, 2024, to receive a Verizon settlement payment.
If you do nothing, you will not get any Verizon settlement payment. You must file a claim by April 15, 2024, to get a payment.
Those who don’t file a claim will lose any rights to sue Verizon over these issues and will also be legally bound by all orders and judgments the court makes in the lawsuit.
How to Opt Out of the Verizon Settlement and the Class Action Lawsuit
If you’d like to opt out of the Verizon settlement and the lawsuit, you must mail a signed request for exclusion to: Verizon Administrative Charge Settlement Administrator, Attn: Exclusions, P.O. Box 58220, Philadelphia, PA 19102, by February 20, 2024. The request must include your name, address, telephone number, and the statement, “I request to be excluded from the Verizon settlement and lawsuit.”