(NEXSTAR) – Eligible Verizon customers – current and former – have just a couple weeks left to claim a piece of the $100 million class action settlement fund.
Affected users to get up to $100 each if they file a valid claim by April 15.
The lawsuit alleges Verizon customers were hit with an administrative charge as part of a “deceptive scheme.” Verizon denies any wrongdoing, but has agreed to the payout.
All Verizon customers in the U.S. who “received postpaid wireless or data services from Verizon and who were charged and paid an Administrative Charge and/or an Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge between January 1, 2016 and November 8, 2023″ qualify for a portion of the $100 million fund.
“Postpaid” phone plans are the opposite of prepaid plans. With postpaid plans, you sign a contract with a phone provider, and then you’re billed monthly based on your usage.
Affected customers should have also gotten a notice alerting them of the settlement. If you received a notice, you can use the “notice ID” and confirmation code provided to file a claim online.
People who didn’t receive a settlement notice but believe they are eligible can also file online by entering their Verizon account number and last name.
How much each claimant gets ultimately depends on how many people file claims and how long each person was a Verizon customers. The minimum payment is expected to be around $15, and the maximum is $100 per person.
Once the settlement is approved and final, payments will be sent by check or electronic payment. When that happens is still up in the air. Large settlements can face objections and appeals that extend the process.
Verizon plans to keep charging the administrative fee in question, but has agreed to amend its customer agreement to better disclose it, according to the settlement.