Americans to get one-time payment from $1.6 million ‘moving’ settlement – but you need a phone call to claim

AMERICANS have the opportunity to claim hundreds of dollars after a moving company recorded consumer phone calls without consent.

1-800-PACK-RAT denied any wrongdoing but agreed to a $1.6 million settlement .

1-800-PACK-RAT

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1-800-PACK-RAT violated California laws that prohibit recording telephone calls without consent.

California is a two-party consent state, meaning all parties must consent to call recording.

The moving company has denied the claims and that it violated the law in any way.

Still, the company agreed to settle the dispute to address consumer complaints and further litigation.

Those who were residing in California and received a call from 1-800-PACK-RAT’s customer service department might be eligible for settlement money.

If California residents received a call from the company anytime between September 27, 2021, through October 10, 2022, they may be entitled to money from the class action settlement.

1-800-PACK-RAT is a moving container company that delivers, picks up, and stores consumer storage containers.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

From the settlement, class members can receive around $100 per qualified call.

Claimants who provide their tax identification number can receive payments of more than $600.

However, claimants who do not provide this information may be limited to $600 maximum payments.

Those who do not file a claim form by August 7, 2024, will not receive a settlement payment.

Those who do not want to participate in the settlement must send an opt-out letter requesting exclusion postmarked no later than August 7, 2024.

If you fail to do so, you will be bound by the settlement.

Eligible members who do nothing will not receive any payment and will be bound by the terms of the settlement.

What's a class-action settlement?

Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court.

These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.

When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.

Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.

These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.

Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.

The average settlement amount in 2023 was $47.3 million, according to a study by Cornerstone Research .

Cornerstone Research is a consulting firm that provides financial analysis and expert testimony in all phases of commercial litigation and regulatory proceedings.

They estimated that the average settlement amount was a 25% increase from 2022.

The median settlement amount in 2023 reached the highest level since 2010.

Meanwhile, Americans who bought from prominent seafood companies could get free money soon as part of a settlement deal.

And Americans might be eligible to receive a huge payout from a data breach settlement.