Meredith Magazine Subscriber Privacy Class Action Settlement

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit that accuses magazine publisher Meredith Corporation of violating Michigan law by disclosing customers’ subscription information to third parties.

Michigan residents who purchased subscriptions to any of the following Meredith publications between Jan. 1, 2009 and Mar. 28, 2014 may be entitled to benefits from the magazine subscriber privacy settlement:

• Ageless Iron
• AllRecipes
• American Baby
• American Patchwork & Quilting
• Beautiful Homes
• Better Homes and Gardens
• Country Gardens
• Country Home
• Creative Home
• Decorating
• Diabetic Living
• Do It Yourself
• Eating Well
• Every Day with Rachael Ray (nka Rachael Ray Every Day)
• Family Circle
• FamilyFun
• Fitness
• Garden
• Deck & Landscape
• Garden Ideas
• Heart Healthy Living
• Ladies Home Journal
• Living the Country Life
• Midwest Living
• More
• Parents
• Ready Made
• Renovation Style
• Scrapbooks, etc.
• Ser Padres
• Successful Farming
• Traditional Home
• Wood

The Meredith magazine class action lawsuit was filed in March 2014 by plaintiff Deborah Kinder. Kinder alleges that Meredith’s business division compiles and disseminates mailing lists that contain subscribers’ information to third parties. The information contained in these mailing lists allegedly includes subscribers’ full names, titles of the magazines to which they subscribe, home addresses, and other information.

Kinder asserts that Meredith’s dissemination of subscriber information to third parties violates Michigan’s Video Rental Privacy Act, which prohibits companies from providing information, without permission, about a customer’s purchase if the record identifies the customer.

Meredith denies that it violated any law but agreed to settle the magazine subscriber class action lawsuit to avoid the expense and uncertainty of ongoing litigation. Meredith has agreed to create a settlement fund of $7.5 million to resolve the litigation.

UPDATE July 14, 2016: The settlement website has been updated stating that it is anticipated that funds will be distributed by the end of July 2016.  Keep checking back and let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our  Facebook page.

UPDATE 2: On July 29, 2016, Top Class Actions viewers who submitted timely and valid claims for the Meredith magazine settlement began receiving checks worth as much as $32.40!

Who’s Eligible

Class Members of the magazine subscriber privacy settlement include anyone who had a Michigan street address and purchased a subscription to a Meredith publication between Jan. 1, 2009 and Mar. 28, 2014.

Meredith Publications include: Ageless Iron, AllRecipes, American Baby, American Patchwork & Quilting, Beautiful Homes, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Gardens, Country Home, Creative Home, Decorating, Diabetic Living, Do It Yourself, Eating Well, Every Day with Rachael Ray (nka Rachael Ray Every Day), Family Circle, FamilyFun, Fitness, Garden, Deck & Landscape, Garden Ideas, Heart Healthy Living, Ladies Home Journal, Living the Country Life, Midwest Living, More, Parents, Ready Made, Renovation Style, Scrapbooks etc., Ser Padres, Successful Farming, Traditional Home, Wood.

Potential Award

$100 (estimated).

The amount each claimant receives from the class action settlement will depend on the total number of claims filed. Class Counsel estimates each Class Member who files a timely and valid Claim Form will receive a payment of $100.

Proof of Purchase

N/A. Class Members must assert, under the penalty of perjury, that all information provided in the Claim Form is true and correct.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

Claim Form Deadline

06/25/2016

Case Name

Kinder v. Meredith Corp., Case No. 1:14-cv-11284-TLL-CEB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Final Hearing

05/11/2016

Settlement Website

www.MeredithMagazineSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Magazine Subscriber Privacy Settlement
c/o KCC LLC
P.O. Box 30207
College Station, TX 77842-9916
1-877-369-4017
info@MeredithMagazineSettlement.com

Class Counsel

Jay Edelson
Ari J. Scharg
Benjamin S. Thomassen
EDELSON PC

Defense Counsel

Jacob Sommer
ZWILLGEN PLLC