Amway Gift Card Class Action Settlement

A class action lawsuit settlement against Amway Corporation and its related companies Quixtar, Inc. and Alticor, Inc. has been approved, allowing consumers to redeem $20 million worth of expired gift cards.

According to the Amway class action lawsuit, entitled Adell v. Quixtar, Inc. et al., Amway, Quixtar and Alticor sold and marketed gift cards that contained a notation instructing consumers to “redeem before” a certain date, which plaintiffs contend violates numerous state laws prohibiting or restricting the expiration of gift cards. As a result of this improper placement of a “redeem before” date, many consumers believed their gift cards had expired and either disposed of them or never redeemed them for merchandise.

“Amway received millions of dollars from consumers for gift cards that were never redeemed and that contained ‘redeem before’ dates that have passed,” said an attorney from the class counsel. “In California and many other states, laws designed to protect consumers make it illegal for gift cards to contain any expiration date.

The Amway gift cards were sold through a sales force of Independent Business Owners, which marketed and sold various categories of “Ribbon Gift Cards” throughout the United States. As a result of the Amway gift card settlement, consumers who purchased these cards will soon be able to redeem or replace more than $20 million worth of expired gift cards. Class action settlement notices of the gift card settlement will be sent out by April 10, 2011. Consumers will have until June 20, 2011 to obtain a new card.

Additional class action settlement benefits to consumers include:

* The opportunity to redeem expired gift cards or exchange gift cards for new cards that do not have expiration dates.

* The ability to receive new gift cards if they discarded expired gift cards.

* Amway will stop using the words “redeem before” preceding dates on gift cards or any language that specifies a particular date or time period which redemption must occur.

* Amway will make a $200,000 product donation to a charitable organization.

You can find more information about your rights in the Amway Gift Card Class Action Lawsuit Settlement by visiting www.giftcardsettlement.com.