Anne Bucher  |  July 19, 2016

Category: Consumer News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

McAfee class action lawsuitMcAfee Inc. has reportedly agreed to pay $80 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging it automatically renewed customers’ security software subscriptions at a higher price than promised.

Last week, plaintiffs Sam Williamson and Samantha Kirby asked a federal judge to preliminarily approve the proposed McAfee class action settlement, which would offer payment to qualified Class Members and implement important policy changes.

According to the McAfee auto renewal settlement documents, McAfee will change its policy regarding the past product price it lists as a current discount it’s offering.

The security software maker has agreed to only list a past price it has actually charged customers in the last 45 days.

The plaintiffs have asked a judge to certify two Classes: an Auto-Renewal Class and a Reference Price Class.

The proposed Auto-Renewal Class would include consumers in the United States who paid for the automatic renewal for McAfee software between Jan. 10, 2010 and Feb. 10, 2015, and whose first auto-renewal charge was greater than the price paid for the initial subscription license.

The proposed Reference Price Class would include consumers in the United States who initially purchased or manually renewed through McAfee a subscription license for McAfee software from Jan. 10, 2010 to Feb. 10, 2015 at a discounted price.

Under the terms of the proposed McAfee class action settlement, Class Members in the Auto-Renewal Class will be eligible to receive a payment of $11.50, in the form of cash or a McAfee value certificate.

The plaintiffs state that this $11.50 amount represents about half of the overcharge that McAfee allegedly assessed on automatic renewals.

Williamson first filed the McAfee class action lawsuit in January 2014, claiming that McAfee automatically enrolls consumers who purchase a one-year subscription to McAfee software in the automatic renewal program, and charges the consumer’s credit card on file. The automatic renewals occur each year, as long as the consumer remains enrolled in the auto-renewal program.

Although McAfee represents to consumers that their auto-renewal payment will not be more than the normal, then-current price, McAfee actually charges auto-renewal customers more than it charges other customers for the same products, Williamson alleges in the McAfee auto renewal class action lawsuit.

In July 2015, the parties notified the court that they were nearing a settlement and asked the judge to stay proceedings until the class action settlement documents were filed.

A preliminary approval hearing has reportedly been scheduled for Aug. 18.

Instructions on how to file a claim for the McAfee auto renewal class action settlement were not immediately available. Keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter for the latest updates. You can also “Follow” this case by using your free Top Class Actions account to receive notifications when this article is updated.

The consumers are represented by Michael W. Sobol and Roger N. Heller of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP; Daniel M. Hattis of Hattis Law and Tina Wolfson, Robert Ahdoot and Theodore W. Maya of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC.

The McAfee Automatic Renewal Pricing Class Action Lawsuit is Sam Williamson, et al. v. McAfee Inc., Case No. 5:14-cv-00158, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

UPDATE: The McAfee automatic renewal pricing class action settlement is now open! Click here to file a claim. 

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


 

15 thoughts onMcAfee Reaches $80M Auto Renewal Pricing Class Action Settlement

  1. Elizabeth Howard says:

    I’ve completed the class action form 11/2016, emailed and sent a letter dated 2/24/2017 to no avail. I’ve not received anything. Please advise?

  2. Patrick and Laurie Pagliocchini Sr. says:

    You ripped me off for years . That’s a very unpleasent thing to have to deal with being Grandparents, on a fixed income raising 3 Grandchildren. Patrick and Laurie Pagliocchini . Yeah thanks for being there…. to take my money every month ,but making it so hard to get it back.We’ve never been the kind to beg , but what you did or let someone was wrong and I don’t want your 11.50 lol ! That is just adding salt to the wound. You want to pay me pay me fair and square . Nothing more nothing less. I don’t know what happened with your company to make this happen?, but 11.50 come on. God don’t like ugly so we wish you nothing but blessing’s in the future. Sincerly , Pat & Laurie

  3. Laura Boeve says:

    I got a postcard that says I can apply my $11.50 award to the purchase of their products! I thought it was a scam because I’m not a subscriber and all their products are subscriptions. Shouldn’t they just cut us a check????

  4. kj says:

    I have auto renewal and never received a notification of a class action suit. Now I’m upset, since I can’t sign up to it.

  5. Willie Burleson says:

    I have used McAfee and auto renewal for many Years.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.