STi Calling Card Class Action Settlement

Tentative approval has been given to an $8.4 million class action lawsuit settlement that could affect hundreds of thousands of people who bought STi prepaid calling cards from 2001 until the present. If you purchased an eligible calling card issued by any of these companies on or before July 13, 2010, you can claim a refund from the class action lawsuit settlement:

STI Phonecard, Inc.

Telco Group, Inc.

VOIP Enterprises, Inc.

STi Prepaid, LLC

[Note: Many of the eligible STi calling cards no not have the STi name on them, so check the list of eligible cards found on the Settlement Administrator Website carefully.]

The class action lawsuit alleges that both rechargeable and nonrechargeable STi cards did not provide the number of minutes advertised, and that voice prompts did not tell users making calls how many minutes they had left.  According to the class action lawsuit, STi created a “massive scheme to deceive and/or mislead customers” by not providing the promised minutes and “engaged in calculated silence” about certain rates and charges “because of the prospect of huge profits.”

The preliminary class action settlement will provide up to $1 million in future free or discounted minutes and up to $7.4 million in refunds to class members in the form of calling card Refund Personal Identification Numbers (“Refund PINS”). To receive these benefits, you must submit a valid claim form during the claims period of November 23, 2010 to May 22, 2011. There are two ways to submit a claim:

(1)   If you have your STi PIN: Download a Refund Form from the Settlement Administrator Website and submit it along with a PIN from an eligible calling card and a proof of purchase for the PIN. You can submit up to 25 PINs.

(2)   If you don’t have your STi PIN: Mail a sworn, written statement to the Claims Administrator that includes the information requested on the Detailed Class Action Settlement Notice.

The deadline to object or opt out of the class action settlement is October 15, 2010. All claim forms and instructions on how to file a valid claim with a proof of purchase and without a proof of purchase can be found at the Settlement Administrator Website.