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Millions of dollars in the groundbreaking Arco debit card settlement went unclaimed by Class Members who were charged an unexpected $0.35 fee at gas pumps in Oregon between 2011 and 2013.
Arco, along with BP, was accused of hiding a debit card fee in violation of state law in a class action lawsuit. The complaint alleged that Arco gas stations advertised a certain “cash price” outside at the gas pumps, then slapped consumers with a fee when they went inside to pay.
An Oregon jury found the gas companies had crossed Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act and hit the companies with a $409 million verdict in 2014. BP submitted several appeals to the massive verdict and ultimately the parties agreed to settle.
Class Members started seeing the first of two Arco debit card settlement checks in 2020. The first check was for $91.94 and the next one is expected to be the same.
However, the company in charge of locating Class Members using debit card transaction records reported that it could only find 1.7 million of them. Fortunately, for consumer advocates, the remaining settlement fund will not revert back to the defendants.
Under a 2015 state law, settlement funds in the state of Oregon cannot go back to defendants in the class action lawsuit. In fact, the 2015 law was prompted by this very case, according to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.
“This new law prevents these funds from being returned to the wrongdoing multinational corporation,” Rosenblum said in an emailed statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “Instead, they will remain here and do more general good for consumers in Oregon.”
Where will the remaining Arco debit card settlement funds go?
Reportedly, the remaining $66 million will be split amongst public interest groups, including a legal aid fund for those who cannot afford legal services and a consumer watchdog group, Oregon Consumer Justice.
The University of Oregon also recently announced that it had secured funds for consumer protection research – a minimum of $3 million that will be doled out to researchers over 10 years.
Did you get an Arco debit card settlement check? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
The plaintiffs are represented by David F. Sugerman of David F. Sugerman Attorney PC and Tim Alan Quenelle of Tim Quenelle PC.
The Arco, AmPm Debit Card Fee Class Action Lawsuit is Steven Scharfstein v. BP West Coast Products LLC, Case No. 1112-17046, in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, County of Multnomah.
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47 thoughts on$66 Million Unclaimed in Arco Debit Card Fees Class ActionSettlement
I received a check ehen i czme back from my country. It expired. I have not received a replcament. I did not get the first one either
People, there is an email on that page. If you just email them they will get it.
Please send email address as I also wasn’t able to cash the check due to Covid-19 travel
thanks
Tom
They made all the checks valid only 180 days and they kept all the left over millions of dollars if I was wronged and somebody won money on my behalf you owe me my money period the attorney David sugerman negotiated the settlement this way gotta make a profit somehow his number 503 2286474
What is the page you are talking about?
There is no email address on the letter they sent me, just a disconnected phone number and a website that’s no longer working.
David sugerman is the attorney that negotiated the settlement only be available to us for 180days then it goes to them to do with as they see fit
Add me please . I sent a letter because I just changed my address – I only received the post card telling me it would arrive. It did not.
Same here
I received first payment in 2019, but did NOT move and did NOT receive 2nd check as promised in 2020. Curious as to what happened??
I just found my check issued on 7/31/2020 and was void after 180 days. I’m trying to have the check reissued but the settlement administrator (Scharfstein V BP WCP LLC) seems to have disappeared. Their phone number is disconnected and their website doesn’t exist. Can anyone help?
Add me please. Never received a check in the first place. They could of just returned it to the cards they have on file
They charge $3 to use credit card. Add my name
Add me please
Please Add Me
Add me please
please add me. i was told mine was in mail again because i did not have a bank account and had to have check changed. i did not rec 1 or 2. i could not cash anywhere but bank.
add me