SavvySugar

Starbucks Does Not Owe Its Baristas $105 Million - For Now

SavvySugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:42 -0700

More than a year after a California court ordered Starbucks to pay its baristas $105 million in back tips, the 4th District Court of Appeal has reversed the ruling. It all started when former barista Jou Chau filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the 100,000 current and former baristas in the state of California, arguing that Starbucks was acting unlawfully by permitting shift supervisors to share tips.

The appeals court concluded that Starbucks supervisors should receive their fair share of tips because they "essentially perform the same job as baristas." The baristas are taking the issue to the top and plan to submit an appeal to the California Supreme Court. David Lowe, the baristas' lawyer, brought the argument full circle and said, "Up to this point, every court that has addressed this issue has found that an employer cannot pay supervisors from a tip pool. This is the first case that goes in a different direction."

When the initial ruling was announced last March, 62 percent of you agreed that Starbucks was disobeying the law and owed its baristas for the tips they shared with supervisors. For now, Starbucks has been declared the winner, but we'll have to wait and see what happens with the baristas' appeal.

Source

Have You Participated in Class Action Settlements?

SavvySugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:30:50 -0700

It seems there's a class action lawsuit happening at any given moment. Recent cases involving credit reporting and cosmetics have shown that settlement terms from class action suits are favorable to the consumer, but have you ever made a claim to participate?

Source

Reminder: Claim Your Free Credit Monitoring Services

SavvySugar — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:00:34 -0700

TransUnion's class action case was settled at the beginning of Summer, and now that the season has come and gone, your chance to get free credit monitoring services is almost up, too. The settlement's terms include most consumers - if you had any open lines of credit (including credit cards and loans) from Jan. 1, 1987, until May 28, 2008, you are eligible to receive free 24-hour credit monitoring from TransUnion for either six or nine months.

You have until Sept. 24 to register for TransUnion's Basic or Enhanced service. For more information or to file a claim, visit the settlement's website or call 866-416-3470.

Cosmetics Class Action Suit: Free Products Up to $25

SavvySugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:04 -0700

In a matter of a few months, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Filene's, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue will be giving away $175 million in free cosmetics including makeup and fragrances. This isn't a gesture of generosity but the terms of a class action settlement.

According to The Boston Globe, the department stores and cosmetics companies "conspired to sell products at the manufacturers' suggested price only - never at a discount. It also alleged that special promotions were coordinated in a way that ensured there would be no competition among stores."

The giveaway is projected to begin in January 2009, and consumers can get up to $25 in free merchandise after signing a form stating they purchased products at the particular store between May 29, 1994 and July 16, 2003. No receipt or proof of purchase is necessary and you'll have to get your goods on a first-come, first-served basis. Find a list of product lines available in the giveaway and additional settlement details at the settlement's official website.

Will you be showing up to receive free stuff at the beauty counters?

Source

TransUnion Class Action Suit: Free Credit Monitoring Eligibility

SavvySugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:37:34 -0700

TransUnion, one of the three national credit bureaus, has settled a class action lawsuit with winning terms for credit holding consumers. If you had any open lines of credit from January 1, 1987 until May 28, 2008 you are eligible to receive free 24-hour credit monitoring from TransUnion for up to nine months. Find out what the free service includes and how to file a claim when you read more.

According to CNN, you can choose between TransUnion's Basic and Enhanced services. The Basic (valued at $59.75) comes with six months unlimited access to TransUnion credit reports and your TransUnion credit score, and with this option you're also eligible to receive cash from the settlement fund. The Enhanced (valued at $115.50) doesn't allow you to receive any cash payment, but it comes with nine months unlimited access and provides additional services like your insurance score and a mortgage simulator service.

While the vast majority of creditors rely on the FICO score and not the TransUnion credit score, it can't hurt to be updated on changes in your credit report. For more information or to file a claim, visit the settlement's website or call 866-416-3470.

Got Bling? De Beers Class Action Lawsuit

SavvySugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:04:21 -0800

If you've got some ice, you may have the opportunity to get a little more mileage out of it. De Beers, the company that essentially has a monopoly on the world’s supply of diamonds, has agreed to pay nearly $300 million due to a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging antitrust violations.

Who's eligible to get in on the class action? Your diamonds could have been purchased from any jewelry store in the country between January 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006 and you could be eligible to receive anywhere from 6 percent to 60 percent of the original purchase price. Keep in mind that this relates to diamonds bought in any form and from any location - that means De Beers' competitors.

The filing deadline is May 19, 2008. You can file a claim online and find more information at the settlement's website.

Source

Liar, Liar: Airborne Class Action Lawsuit

SavvySugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:16:51 -0800

Airborne was never particularly something I bought into, but that doesn't mean I've never tried it. Often recommended by stars and featured on popular talk shows, Airborne made its way into the bodies of people hoping it would do more for their immune systems than crossing their fingers. Turns out Airborne doesn't have any proof that its product does any good beyond a placebo effect, and the company has agreed to pay $23.3 million in a class action lawsuit for false advertising. Given the context, doesn't the guy in the blue suit on the box look like he's rolling his eyes at the product? If you want to know how can you get in on the vitamin-y action, just read more

If you purchased an Airborne product between May 1, 2001 and November 29, 2007 you can file a claim and will receive a refund for your purchase. Depending on how many people take the initiative to file, there's a chance your refund will be less than the full purchase price if the total claims amount to more than $23.3 million. What if you don't have proof of your purchase? The settlement website says: If you do not have a Proof of Purchase, you can still file a Proof of Claim for up to 6 boxes of Airborne Products. You will get a refund that is based on the average retail price of the Product: $10.50 per box of Seasonal, $2.75 per box for Gummi, and $6.99 per box for all other Airborne Products."

You can file your claim online at the Airborne Settlement website or send it by mail. If filed online, it must be submitted by September 15 and if you send it in the mail, it has to be postmarked by the same date.

Today Is the Last Day to File Your De Beers Class Action Claim

SavvySugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:34:00 -0700

Back in January of this year, De Beers agreed to pay $300 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the company of violating antitrust laws. If you purchased any diamonds (not necessarily from De Beers) between January 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006 than you're eligible to file a claim against the company. The filing deadline is today, May 19 - you can file a claim online and find more information at the settlement's website.

Source

Uh, Oh, More Trouble Brewing For Starbucks

SavvySugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:27:56 -0700

Starbucks must have smelled this one coming. After the ruling from a California court last week that Starbucks owes its CA baristas $105 million because it allowed supervisors to get a piece of tip jar action, now the New York Times is reporting that a similar suit in New York has just been filed.

One of the lawyers who brought the case to NY is trying to make it a class action on behalf of all the state's baristas. Meanwhile, the CA case is being appealed and CEO Howard Schulz deemed the ruling “extremely unfair and beyond reason.” A Manhattan barista interviewed by the Times said she's paid $10.03 an hour after working at Starbucks for three years, and a shift supervisor who has the same amount of time under her green apron makes $10.25 an hour.

Does it make sense that $0.22 more per hour and additional responsibilities disallows supervisors from partaking in the tip jar? The real issue is that the supervisors are considered management and the tip sharing offends state law, but these suits do seem slightly frivolous.

Source