[Bullshit Detector Calibration] Vonage Class-Action Suit

[navkat]

Sorting through my emails, I received the following email from SettlementVonage@services.vonage.com:

This email was sent from an email address that does not accept replies.

LEGAL NOTICE

Important Notice from the United States District Court
For the District of New Jersey about a Class Action Settlement.

A Class Action Settlement Could Affect Your Rights if you became a Vonage customer in the United States, its territories or possessions on or before January 3, 2011, who (1) signed up under a one-or two-month free service promotion, (2) canceled service within ten days of the expiration of your money back guarantee promotion, (3) were charged a disconnection fee, and/or (4) requested cancellation but were thereafter charged regular monthly service fees for service that you did not use after the cancellation request.

A proposed Settlement has been reached in a class action alleging that the above-described promotional offers made periodically by Vonage, or fees associated with termination or cancellation of your Vonage service, were unlawful. The Settlement resolves several claims that challenge Vonage's promotional offers and account cancellation practices. Vonage strongly denies any wrongdoing, but has agreed to settle to avoid the burden and cost of further litigation. The sole purpose of this notice is to inform you of the Settlement so that you may decide what to do.

If the Settlement is approved, a settlement fund of $4,750,000 in cash will be created. Class Members who submit Claim Forms may receive monetary benefits between ten ($10) and eighty ($80) dollars per claim depending on the type of claim and establishment of eligibility. Please visit www.SettlementVonage.com for details. You may also choose to exclude yourself from, or object to, the Settlement. The Court has appointed attorneys to represent the Class. You may hire your own attorney, but only at your own expense.

Please note that maximum benefits may be pro-rated and that different promotions were available at different points of time, so you may not have signed up when a particular promotion was in effect.

For a full description of the Settlement, related Court documents, and deadlines and forms, please visit www.SettlementVonage.com.
•   Claim Forms are due within sixty (60) days of final approval, which may be as early as July 9, 2011.
•   Requests to exclude yourself from the Settlement must be submitted to the Settlement Administrator and must be post-marked on or before April 19, 2011.
•   You have the right to appear before the Court and object to the Settlement and/or the application for attorneys' fees and expenses. Any objections must be sent to the Court, Class Counsel and Vonage's Counsel by April 29, 2011.
•   The Court will determine whether to approve the Settlement at a Final Approval Hearing at 10:00 AM on May 10, 2011 at Courtroom 5E, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 402 East State Street, Room 5050, Trenton, New Jersey.
•   If you do not exclude yourself by April 19, 2011 and you are a Class Member, you will be bound by the terms of the Settlement and give up your rights to sue in court or arbitration regarding issues in the case.

For further information and a Claim Form:

Visit: www.SettlementVonage.com                    Call: 1-877-810-7292

Write: Vonage MDL Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 6809
Portland, OR 97228-6809

www.SettlementVonage.com


VONAGE - 23 Main Street - Holmdel, NJ 07733

This email was sent from an email address that does not accept replies.

© 2011, Vonage. All Rights Reserved.

I'm a former customer who fits into the tried-to-cancel-my-service-and-they-wouldn't-let-me/kept-charging-me category.

I immediately got a funny feeeeeeeling that since this was sent out to Vonage customers by Vonage themselves, filling out a claim form through this channel is an agreement WITH VONAGE and exempts me from any benefits of the actual class-action award.

I've done my googling and can't find any current sources with regards to this particular suit. Now I'm really spooked. Lots of people buzzing about getting the same email on forums--nothing from any official source about steps/requirements for inclusion in the suit or even about the suit itself beyond 2007.

Am I being too suspicious here? The email itself says I may be entitled to up to eighty bucks--but following the links to the claim form tops out at like $50 so right there, that's a little weird.

This is a lot of thought over a measly free $50 or $80, but I'd like to know for certain before I agree to void my right to complain in the future. It's the principle of the thing, dammit!

You're smartest bunch of anti-establishment fags I know. Thought I'd run it up the macaroni flagpole and see.

[Requia ☣]

I immediately got a funny feeeeeeeling that since this was sent out to Vonage customers by Vonage themselves, filling out a claim form through this channel is an agreement WITH VONAGE and exempts me from any benefits of the actual class-action award.

The website cert goes to Epiq Class Action and Claims Services (based in Oregon), not Vonage, the "Vonage MDL Settlement Administrator" goes to Oregon as well.

As far as giving up your rights go, if you opt out of the suit and don't *immediately* file your own suit the judge will probably toss it out 6 months down the road (they tend to not like delayed court cases unless you have a very good reason).

The one thing that springs to mind is that this might be a fishing setup, but they don't seem to be asking for any critical information.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

I got one of these about AT&T only it was on paper and I was instructed to do nothing and if the lawsuit was won, they would distribute the money or whatever to whoever got a letter. I wouldn't respond.

But that's just like, my opinion man.

[navkat]

Oh, I know it's from Vonage because the sender's address is a vonage address.

The Epig Class Action Claims Services looks like a third-party handling firm that could easily be contracted by Vonage. That's my suspicion: that this "handling firm" is actually a legal service set up to convince Vonage customers to accept a smaller figure and sign a non-liability waiver.

It just doesn't seem on the up-and-up, especially in light of the fact that there doesn't seem to be news of an actual judgment or settlement anywhere.

[Bruno]

Oh, I know it's from Vonage because the sender's address is a vonage address.

The Epig Class Action Claims Services looks like a third-party handling firm that could easily be contracted by Vonage. That's my suspicion: that this "handling firm" is actually a legal service set up to convince Vonage customers to accept a smaller figure and sign a non-liability waiver.

It just doesn't seem on the up-and-up, especially in light of the fact that there doesn't seem to be news of an actual judgment or settlement anywhere.

Email addresses can be spoofed. Quite easily, IIRC.

[Suu]

That may be the only way to get part of the settlement. I had a similar issue with Skype. They're a corporation with money, you are not. You take what they give you or you get nothing. End of story.

[Suu]

Also, take into account how much you're actually eligible to receive, or how much money is in the account for the lawsuit. If they're paying off millions of customers, 50 bucks may be all they can give you. With Skype for example, I was eligible for what they owed me, which was $40, (the cause for the suit was the cancelling of credits after a certain period of time, and for people like me with a good chunk of cash on the account, we were NOT happy) and I was okay with that. I mean, why get greedy? You're not entitled to thousands because they billed you only a hundo extra.

[navkat]

Also, take into account how much you're actually eligible to receive, or how much money is in the account for the lawsuit. If they're paying off millions of customers, 50 bucks may be all they can give you. With Skype for example, I was eligible for what they owed me, which was $40, (the cause for the suit was the cancelling of credits after a certain period of time, and for people like me with a good chunk of cash on the account, we were NOT happy) and I was okay with that. I mean, why get greedy? You're not entitled to thousands because they billed you only a hundo extra.

They charged me a hundred extra and THEN, after I canceled my debit card and got a new one, they billed me for another $102 and send me fuckton of threatening emails and a couple of collections letters.

They're offering me $50 to STFU. Take it or leave it. Like you said: they have money so they win.

[Suu]

Also, take into account how much you're actually eligible to receive, or how much money is in the account for the lawsuit. If they're paying off millions of customers, 50 bucks may be all they can give you. With Skype for example, I was eligible for what they owed me, which was $40, (the cause for the suit was the cancelling of credits after a certain period of time, and for people like me with a good chunk of cash on the account, we were NOT happy) and I was okay with that. I mean, why get greedy? You're not entitled to thousands because they billed you only a hundo extra.

They charged me a hundred extra and THEN, after I canceled my debit card and got a new one, they billed me for another $102 and send me fuckton of threatening emails and a couple of collections letters.

They're offering me $50 to STFU. Take it or leave it. Like you said: they have money so they win.

Welcome to America™, now shut up and swallow.

[Richter]

NewsFeed

[Luna]

http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/987-vonage-class-action-lawsuit-settlement

Looks to me like it could very well be legit.

[Requia ☣]

Also, take into account how much you're actually eligible to receive, or how much money is in the account for the lawsuit. If they're paying off millions of customers, 50 bucks may be all they can give you. With Skype for example, I was eligible for what they owed me, which was $40, (the cause for the suit was the cancelling of credits after a certain period of time, and for people like me with a good chunk of cash on the account, we were NOT happy) and I was okay with that. I mean, why get greedy? You're not entitled to thousands because they billed you only a hundo extra.

They charged me a hundred extra and THEN, after I canceled my debit card and got a new one, they billed me for another $102 and send me fuckton of threatening emails and a couple of collections letters.

They're offering me $50 to STFU. Take it or leave it. Like you said: they have money so they win.

Normal class action results I'm afraid.

[navkat]

Right.

I don't really NEED the money and there's a part of me screaming "You can't buy me off! I'm not your fifty-dollar clown! I reserve the right to bitch--even if I never get around to suing your ass, you monkeys."

[Suu]

Right.

I don't really NEED the money and there's a part of me screaming "You can't buy me off! I'm not your fifty-dollar clown! I reserve the right to bitch--even if I never get around to suing your ass, you monkeys."

You're not getting it. Bitch all you want, send letters, pull your hair out...you're not. Either take the $50, or sit and brood, it's your decision.

[navkat]

Right.

I don't really NEED the money and there's a part of me screaming "You can't buy me off! I'm not your fifty-dollar clown! I reserve the right to bitch--even if I never get around to suing your ass, you monkeys."

You're not getting it. Bitch all you want, send letters, pull your hair out...you're not. Either take the $50, or sit and brood, it's your decision.

No, I get it. It's futile. I get it.

The point is, I still don't like it.