Are You Part Of $336 Million Settlement ?

[steffi]

Well I suppose what I'm getting at is that BoA simply passes on that cost to the customer so if I'm being charged $5 per visa check card transaction that that's possibly part of this settlement?

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

The matter under discussion in this thread concerns undisclosed and/or miscalculated fees and interest charges on US Mastercard and Visa transactions made in foreign countries during a period of about 10 years. Those people who had a Visa/Mastercard during the relevant time period AND used it to make foreign transactions (purchases and cash advances) are eligible to receive a refund based on the dollar amount of their FOREIGN transactions during the time in question.

I don't think your BOA check charges would be eligible. It is specifically related to Visa/Master CREDIT CARD transactions.

[jonniebkk]

Well I suppose what I'm getting at is that BoA simply passes on that cost to the customer so if I'm being charged $5 per visa check card transaction that that's possibly part of this settlement?

Any illegal or improperly disclosed fees that were at issue in this litigation have long since been stopped (when the litigation was settled). Therefore, if you are currently being charged these fees, it is 99.99% likely they are legal and are not related to anything in this case. In addition, I believe the wrongful behavior at issue was done by the credit card networks (i.e., Visa and Mastercard) and not the individual issuing banks.

All the info is at the settlement website if you want further information: http://www.ccfsettlement.com/

If you are still feeling cheated and think the charges you mention are illegal, however, you may file your own lawsuit against BOA.

Edited May 21, 2008 by jonniebkk

[thaihome]

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

The matter under discussion in this thread concerns undisclosed and/or miscalculated fees and interest charges on US Mastercard and Visa transactions made in foreign countries during a period of about 10 years. Those people who had a Visa/Mastercard during the relevant time period AND used it to make foreign transactions (purchases and cash advances) are eligible to receive a refund based on the dollar amount of their FOREIGN transactions during the time in question.

I don't think your BOA check charges would be eligible. It is specifically related to Visa/Master CREDIT CARD transactions.

It also applies to debit cards . My claim is based on BofA debit card with Visa logo on it.

TH

The lawsuit is about the price cardholders of Visa-, MasterCard-, or Diners Club-branded payment cards were charged to make transactions in a foreign currency, or with a foreign merchant, between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006. Plaintiffs challenge how the prices of credit and debit/ATM card foreign transactions were set and disclosed, including claims that Visa, MasterCard, their member banks, and Diners Club conspired to set and conceal fees, typically of 1-3% of foreign transactions, and that Visa and MasterCard inflated their base exchange rates before applying these fees. The Defendants include Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, Bank of America, Bank One/First USA, Chase, Citibank, MBNA, HSBC/Household, and Washington Mutual/Providian.

[jonniebkk]

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

The matter under discussion in this thread concerns undisclosed and/or miscalculated fees and interest charges on US Mastercard and Visa transactions made in foreign countries during a period of about 10 years. Those people who had a Visa/Mastercard during the relevant time period AND used it to make foreign transactions (purchases and cash advances) are eligible to receive a refund based on the dollar amount of their FOREIGN transactions during the time in question.

I don't think your BOA check charges would be eligible. It is specifically related to Visa/Master CREDIT CARD transactions.

It also applies to debit cards . My claim is based on BofA debit card with Visa logo on it.

If you are a potential member of the settlement class (card holders eligible to take part in the settlement), you would have received a notice in the mail about 3-4 months ago informing you about the case and settlement terms and how to make a claim for a refund either by mail or electronically. If you did not receive such a notice, it's a good bet that you do not qualify for any money...sorry

[koheesti]

If you are a potential member of the settlement class (card holders eligible to take part in the settlement), you would have received a notice in the mail about 3-4 months ago informing you about the case and settlement terms and how to make a claim for a refund either by mail or electronically. If you did not receive such a notice, it's a good bet that you do not qualify for any money...sorry

http://www.ccfsettlement.com/faqs/#idQ18

--- I did not receive a notice. Does that mean I am not a member of the class?

Not necessarily. Any person who held a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States as of November 8, 2006 is a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class. Those persons who made a foreign transaction using a Visa-, MasterCard-, or Diners Club- branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006 are members of the Settlement Damages Class.

Edited May 21, 2008 by koheesti

[jfchandler]

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

Steffi, take a look at the web site for the litigation, which is cited here in this thread... It is very clear and informative...and you can file your claim entirely online there.

In general, yes, a BofA Debit/Check card would be eligible, if you meet the other criteria.. principally, that you had ANY foreign transations during the period 1996 to 2006 using a U.S. issued VISA, MasterCard or Diner's Club credit or debit card. Activities before and after those years are not eligible.

"Foreign transactions" for purposes of the litigation, are defined pretty broadly... They include, ATM cash withdrawals in foreign countries, credit card purchases made in foreign countries, debit/check card use in foreign countries, and also... purchases made from the U.S. involving a foreign entity, or purchases made in the U.S. involving a foreign currency. The web site details all this..you can see there...

[ttthailand]

I checked out the claim site but they ask for the last 4 numbers of your SSN, your account numbers, name etc. Can't someone use this info to take money out of your account or charge to your card. It sounds great and all but is it for real ? I lived in Thailand for the last 13 years and pulled out about $200,000.00 or more from ATMs and Credit cards. This would add up the thousands back. I question this. What do you think ???

[retirednavyman]

Hi Everyone,

I would like to share this good news to all our dear VISA forumers. I decide to post it here since there is a sizable of American , UK and other western expats live in TL or came here as a tourist.

This is a letter that I receive from U.S. Didtrict Court Settlement Administrator last week.

Quoted...."

Dear xxxxx xxxx,

We are writing on behalf of the U.S. District Court because you are eligible to receive a Court-approved refund of fees charged to your eligible cards, which are Visa, Master Card, and/or Diner Club credit, charged and/or debit/ATM cards. The fees were based on FOREIGN transactions, including both purchases and ATM withdrawals,

from February 1, 1996 to November 8, 2006.

Please read the enclosed Natice explaining the proposed $336 million settlement and all of your options under the settlement..."

Therefore, if anyone of you received your credit cards (from those co: mentioned above) in the U.S.A, and had done foreign transaction in the period from Feb. 1 to Nov. 8, 06. Go to www.ccfsettlement.com or telephone at 1-800-945-9890.

Good luck & MERRY CHRISTMAS

smells like a new scam...or is it an old one repeated??

have you any previous knowledge that any of your cards have been used here without your permission...if not then definite scam...probabaly want your card details etc to refund you

You might want to check out the website and see for yourself!

[retirednavyman]

They are also considering American Express (even though it wasn't listed on the www.ccfsettlement.com homepage) as part of this class action lawsuit, but that may take a awhile longer to unfold. Stay tuned............

[jonniebkk]

I checked out the claim site but they ask for the last 4 numbers of your SSN, your account numbers, name etc. Can't someone use this info to take money out of your account or charge to your card. It sounds great and all but is it for real ? I lived in Thailand for the last 13 years and pulled out about $200,000.00 or more from ATMs and Credit cards. This would add up the thousands back. I question this. What do you think ???

I would definitely encourage you not to apply for your refund because the amount of everyone's eventual refund amount depends on how many of the settlement class claimants actually submit a claim. The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! The credit card companies have agreed to fund a set amount in settlement of the lawsuit against them and this set amount will be divided amongst those who make a claim.

Let me also take this opportunity, in advance, to thank you for your kind generosity...I will definitely down another one in your honor when I receive my increased payout thanks to you

Edited May 21, 2008 by jonniebkk

[koheesti]

I checked out the claim site but they ask for the last 4 numbers of your SSN, your account numbers, name etc. Can't someone use this info to take money out of your account or charge to your card. It sounds great and all but is it for real ? I lived in Thailand for the last 13 years and pulled out about $200,000.00 or more from ATMs and Credit cards. This would add up the thousands back. I question this. What do you think ???

I would definitely encourage you not to apply for your refund because the amount of everyone's eventual refund amount depends on how many of the settlement class claimants actually submit a claim. The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! The credit card companies have agreed to fund a set amount in settlement of the lawsuit against them and this set amount will be divided amongst those who make a claim.

Let me also take this opportunity, in advance, to thank you for your kind generosity...I will definitely down another one in your honor when I receive my increased payout thanks to you

Great point, johnniebkk.

Mods, can we close and delete this thread now?

[Tinkelbell]

I checked out the claim site but they ask for the last 4 numbers of your SSN, your account numbers, name etc. Can't someone use this info to take money out of your account or charge to your card. It sounds great and all but is it for real ? I lived in Thailand for the last 13 years and pulled out about $200,000.00 or more from ATMs and Credit cards. This would add up the thousands back. I question this. What do you think ???

I would definitely encourage you not to apply for your refund because the amount of everyone's eventual refund amount depends on how many of the settlement class claimants actually submit a claim. The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! The credit card companies have agreed to fund a set amount in settlement of the lawsuit against them and this set amount will be divided amongst those who make a claim.

Let me also take this opportunity, in advance, to thank you for your kind generosity...I will definitely down another one in your honor when I receive my increased payout thanks to you

John,

I love your answer ......... " The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! ....."

It definitely goods for you and for those of us who had filed a claim.

[jonniebkk]

I checked out the claim site but they ask for the last 4 numbers of your SSN, your account numbers, name etc. Can't someone use this info to take money out of your account or charge to your card. It sounds great and all but is it for real ? I lived in Thailand for the last 13 years and pulled out about $200,000.00 or more from ATMs and Credit cards. This would add up the thousands back. I question this. What do you think ???

I would definitely encourage you not to apply for your refund because the amount of everyone's eventual refund amount depends on how many of the settlement class claimants actually submit a claim. The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! The credit card companies have agreed to fund a set amount in settlement of the lawsuit against them and this set amount will be divided amongst those who make a claim.

Let me also take this opportunity, in advance, to thank you for your kind generosity...I will definitely down another one in your honor when I receive my increased payout thanks to you

I love your answer ......... " The greater the number of people (like you) who fail to submit a claim the more there will be for the rest of us! ....."

It definitely goods for you and for those of us who had filed a claim.

I was in a feisty mood when I posted that so was being pretty sarcastic.

I can understand the posters concern giving out personal information like they request on the claim site and the potential to be a victim of some internet credit card or identity theft phishing scam. There is really no way to reply to his concern other than to assure him that the site IS real and set-up by the Court involved in this lawsuit to facilitate the submission of claims. This is actually quite commonplace these days in cases like this one where there are millions of possible people who have claims. It is just the legal system using the internet to conduct their business like all other businesses and government agencies these days.

The only assurance I can give is that I (nor anyone else) just didn't stumble upon this site while surfing the net or in reply to an anomous email link. I received official notice about the settlement by physical mail to my address here in Thailand (the same address of record for my credit card). The notice was all about the settlement and had an attached form to submit my claim by mail or by using their website. Fradulent sites would hardly go to the trouble, or even have the information to send me a mailing here in Thailand, to get me to some fraudulent website they had set-up to collect people's personal data.

In addition, just about all webbrowsers have built in anti-phishing filters built in these days. Firefox and IE7 both have them and they should be activated by the user. Mine are and of course, when I go to the claim site, the site is perfectly in the clear and NOT flagged as any kind of scam or personal information phishing site.

So if anyone thinks after reading the information on the site they are eligible for a part of the settlement monies, they should go ahead and put in their claim.

[sabaijai]

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

The matter under discussion in this thread concerns undisclosed and/or miscalculated fees and interest charges on US Mastercard and Visa transactions made in foreign countries during a period of about 10 years. Those people who had a Visa/Mastercard during the relevant time period AND used it to make foreign transactions (purchases and cash advances) are eligible to receive a refund based on the dollar amount of their FOREIGN transactions during the time in question.

I don't think your BOA check charges would be eligible. It is specifically related to Visa/Master CREDIT CARD transactions.

It also applies to debit cards . My claim is based on BofA debit card with Visa logo on it.

If you are a potential member of the settlement class (card holders eligible to take part in the settlement), you would have received a notice in the mail about 3-4 months ago informing you about the case and settlement terms and how to make a claim for a refund either by mail or electronically. If you did not receive such a notice, it's a good bet that you do not qualify for any money...sorry

Not so. Read from the website's FAQ:

#

I did not receive a notice. Does that mean I am not a member of the class?(top)

Not necessarily. Any person who held a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States as of November 8, 2006 is a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class. Those persons who made a foreign transaction using a Visa-, MasterCard-, or Diners Club- branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006 are members of the Settlement Damages Class.

#

Am I a member of the settlement class?(top)

Any person who held a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States as of November 8, 2006 is a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class. Those persons who made a foreign transaction using a Visa-, MasterCard-, or Diners Club- branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006 are members of the Settlement Damages Class.

#

I did not travel outside of the United States. Am I still eligible to file a claim?(top)

The answer depends on if you had any type of transaction covered by the settlement. For a description or eligible transaction click here.

[jonniebkk]

Am I elligible if Bank of America charges me $5 per ATM/check card transaction that I make in Thailand?

Well, I replied additionally that if, as sounds likely from sabaijai's question, that he is currently being charged these fees, then they are legal. Therefore, the settlement does not cover the type of $ 5 transaction fee he is asking about. Unless he used his BOA credit/debit card for overseas transactions during the relevant time period, he is not entitled to any recovery.

But in any case, people are free to read all the details at the site and to decide for themselves if they should submit a claim. Just do so soon as there are now less than 10 days to file one.

[jaideeguy]

Thanks for the reminder....months ago, I wrote myself a reminder on a post-it note and it got lost. I was waiting for the letter from my bank that never came, so I think that I'll go thru with it anyway as i've transfered several million baht by atm and over the counter transactions over the last 10+ yrs and was unaware of the padded transactions. gimme my share!!!

[jaideeguy]

I just filled out the form and guestimated the amounts and they wanted the last 4 digets of my ss#, which I gave and there was a field for my credit card # that was not required, but they wanted to know the issuing bank. has me wondering, How are they going to trace the card and expenditures without the [optional] credit card #??

Hope it's legit!!

[jfchandler]

For either option #2 or option #3...you have to provide at least some credit card information in order to submit a valid claim...

For the middle option, you just need to provide ONE full credit card number to provide proof you had an eligible account during the period involved. Then you just also provide the number of days you were traveling/staying outside the U.S. during that period, and they will calculate a refund based on 1% of some presumed expenditure levels X the number of days abroad.

For the #3 detailed option, you need to provide every eligible credit card and full credit card number, and then tally/estimate the amount of foreign transactions for each card for each of the eligible years. That supposedly can yield up to a 3% refund if you are able to go through all your records to document that kind of spending...

For me, I had too many cards, and cards that changed numbers because of different reasons, and no longer had access to all my paper records back to 1996 after having moved abroad. Plus, all my banks only had online statements for the past six months or so.

So I went with the option #2 based on the number of days I'd been abroad....which was easy to calculate based on the stamp in/stamp out dates on my passport for those years.

[FarangBuddha]

I just received my settlement check. (See post on this topic in this sub-forum for the details.)

Edited December 12, 2011 by FarangBuddha