Trader Joe’s $7.4M Settlement Could Put $102 in Your Pocket—Here’s How
Trader Joe's is offering payouts to eligible customers as part of a $7.4 million lawsuit settlement.
The class action lawsuit, filed by plaintiff Brian Keim, claims the popular grocery store chain printed too much credit card information on receipts at some stores in 2019.
Keim claims Trader Joe's violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act with printed receipts that included "the first six and last four digits" of customers' credit and debit cards.
The plaintiff alleges that the company “knowingly or recklessly failed to comply” with FACTA, which violated “substantive rights, and served as an invasion of privacy, breach of confidence in the safe handling of account information, exposure to potential identity theft and the need to keep or destroy affected receipts to ensure account information would not be divulged."
Trader Joe's denied any wrongdoing.
“Trader Joe’s denies Plaintiff’s allegations and vigorously denies any and all liability or wrongdoing whatsoever,” the company said on its settlement website. “Not all Trader Joe’s stores printed receipts displaying the first six and last four digits of the card number, and in those stores that did, only a small minority of transactions involved such receipts.”
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The plaintiff estimates a payout of $102.45 per customer, depending on the number of "valid and timely claims submitted." Those who received an email or postcard about the settlement are members of the settlement case.
Customers who shopped at Trader Joe's with a debit or credit card between March 5, 2019, and July 19, 2019 could be entitled to receive a payout. You can file a claim on the settlement website.
Trader Joe's said it is not aware of any customers suffering identity theft as a result of this matter.
“However, identity theft is not required to prove a FACTA claim, and therefore you do not need to have suffered identity theft to submit a claim for payment from this settlement,” the statement added.
While it denies all wrongdoing, Trader Joe's agreed to the settlement to avoid potential “protracted and expensive” litigation.
“By entering into the settlement, Trader Joe’s has not conceded the truth or validity of any of the claims against it,” the company says.