# paypal settle ment ... sorting the leagalese **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274 "2004-07-28T14:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/21 "2004-07-29T01:53:02Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I was just about to start a thread asking if this is a real e-mail, or a phishing expedition. It’s [real](https://www.paypal.com/settlement/). ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/22 "2004-08-02T02:34:12Z")
When my Mom got this email, I was 99.9% sure it was a hoax, until she forwarded it to me. (I didn’t get one because the email address attached to my Paypal account was cancelled last week.) How strange to get a Paypal message asking for your personal information that REALLY IS from Paypal! So, can I be part of this suit and get my fifty bucks, even if I’ve had absolutely no problems with Paypal? ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/23 "2004-08-02T03:11:44Z")
First of all, everyone who is in on this suit gets $50. Far more than $2-$3 as some have speculated. Second, **Live Better** , I had a similar incident to yours; I sent a payment, the website sent an error message with no record of the transaction, and then when I resent payment I was charged twice. It was cleared up, but not by PayPal (the other person just sent me the same amount back). Not a big deal, but it does qualify me as part of the suit. In any case, I’m sure it’s not a big deal whether you opt in or opt out, but there is the potential for getting $50 if you’ve had a bad transaction with PayPal. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/24 "2004-08-02T03:38:33Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > First of all, everyone who is in on this suit gets $50. From where did you get this figure, out of curiosity? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/25 "2004-08-02T03:38:39Z")
> [@](#): > > First of all, everyone who is in on this suit gets $50. Far more than $2-$3 as some have speculated. Where’s this $50 figure coming from? > [@](#): > > What are the consequences of doing nothing? Death by starvation. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/26 "2004-08-02T04:56:31Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > So, can I be part of this suit and get my fifty bucks, even if I’ve had absolutely no problems with Paypal? No. But if you (like myself) had a problem that ended up costing you no money, you can still get the $50. Paypal screwed up in one of my tranfers, but after quite a while and many emails, it got settled. This “The Short Claim Form requires you to provide certain identifying information and sign a statement under penalty of perjury, which may be verified using PayPal’s records, that you experienced an unauthorized or incorrect electronic transfer or an account limitation or denial of access to your account” is what you need to have happened to qualify for $50. Everyone does not get $50. It appears likely that the Short Form claimants will get that. Some will get more. IF **lots** of dudes file their claim, there may be less. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/27 "2004-08-02T11:48:42Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > From where did you get this figure, out of curiosity? From the email: > [@](#): > > **a. Short Form Claimants** > The Short Claim Form requires you to provide certain identifying information and sign a statement under penalty of perjury, which may be verified using PayPal’s records, that you experienced an unauthorized or incorrect electronic transfer or an account limitation or denial of access to your account. **If you make a timely, valid claim using the Short Claim Form, you will receive a payment of $50, unless the amount needed to pay all of the Short Form claims exceeds the Short Form Fund.** In that case, the Short Form Fund will be divided equally among all Short Form Claimants. If the amount needed to pay all of the Short Form claims is less than the amount of the Short Form Fund, the money left over will be added to the Long Form Fund. If you were really badly screwed over by PayPal in the past, you’re supposed to fill out the Long Claim Form. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/28 "2004-08-04T00:47:49Z")
> [@astro](#): > > In class actions at _least_ half typically goes to trial lawyers, expenses and original litigants, Not true. I just this week received a claim form for the Minnesota vs. Microsoft class action lawsuit. It specifies a total of up to $174.5 million in vouchers to claimants, and attorney’s fees not to exceed $59.4 million plus expenses & $5,000 for the original class representatives. So that looks like 34% to the lawyers. Of course, the lawyers get actual cash, while the injured parties get vouchers only useable to purchase more Microsoft products. And it looks like the voucher amounts are fixed\*; if many people don’t claim them, those that do claim don’t get more, instead Microsoft keeps the excess. And the lawyers get their money, no matter what. I suppose if only a small number of injured parties actually file a claim, the lawyers would end up getting a larger percentage of the money actually paid out. But in the proposed settlement, they only get 34%. (Personally, it seems to me the Microsoft got off pretty easy here. All they really have to do is pay the lawyers about a morning’s worth of profits, and give the injured parties a bunch of coupons to buy more of their products.) - And rather small, too. $9 for Word, $15 for Windows, $23 for Office or Excel. And if they total over $100, you have more hoops to jump thru to make your claim. ---
**Author:** ![asheets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@asheets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asheets)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274/29 "2004-08-04T15:58:34Z")
Unfortunately, to obtain any money, you have to certify (i.e swear on a Bible) that one of the following has happened to you. from [www.paypal.com/settlement](http://www.paypal.com/settlement) CERTIFICATION One or more of the following accurately describes what happened to me: PayPal caused me to suffer damages as a direct result of (a) an unauthorized or incorrect electronic fund transfer to or from my PayPal account; (b) an improper restriction or limitation of my PayPal account; © an unsatisfactory response to a request for information from PayPal about an unauthorized or incorrect transfer or improper limitation or restriction; and/or (d) a dispute with PayPal involving a chargeback, a refund, a buyer complaint, or PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy, Buyer Complaint Process and/or Buyer Protection Policy; and None of this pertains to me, so I guess I don’t get any money (unless I lie – I’ve considered it because, really, who is going to check up on these things). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-settle-ment-sorting-the-leagalese/257274.md?page=1)