HF Check!

[cwsmith]

This afternoon I received my check from the class action that took place last year. I was very much surprised and thought I should let you know that this appears to be happening for anyone that had filed their receipts in compliance with that legal action.

CWS

[LCHIEN]

Hmmm, looked at my USPS informed delivery and no checks from HF or similar, just a bill from Amazon.credit cards (if you don't have one, it gives you 5% cashback on Amazon purchases.)

[Carlos]

$107.36 here, I will spend it on good tools. Haven't been to HF in over a year, maybe two.

I also use the Amazon store credit and Amazon/Chase Visa which has the same discount, plus you can get reward points at other places. Sometimes it's the only way to get a discount on woodworking tools that always sell for retail.

[MikeT]

Interesting. I don't know how I never knew anything about this and missed out.

[cwsmith]

At the time (last spring, IIRC) the HF Class Action was posted on a few web sites, and was discussed here on this forum, which is where I first became aware. I also seem to recall getting a mailing from HF or a representative of HF, if I'm not mistaken.

There was a deadline by which you had to apply for the necessary form and instructions, and then file your paperwork (receipts, bank, credit card statements etc.) For me, personally, it was a project all by itself as my wife keeps receipts of everything. While that part was easy, so many of those receipts had faded considerably and it took effort to electronically scan them.

Bottom line I filed more than a hundred pages of documentation. My wife kidded me because she said it looked like something "Felix" (the old Odd Couple TV series) would have done in that particular "IRS audit" episode. The resulting cashier's check was quite the surprise.

I'm sort of wondering why more of the forum members haven't received the results of their filings yet!

CWS

[Carlos]

Cashier's check??? Holy cow, how big was that? The rest of us, that I know of, just got a normal check. Everyone I've talked to seems to have received $80-110.

[cwsmith]

I misspoke I guess, it's a bank check. I guess I just refer to those as being "cashier's checks". It's pretty substantial though, a few hundred dollars. But I filed more than a hundred pages of receipts, plus itemized lists that were cross-referenced with receipt numbers, item prices, savings, etc., etc. etc. My wife keeps every single purchase transaction and I'm quite thorough in my reporting processes.

Used to doing that when I worked, doing budgets, expenses; tracking engineering changes, projects, installations, etc. So, if I got a request from a sales engineer anywhere in the world, about whether we ever built a particular compressor, with a particular-sized cylinder, so-and-so valve, in a particular environment with a particular gas... I could have a report to him within an hour of every installation: what, when and where, and how many.

With the HF stuff, it took a bit of time, simply because I had to scan every receipt and many of them were very hard because of the fading (had to fine-scan, back-light and filter, etc.). Then had to highlight the particulars, and set up a cross-referenced report. It was an effort, but apparently left no questions.

CWS

[Carlos]

I just got copies of my Amex statements as PDFs, marked them up on the iPad, and submitted that with scanned receipts. Approved. I don't save any paper ever. Digital files are forever, as you found, paper is not always readable even a short time later.

[LCHIEN]

Still waiting for my check.
I had paper copies of the CC statements. THey went back further than the on line PDFs at the credit card co... they won't give PDFs from as far back if you still take mailed statements... go figure.
And HF now mails receipts, easy to just look them up. I have gmail and only delete junk mail.

[cwsmith]

Yes, I like that HF sends me an E-mail and I too keep them in a separate "folder". Much handier than just an old faded paper receipt, should they ever have to go through this again.

CWS

[LCHIEN]

Went to the class action website and this page in particular: http://www.nationalsalepricesettlement.com/index.php

It stated this:

UPDATE:

On November 3, 2017, the Court granted final approval of the settlement in its Settlement Order and Final Judgment. Appeals that were filed by settlement objectors against the Settlement Order and Final Judgment have been resolved as of March 26, 2018. Disbursements to eligible Class members who did not opt out and who sent in valid and timely Claim Forms began on April 30, 2018 and are continuing on a rolling basis. In most instances, payments will be mailed within 1-3 months from the date the appeals were resolved.

CATEGORY C CLAIMANTS: Please note that your gift card will have more than the $10 originally anticipated under the Settlement.

If you have received a gift card and would like to check the balance of the card via the toll-free number provided on the letter you received with the gift card, you will need the Account Number and PIN number located on the back of your card. In order to reveal the PIN number, you will need to scratch off the coating on the back of the card.

Please be advised that if you attempt to check the balance on your gift card via the toll-free number three times in 30 minutes without the correct PIN, you will be locked out of using the gift card for 8 hours.

[cwsmith]

Loring, did you get a gift card?

By them saying that the gift cards are more than originally anticipated, It appears that they set aside more funds than they estimated would be takers of this class action. I'm still trying to figure out how they arrived at the value they sent me with their check, as it was more than I had originally figured, even at my most optimistic estimate. I did write them at the end of my presentation, stating that the "you saved" markings on past receipts had later changed, being marked as "Additional Savings" and that even today, they do a "Compare to" or a "percentage saved", all being basically the same overstatement.

I wasn't going to bother to file, as I just consider HF to be a great low price choice for satisfactory quality, in most cases. Finally, there were so many comments on the issue that I decided to go ahead. In the end, I was quite happy that I did.

Hope your gift card (or check, if that's the case) worked out well with you,

CWS

[LCHIEN]

Well, I haven't got anything yet.
although I think because I turned in Credit card statements that I would be getting something in the neighborhood of $100 in gift certificates,. But I haven't got anything yet.
That's why I looked it up and saw the notice I quoted above - they said it would take 1-3 months after April 26 to get out all the settlement money, I guess I will have to wait.
I had never got an acknowledgement from them after sending in the claims. There were a couple of shortcuts I took which I hope did not fail me. Since the CC statements all had the date on the page I did not include the full statement since it often ran four pages or more. THat was just too much paperwork.

[cwsmith]

I sent my paperwork in just before the deadline as "registered/return receipt requested". Included were about 110 pages of scanned receipts (two per page) with "you saved" items high-lighted, a 16-page accounting reference with totals and summary. Basically every single item that I had ever purchased between those dates defined in the legal parameters.

Other than getting back my Postal Service "return receipt", I received no further notice; nothing from the court or whatever. I inquired here on the forum a few months ago and one of the members said that from their experience you usually get nothing until one day your check or a notice just shows up in the mail box. That's what happened!

I'm still holding my breath, thinking that at any day I'll get a letter stating that someone made a mistake and they want their money back. It's not been a month yet, though I don't know what difference that would make. IIRC, the check was good for 30 days, at which time it would be voided. I cashed it almost immediately.

CWS

[Haninga]

So I am only getting to red this now and missed out of this... Sad

[cwsmith]

Sorry to hear that you missed this. It was posted in a few places as I understand, and it was discussed at least here on this forum. However, if I am remembering correctly, I received a notice in the mail, directly for the court involved in this lawsuit. I figured that Harbor Freight was probably required to turn over their mailing list which I believer any regular customer is probably on. I've been a pretty regular customer since 2011 when we had a store open locally.

CWS

[LCHIEN]

So, has anyone other than CWSmith actually received a check or a gift card for this suit?