EBook price fixing: Did you receive a refund? / Update: up to $3.06 per book

[doctorow]

[Moderator Edit: If you bought eligible e-books between 2010 and 2012, you're likely to receive up to $3.06 per book. For detailed information how much you're likely to get in the settlement, see AnemicOak's post, and onward.]

Original post:

No refund for me. My inbox is empty and sad.

Publishers Weekly:

Representatives from Rust Consulting, the firm retained to administer the settlement fund, confirmed to PW that 23,073,840 customers of Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google, and Sony have been directly notified via e-mail or by postcard that they are eligible to participate in the settlement. That figure represents consumer accounts, a Rust representative explained to PW, not the number of individual consumers, as some consumers have accounts with multiple retailers, or multiple accounts at a single retailer.

Who is eligible?

An eligible consumer is defined as anyone “who purchased e-books from an ‘Agency Five’ publisher from April 1, 2010 to May 21, 2012.” Anyone who received notice by e-mail or postcard purchased at least one qualifying e-book from one or more retailers. The figures do not include Minnesota, which has a separate settlement.

More details on the settlement Web site

[pwalker8]

Looking at the settlement Web Site, it hasn't been updated since April. I received an email that I was eligible last fall. I suspect that is the email they are talking about. My understanding is that if you bought from Amazon, then the amount will just appear in your account. I have heard that it will be by the end of August, but I haven't read anything official.

[bgalbrecht]

As a resident of Minnesota, I'm free to wage my own lawsuit against the Agency 5 publishers. Thanks, Lori Swanson!

[pwalker8]

According to current info, it looks like the credits won't be issued until Jan. 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...deId=201046060

[elemenoP]

Looks like it hasn't been finalized yet, here is a story from today:

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/30/...ook-purchased/

eP

[PurpleStar]

Nope, but I won't get one because I don't live in the U.S.

It will probably just amount to pennies, except for the lawyers of course, who will make millions! I've heard NOTHING recently from any of the stores from which I bought affected books. Nothing from B&N, Sony, Amazon, etc. I think I did hear something late last year or early this year from Amazon, but not a word from the others.

[Barcey]

Nope, I don't buy books from known criminals so I'm not eligible.

[AnemicOak]

Got an email today from Amazon. Apparently Minnesota residents will be getting a credit also as there was a separate class action & settlement for us.

You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. If the Court approves the settlements in December 2013 and there is no appeal, a credit will appear automatically in your Amazon.com account that can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your account. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, it is estimated that it will range from $0.93 to $3.82 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased. To be eligible, you must have a Minnesota billing address and must have purchased a Kindle book published by Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin or Macmillan between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. These publishers will provide the funds for the settlements. If you would like to receive a check instead of an account credit, you may follow the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements at www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

Also in the email is a link to a general FAQ Amazon has up about the settlements...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...02550_32264410

How much will my credit be? While we will not know the amount of the credit until the Court approves the settlements, it is estimated that it will range from $0.73 to $3.06 for every eligible Kindle book that was purchased between April 2010 and May 2012 by Kindle customers who do not live in Minnesota. The Attorneys General and Plaintiff Class estimate that the credit for Minnesota residents will range from $0.93 to $3.82.For more information, please visit www.EbookAGSettlements.com.

I got an email about this last year; why am I getting a new one? Why didn't I get my credit already? Last fall we notified eligible customers about settlements by Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Since then, the two other defendant publishers, Macmillan and Penguin, have settled the same claims. The Court and the Attorneys General have decided to distribute the credits all at once. This delayed distribution of the settlement funds, but increased the amount of the credit you will receive.

When will I receive this credit? Several of the settlements have already been approved; the more recent proposed settlements are still subject to court approval. A hearing on the settlements will be held on December 6, 2013. If the Court approves the settlements and no one appeals, the credits should be available beginning in January 2014. When the Attorneys General and Plaintiff Class notify us that the settlements are final, we will automatically apply the credit to the accounts of eligible customers and send another email notifying them that the credit is available.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by doctorow

No refund for me. My inbox is empty and sad.

Publishers Weekly:



Who is eligible?



More details on the settlement Web site

Received this email today:

Dear Kindle Customer,

Last fall we notified you that you are entitled to a credit for some of your past Kindle book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories. We wanted to let you know that two more publishers have since settled with some State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs and these new settlements may increase the amount of the credit you will receive. A formal notification from the Court about these settlements is included below.

You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. If the Court approves the settlements in December 2013 and there is no appeal, a credit will appear automatically in your Amazon.com account that can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your account. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, it is estimated that it will range from $0.73 to $3.06 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased. To be eligible, you must have a U.S. billing address and must have purchased a Kindle book published by Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin or Macmillan between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. These publishers will provide the funds for the settlements. If you have already requested a check instead of a credit in response to the notice you received last fall, that request will cover these additional settlements and you do not need to do anything else. If you would like to request a check, you may do so by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements at www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to control eBook prices. We think these settlements are a big win for readers.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team

[wizwor]

Got this note from Amazon today. I wonder if this includes books purchased for $0.00. If so, I may be able to buy a summer home.

Dear Kindle Customer,

Last fall we notified you that you are entitled to a credit for some of your past Kindle book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories. We wanted to let you know that two more publishers have since settled with some State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs and these new settlements may increase the amount of the credit you will receive. A formal notification from the Court about these settlements is included below.

You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. If the Court approves the settlements in December 2013 and there is no appeal, a credit will appear automatically in your Amazon.com account that can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your account. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, it is estimated that it will range from $0.73 to $3.06 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased. To be eligible, you must have a U.S. billing address and must have purchased a Kindle book published by Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin or Macmillan between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. These publishers will provide the funds for the settlements. If you have already requested a check instead of a credit in response to the notice you received last fall, that request will cover these additional settlements and you do not need to do anything else. If you would like to request a check, you may do so by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements at www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to control eBook prices. We think these settlements are a big win for readers.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team

[MarciaCat]

I've received nothing either, I did find a couple notifications dated last October in my emails from Amazon and Barnes & Noble but nothing from Sony. I know I've got 10 eligible purchases from Sony; did anyone receive notices from them?

[frquixote]

I've not received any notifications, either. It must be because I purchased my books through Borders and Books On Board!

[fjtorres]

They're slowly sending the emails out, to *everybody* in Kindle land.
I just got the notice and I haven't bought anything from the BPHs since the Fix was announced.

I finally got my email from Amazon today as well. Still nothing from Sony and B&N though.