Apple says there are 16.9 million people eligible who are part of the iCloud class action settlement. Are you one of them?
In 2019, Apple was accused of breaching their iCloud subscription contract, and even though Apple says they didn’t do anything wrong, they officially have to pay up.
Are you eligible for the iCloud settlement? How much will you get paid? How will you get paid? (Hint: It’s not in Apple discounts.) When will you get it? We answer all the critical questions.
Why was Apple in a class action lawsuit?
Consumers took Apple to court after accusing the company of violating their terms and conditions for their iCloud storage subscriptions. Apple offers customers 5 GB of iCloud storage free and subscription plans to add extra.
The plaintiffs said the terms and conditions led customers to believe that Apple would host the extra storage on their servers when in reality, they outsourced iCloud to third-party cloud services like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
How much is Apple going to pay out in the iCloud settlement?
Apple admitted no wrongdoing, but they did agree to pay out a $14.8 million settlement split between qualified claimants.
The settlement received final approval on Aug. 4.
How do I know if I qualify for the Apple iCloud settlement?
If you paid for an iCloud Plus subscription from Sept. 16, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016, you qualify for the Apple settlement.
The period to claim or opt out of the settlement ended on May 23, 2022. But don’t worry, you didn’t have to do anything. If you qualified, you should’ve received an email from Apple, and you’ll get your payment automatically.
Check your spam folder if you think you qualify and didn’t get an email.
How much will I get paid?
The settlement is for $14.8 million, but a portion of it will be paid out to lawyers and court fees.
The remaining $12.4 million will get distributed among class members. The amount people will get depends on how many people are in the class and the amount you paid for an iCloud subscription during the class period.
From 2015 through 2016, iCloud subscriptions were $0.99/month for 50 GB, $2.99/month for 200 GB, and $9.99/month for 1 TB. If you had that subscription, you’re going to be reimbursed for your total subscription price.
So the most someone could get is $50 for the class period ($9.99/month x 5 months).
How will I get paid by Apple — and when?
If you are currently subscribed to an iCloud plan and have a mailing address connected, then Apple will automatically credit your Apple account with the amount owed. The class action website said payments will get sent out ASAP. However, since the final approval was on Aug. 4, payments will probably get to eligible people by November.
If you aren’t an iCloud subscriber, you’ll get a paper check mailed to the address associated with your iCloud account.
Go to the official Apple class action settlement website for more info on the settlement.
Do I qualify for any other class action lawsuits?
Knowledge is power — and in this case, a payday. To browse a list of high-profile, nationwide settlements, check our 2022 class action settlements page.
We update it frequently, so don’t forget to bookmark it.
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