There’s a new class-action settlement for Safeway customers, and if you’re someone who tried to get meat deals a few years ago, you might be eligible for a pretty nice payday.
Safeway has settled a lawsuit alleging that they raised the price of their meat while they were having BOGO Free and B1G2 Free promos. The plaintiffs in the case say the supermarket violated the law with those price hikes, and they kept shoppers from getting the full benefit of the promotional discounts.
Although Safeway is paying $107 million to settle the case, they haven’t admitted to any wrongdoing. So are you part of the class-action lawsuit? When will you get paid? We’ve got all the answers here.
(While you’re thinking about it, we have a list of all the current class-action settlements, so you can get even more of the money that’s coming to you.)
Safeway Club Card members who bought meat on sale in Oregon qualify for the settlement.
The settlement is open to those who purchased specific meat products at Safeway stores in Oregon as part of a “Buy One, Get One Free” or “Buy One, Get Two Free” promotion, using a Safeway Club Card between May 4, 2015, and Sept. 7, 2016.
Qualifying claimants will get about $200 in the Safeway settlement.
According to the terms of the settlement, each qualified claimant will receive “approximately $200.” And that means, with $107 million in settlement funds, they’re expecting more than half a million people to qualify.
Claimants are able to choose their method of payment by signing in with their claim number on the settlement website.
If you received a notice in the mail or email, you don’t have to do anything to get paid.
For the most part, if you’re part of this settlement class, you likely received a notice in the mail or via email, complete with a claim number. But those communications were sent based on Club Card account info. If you received a notice, you don’t need to do anything to receive the payment.
Other Safeway customers must file a claim by June 16, 2023.
If you didn’t receive a mailed or email notice but believe you’re a class member, you must file a claim by June 16, 2023.
They’ll ask you for your Safeway Club Card number or the phone number associated with your Safeway Club Card. If you have changed phone numbers and haven’t updated your Safeway Club Card account, you’ll want to input the phone number (or card number) you used in 2015/2016.
If you qualify, you’ll be able to move forward in the claims process. If not, you’ll get an error message that your credentials have been rejected.
Expect payments to go out in the weeks after the July 10 final court hearing.
The Final Approval Hearing, aka the “fairness hearing,” is happening on July 10, 2023, in Portland. At the hearing, the Court will review and most likely approve the settlement.
But even if the court approves the settlement, there could be appeals from either side. So while claimants can generally expect payments to happen sometime this fall, it’s not a sure thing. We can tell you lots more about how settlements work.
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