What to Do If You Get a Class Action Postcard in the Mail

If you get a class action postcard, it usually means the defendant's records show you may be part of a settlement class. Verify that the settlement is real, find the official settlement website, and decide whether to file a claim, opt out, object or do nothing before the deadlines printed on the card. Keep the postcard, because it often has a claim ID and PIN that make filing faster.

Why you got a postcard

When a class settlement is preliminarily approved, the court orders notice to class members. Administrators often mail postcards because they are cheap to send to large numbers of people. Your address likely came from the defendant's customer, employee or account records, or from address databases the administrator used to update old addresses.

What's on the postcard

• ✓The case name and court.
• ✓A short description of who is in the class.
• ✓A summary of what the settlement pays.
• ✓Deadlines to file a claim, opt out or object.
• ✓The date of the final approval hearing.
• ✓The official settlement website and a phone number.
• ✓Often a claim ID and PIN, sometimes with a QR code. Some postcards include a tear-off claim form you can mail back.

Step 1: Make sure it's real

Scammers sometimes mail fake notices too. Search the case name independently and confirm the website address printed on the card matches the official one listed in court records or by a trusted source. Real postcards don't ask you to send money. Our guide to verifying settlement notices covers the checks.

Step 2: Read the full notice

A postcard has limited space. The long-form notice on the settlement website explains the class definition, payment amounts, the release of claims, and how to opt out or object. Read the summary of your options first. Our guide on reading a class action notice breaks down each section.

Step 3: Choose your option

1. 1File a claim. If the settlement requires a claim, enter your claim ID on the official site or mail the tear-off form. Choose your payment method.
2. 2Do nothing. If the settlement pays automatically, you may be paid without filing. If it requires a claim, doing nothing means no payment, and you still give up your claims.
3. 3Opt out. Send an exclusion request by the deadline if you want to keep the right to sue on your own.
4. 4Object. Tell the court why you think the settlement is unfair while staying in the class.

Step 4: Keep a record

After filing, save the confirmation email or number. Write down the claim ID, the website and the date you filed. Payments can arrive months or longer after you file, and you'll want these details if you need to check status or update your address.

What if the postcard is for someone else?

Postcards sometimes arrive for a previous resident or a family member. Don't file a claim on someone else's behalf unless you're authorized to. If the person moved, you can return the mail to the sender, and if they passed away, the administrator can explain how an estate representative can claim. Our guide on claiming for a deceased relative covers that situation.

What if you didn't get a postcard?

Not receiving a postcard doesn't mean you aren't in the class. Administrators don't have every class member's current address, and many settlements reach people only through online notice. If you fit the class definition, you can usually file a claim on the settlement website without a claim ID.

If you get more than one postcard

It is common to receive several notices for different settlements, or two for the same settlement because a company had your address twice. Each settlement has its own website, deadlines and claim ID. For duplicates of the same case, file once unless the notice says otherwise, since duplicate claims are usually rejected.

That is where most people miss out. SettleScout matches you to settlements based on the brands and services you use, whether or not a postcard ever reaches you, and reminds you before each deadline.