You may be entitled to $10 if you bought a Red Bull product since 2002, under the terms of a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by customers who argued they were misled about the product’s benefits, including the phrase, “Red Bull gives you wings.”
Red Bull agreed to pay the money — $13 million — to consumers to settle two consumer class-action lawsuits. Plaintiffs in the cases argued that the company’s marketing misrepresented the functionality and safety of the company’s energy drinks.
Red Bull said they agreed to the settlement “to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation” and denied any wrongdoing.
To receive a $10 cash payment or $15 in Red Bull products, you have to submit a claim form, or call 877-495-1568 to ask that the form be mailed to you. No proof of purchase is necessary to receive payment.
There are four ways to submit a filled-out claim form:
- Online at http://energydrinksettlement.com/claim (filed online by no later than March 2, 2015)
- By e-mail to the Class Action Settlement Administrator at energydrinksettlement@gcginc.com (by no later than March 2, 2015)
- By fax to the Class Action Settlement Administrator at 844-553-1373 (by no later than March 2, 2015); or
- By mail to the Class Action Settlement Administrator at Energy Drink Settlement, c/o GCG, P.O. Box 35123, Seattle, WA 98124-5123 (postmarked no later than March 2, 2015)
A hearing is scheduled on May 1, 2015 to decide whether the settlement will be approved by the court. The money and products will be distributed within 150 days if the settlement is approved.
Based on my back-of-the-envelope math, if more than 1.3 million file a claim, which is entirely possible in this age of Internet communications, that $13 million won’t be enough to give everyone $10 – and, as a result, folks would likely see smaller checks.
If you do get a check, you’ll only have 120 days to cash it — or it will sprout wings.
If you’ve been injured through deceptive advertising and think others have too, please contact us for an evaluation of your matter.
