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Citizens Bank Overdraft Fee Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Print Email
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Friday, 23 November 2012 17:43

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Award (how much your claim may be worth): You can receive a cash refund from the Citizens Bank overdraft fee class action settlement.

 

 

Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Case(s):  In Re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation, Case No. 09-md-02036-JLK, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.

 

Company(ies): CITIZEN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.; RBS CITIZENS, N.A. 

Citizens Bank

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Website of the Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Administrator (FILE YOUR CLAIM HERE): www.CitizensOverdraftSettlement.com

 

Address to submit a claim form (REQUIRED):

 

Some Class Members (see below) must submit a Claim Form in order to receive a refund from the Citizens Bank overdraft fee settlement. Claim Forms must be submitted online at www.CitizensOverdraftSettlement.com or mailed to the following address no later than May 6, 2013:
 
Citizens Overdraft Settlement
P.O. Box 3410
Portland, OR 97208-3410

 

Phone Number to call for assistance: (888) 273-0426

 

Details: The Citizens Bank overdraft settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, titled In Re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation, that alleges the bank reordered debit-card transactions from highest to lowest, rather than in order to maximize the number of overdraft fees that could be charged to a customer. The plaintiffs allege that, instead of declining transactions when an account had insufficient funds to cover a purchase, Citizens authorized the transactions and then processed them in highest to lowest dollar order, which had the effect of increasing the number of overdraft fees the bank charged its customers.

Citizens Bank denies the allegations but has agreed to a $137.5 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve the litigation.

Class Members of the Citizens Bank overdraft class action settlement include anyone who:

• Had a Citizens consumer deposit account that you could access with a Citizens debit card anytime between January 1, 2002 and August 13, 2010, and/or had a Charter One consumer deposit account that you could access with a Charter One debit card any time between July 25, 2005 and August 13, 2010; and/or

• Had an Acquired Bank consumer deposit account that you could access with a debit card between January 1, 2002 and August 27, 2007; and

• Were charged one or more overdraft fees as a result of posting Debit Card Transactions from highest to lowest dollar amount.

Some Class Members do not have to file a Claim Form to receive a payment. They will automatically receive their refund. However, a number of Class Members will have to file a Claim Form by the deadline of May 6, 2013 to receive any money from the Citizens Bank overdraft class action settlement. See Page 5 of the Settlement Notice for more details.

The amount of money you can receive from the Citizens Bank overdraft fee settlement will depend on the number of overdraft fees charged to your Citizens, Charter One or Acquired Bank consumer deposit account as a result of the improper debit card transaction reordering between January 1, 2002 and August 13, 2010.

A Final Fairness Hearing is scheduled for March 7, 2013.

Claim Forms and more information on your rights in the Citizens Bank Overdraft Fee Class Action Lawsuit Settlement can be found at www.CitizensOverdraftSettlement.com.

 

Purchased or Leased From:  

 

Citizens consumer deposit account: January 1, 2002 to August 13, 2010

Charter One consumer deposit account: July 25, 2005 to August 13, 2010

Acquired Bank consumer deposit account: January 1, 2002 to August 27, 2007

 

Claims must be postmarked by: 5/6/13


Settlement Administrator(s): Eqiq Systems, Inc.

 

Class Counsel:

 

Bruce S. Rogow, Esq.

BRUCE S. ROGOW, P.A.

 

Aaron S. Podhurst, Esq.

PODHURST ORSECK, P.A.

 

Robert C. Gilbert, Esq.

GROSSMAN ROTH, P.A.

 

Ted E. Trief, Esq.

TRIEF & OLK

 

Defense Counsel:

 

David F. Adler, Esq.
JONES DAY

  

 

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Last Updated on Friday, 15 March 2013 09:52

Comments   

 
#29 Heather 2013-05-15 10:47
What kills me is that this suit is only up to the date of 2010....from what I can see they have not changed their practices! I think they are deliberately ripping people off and we have to just bend over and take it! I had an instance this morning where they charged me 4 overdrafts...$1 48 and only one transaction was actually an overdraft the other 3 were not but they list it so that they can charge for 4. REALLY NOT COOL with me. I have opened up a new account somewhere else and I will be pulling all of our accounts out of Citizens Bank. I am going local no more big banks for me.
 
 
#28 carol 2013-05-14 16:41
It seems hopeless!! I am so disgusted and was wondering who to sue for our frustrations and embarrassment!
 
 
#27 Steve F 2013-05-13 17:08
I hope to God that Bob T's math is way off!! If, after all the money Citizens stole from me, I only receive 48 bucks out of this suit, I'm going to be furious!! Hundreds of dollars over the years. Probably a thousand dollars. I better get close to all of it back. If not all of it.
 
 
#26 Robert 2013-05-12 22:07
I thought that this would be a nice refund from these common thieves but the more I read It seems that the Law Firm is the only one that is getting anything worth while out of this . I can honestly say that over that time frame I have lost 3-5 thousand and something tells me I will be lucky if I got $100 back .
 
 
#25 Denise 2013-05-11 14:29
So still not one bit of news?
 
 
#24 Lane 2013-05-05 19:33
I have a question: How does anyone rack up over $1000 in overdraft fees? Isn't that statistically impossible?
 
 
#23 robert 2013-04-27 07:57
Bob T , Wow that would be a slap in the face I have lost around $4000 in fee's over that time frame . But the math makes sense if there are that many involved with the law suit .Its amazing that they pet some womans name in the paper for $195 in food stamp fraud yet these wall street people and Bankers just open there Golden parachutes and laugh .
 
 
#22 BobT 2013-04-25 09:31
Hate to say it but it looks like we won't get all that was stolen when the payout does go through. My reading of the settlement tells me that the payout to each account holder is prorated to a percentage of the total that was taken by the bank. That's because the $137.5 million settlement is far less than what was actually stolen by Citizens.

And the math looks bad too: $137.5 million - 30% for the lawyers = $96.25 million left to distribute. Divide that by the 2 million acount holders estimated to be effected = $48.13 per account. That's about one overdraft fee per account holder.

If you had more than the average number of overdrafts you'll get more than $48 and if you had less than the average you get less than $48. Overall I don't see how anyone gets close to what was stolen. The only people making out in this are the lawyers.

Citizens must have made many hundreds of millions on this scheme. Going in they probably figured what the potential lawsuit payout would be and saw that it was a money maker even if they got caught.

The whole thing makes me feel powerless and sick to my stomach. I can only hope that there is a special room in hell for these guys.
 
 
#21 crystal 2013-04-23 11:40
I had over $2000 in 1 year. When I asked, I was told they take all debits before credits, even though there was cash available for atm, all of a sudden I was in minus. I believe S&T does same thing.
 
 
#20 kathy cobb 2013-04-20 09:48
has anyone contacted the local news media, so they can look into it, maybe they can help us.
 
 
#19 robert 2013-04-19 05:57
Has anyone have any idea when the payouts will begin ? I have heard conflicting reports that it could be 3-6 months . Since Citizens paid the
fee of $137 million on Apr 26th 2012 it would seem that it should be coming sooner than later .
 
 
#18 K Montplaisir 2013-04-15 06:43
I had over $700 in fees in one month! I only banked with them for 6 months. When I brought in my statements, the branch manager couldn't even explain why at one point, my ATM withdrawel was fee'd when I had the money in the account at the time, as no other pending transactions had come through until after (I printed the pages from homebanking to show I had the money in the account at the time of the withdrawel and what the balance was after). I was in her office crying. I was laid off and I felt like they were completely raping me! I closed my account that day and vowed I would NEVER bank with them again... I went back to credit unions. I'm done with big corporate banks.
 
 
#17 Leslie Howard 2013-04-15 02:31
I was also told that you should do nothing to get a claim. But I have also tried to open up each link where you can find one and I can't seem to get through.
 
 
#16 Leslie Howard 2013-04-15 02:28
Why do you not file a class-action against PNC Bank? They followed the exact same procedures for Overdraft Fees.
 
 
#15 Verdell Monroe 2013-04-11 18:17
My dad banks with you> He has been in two accidents since during business with your bank.
 
 
#14 robert 2013-04-11 07:37
One would think that the courts would have demanded Citizens to allow access to all accounts in the time frame of the law suit .I also
tried to access them and was told about the $6 a page and $25 per hour . I too have lost thousands to them .I can not afford to buy up 8 years worth of statements , I only hope the above is true and that everyone entitled gets a fair settlement .
 
 
#13 Peg 2013-04-10 08:01
Steven I was also told that many times. "to protect me" Really????
Hope your right and we see the money soon.
 
 
#12 Steven 2013-04-10 00:20
The funny thing is I got hit by this do many times from Citizens it was ridiculous. I even went in and complained once because I was charged $35 dollars for a $2 cup of coffee when they moved everything around. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. The guy told me it was bank policy and that it was put into place to protect me. How stupid is that? Protect me how? By stealing my hard earned cash? I want my money now.
I was told we should see money anytime now. It also said I didn't have to do anything.
 
 
#11 Lisa S 2013-03-29 09:50
You will find all the information you need to file a claim at the following website.
https://www.citizensoverdraftsettlement.com/
 
 
#10 Jack Durk 2013-03-21 09:09
Eny Body know how long it's going to take to get some money? or what's going on.
 
 
#9 lisa 2013-03-16 10:21
Hello!
I am one of Citizens banks victims like all of you and reading some of your stories about the blatant thievery these banks have been been allowed to get away with for so long just blows my mind! Citizens has stolen thousands of dollars from me,caused me so much embarassment and grief and I am wondering why they aren't being criminally prosecuted? Can anyone tell me if they have been compensated or have any idea whether we will see anything close to what they owe us?
 
 
#8 Peg 2013-03-12 14:02
I also received a card and called. I was told I had to do nothing but wait. Now the question is when are they going to begin processing these payments? I was told the beginning of March 2013. Has anyone heard anything as of yet?
 
 
#7 Denise 2013-03-11 18:25
You're both right. For one period of time you are supposed to just get the money, but for a seperate time period you have to go through your account month by month and figure out if you have any that would count toward this and then fill out forms and show proof. Pain, you will be ripped off if you discount that time period and just take what fits into the first time period. Another bank did this same thing, only on that one you had to prove it all and it was an old account I had and I had no access to the account unless I paid for the old info. Now that was a rippoff!
 
 
#6 pain 2013-03-10 11:51
To #5 James- I was told on the phone that I don't have to do a thing but wait for my check. Clearly the law firm has access to the data. I can only guess you work for RBS and want to discourage people ?

I took the time to call and VERIFY that I do not have to provide any account statements. They have all of that. They sent me a card, I called and they said if it's approved by the court, do nothing and the check will come in the mail.

Citizen's hit me for WELL over $2000 in NSF fee's over the years. I am happy to see this. I would say to their branch manager "But you processed these out of order" and well ? They DID and now ? They can indeed return the money they stole from me.
 
 
#5 james 2013-02-28 17:30
What a joke this settlement is. I guarantee less than 20% of the people who were ripped off by citizens bank will ever get anything back from this. To submit a claim you have to go through years of statements (most of which you can't access anymore) and submit an asinine amount of documents for even a chance at getting some money that was STOLEN back. Yes, they say that some people will "automatically" get refunds but we all know this is bull. It amazes me how a guy can walk into a bank and steal 2 grand and if he gets caught he's going to jail for 15 years minimum yet a bank can steal hundreds of millions of dollars and all they get is a slap on the wrist. Disgusting.
 
 
#4 celia gettridge 2013-01-12 13:40
I had a acct with charter one bank and continue to get hit with overdraft fees one after the other i paid those fees and it started all over again. I finally close out the acct.
all these banks need to be sued they all do it they steal our hard earned money and get away with it. So thank you for this suit maybe i can recoupe some of my money back.
 
 
#3 Kellie 2013-01-08 13:54
In order to file a claim you need to get your bank statements from Citizens Bank. They took their old statements off the website and to get your old bank statements you need to pay 6 dollars per statement and $25 per hour. That is insane!
 
 
#2 Marilyn m Armstrong 2013-01-02 17:21
I was a charter one customer . I was constantly paying overdraft fees. the same I had to pay overdraft then I closed my account. But for months this happen to me. I think I did have a citizens account at that time but not positive. Thanks Marilyn Mardale Armstrong
 
 
#1 Karen Barkes 2013-01-02 15:33
I was a customer of charter one bank.Yes i was one who repeatedly got hit with overdraft fees & then some.My acct. was getting hit electronically several times a day without permission,I had to pay money removed & overdraft then shut acct. down.They would hit my acct. that was shut down permenatly , the bank would re-open my old acct. pay them & hit me with fees. I again paid all,shut it down again,they again was hitting closed acct. & Charter one bank again open the acct. back open,I was stuck paying everything. I was livid, how can they break federal law and people like myself are the ones paying for it and their greed.It is wrong! and I alone in my opinion, refuse to deal with them ever. If more ppl. did so maybe it would shut down this white color crime/lies to steal a buck. Oh I was also told that all the money that I was stuck paying,I can only take them to court on where it was coming from,which was out of the country, a place that was randomly sacking my acct. What was I suppose to do? so i had to take loosing money I couldnt afford to loose and hear from Bank management, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATIONS BUT THERE IS NOT MUCH WE CAN DO!!!!!!!!!! So yes, I dont feel bad about the suit,I just hope I/we get the proper satisfaction for what they have put each of us through & not a joke, anotherwards where the bank gets a slap on the hand & the attorneys get most of the settlement and ordinary people like us get ripped off and sorry for what they did but here is a few bucks.
 

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