MEMBERS of the public can get their hands on up to $100 from a jewellery store after a privacy breach was revealed.
You could score the $100 pay out from the settlement pot if you received unsolicited marketing texts from the company while being listed on the National Do Not Call Registry.
Consumers could get $100 for unsolicited texts from Zales[/caption]
In the class action lawsuit brought against Zales, a jewellery store with various locations across the US, documents claim the company sent “unsolicited telemarketing text messages” to consumers with privately listed numbers.
Zales sells engagement rings, wedding bands, necklaces, earrings, watches and other jewellery.
The plaintiff in the case alleged that Zales sent unsolicited telemarketing text messages to consumers whose numbers were on the National Do Not Call Registry.
The plaintiff said Zales violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) when these messages were sent.
The jewellery company has refused to admit wrongdoing; however, it has agreed to pay $7.54 million in order to resolve the class action lawsuit.
The settlement payments can be claimed by individuals who did not provide their phone number to Zale Delaware, but still received more than one text message within a 12-month period promoting the company’s goods or services.
To meet the criteria, consumers must also have been registered on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 30 days before receiving at least two messages within the 12-month period.
Exact payment amounts will vary depending on the number of claims filed with the settlement.
The deadline for consumers to file a claim is October 27, 2025.
What’s a class-action settlement?
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or ‘classes,’ a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
The breach comes after Texas-based Generations Federal Credit Union agreed to pay customers up to $5000 after a data breach.
The company – who offers banking services- faced claims that members’ data was breached in December 2022.
According to the lawsuit, the credit union “failed to protect consumers from [the data breach] … [which] compromised sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers and more”.
The breach occurred between December 13 and December 15 of that year.
The credit union has refused to admit wrongdoing; however, it has agreed to pay an “undisclosed sum” to resolve the lawsuit.
The settlement payments can be claimed by individuals who received a written notification from the union, stating their personal information was potentially compromised.
Affected members are also eligible for two years of free three-bureau credit monitoring and identity theft protection with at least $1 million in identity theft insurance.
The union has also since agreed to enforce security-related improvements to better protect its customers’ data.
