Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the storyFor all of you who think a business took advantage of you, there is recourse other than small claims court.
It's called a class action lawsuit.
There are many of them going on at the same time involving large and small businesses.
You may have even received notice that you're part of one.
Usually it means a little money for a lot of people, but Scott Hardy with Topclassactions.com said there are exceptions.
He points to a settlement with Ross stores where each person who filed a claim received $266.
Class action lawsuits have been blasted by some for being unfair. The reasons are that lawyer only go after big business for a big payoff, and because most of the money goes to the lawyers and not the clients.
But Hardy believes legitimate complaints can bring along change.
"When you have thousands of affected consumers, and you all band together then you can get your money back and hopefully stop that company from doing what it did," Hardy said.
So, how do you get involved?
Well, if you feel wronged by a business, check to see if there's a class action lawsuit you can join.
You can do that at numerous sites online including
Topclassactions.com.
If there is no class action lawsuit listed, use online search engines to know if others had similar complaints.
Then you can check with attorneys to see if they're interested in taking on your case.
After that, it's up to the courts to determine if it's a class action suit.
Finally, don't fall for any place that demands money for you to join a class action lawsuit.
You should not have to pay to file a claim.
