I’ve discussed before my love-hate relationship with class actions lawsuits. On the one hand, they are one of the few tools available to consumers to do battle with big corporations, especially in this age of mandatory arbitration clauses. But they rarely lead to any meaningful change, and it’s the lawyers who really profit in the end. Case in point: last year I provided a summary and link in this newsletter to a class action lawsuit against Suddenlink (now Optimum) for allegedly hiding fees. I signed up to be a party to the lawsuit and this week received my “just” compensation: a check for $12.50. And the attorneys received $5,000,000. To add insult to injury, my monthly Optimum bill just went up by $5. Can you see why I’m apathetic about class actions?
