How to Claim Your Publisher’s Clearinghouse Refund
If you have signed up to win in a Publisher’s Clearinghouse sweepstakes or drawing, or if you have signed up for or purchased goods or services through PCH, you may be entitled to compensation for deceptive “dark” marketing tactics.
As the result of an FTC lawsuit, Publishers Clearing House has agreed to pay $18.5 million to provide refunds. The FTC filed the complaint and final order/injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. However, it affects people nationwide.
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How do I file a claim?
Head on over to the website, where you can learn more, and soon you’ll be able to file a claim.
The FTC plans to provide more information about the refund process soon. We will post updates here. You don’t need to contact the FTC to receive a refund.
Remember, the FTC never asks you to pay to get a refund. Don’t pay anyone who promises you a refund in exchange for a fee. And don’t provide personal information to anyone who contacts you promising a refund.
What’s this settlement about?
According to the lawsuit, Publishers Clearing House:
- misled people about how to enter the sweepstakes drawings
- made them believe that a purchase was necessary to win or would increase their chances of winning
- made them believe that their sweepstakes entries were incomplete, even when they were not
- sent emails with deceptive subject lines that led people to click on links and waste time and money. For example, subject lines like “High Priority Doc. W-34 Issued” and “W-19 Notice – Step 3 of 3 INCOMPLETE” made people believe the email was related to a tax form or official requirement, when it was not
- added surprise shipping and handling fees that increased the cost of customer orders by an average of 40%
- and charged customers shipping fees to return products, despite making claims that the ordering process was “risk-free.”
Who is eligible for a refund?
Not every Publishers Clearing House customer will be eligible for a refund.
Stay tuned to the website as they update and open claim forms. We will also keep you posted right here!
Is a receipt required?
n/a
How much will I get back?
The actual amounts of refunds is still to be determined.
What’s the deadline to file a claim?
TBD
What is a class action lawsuit settlement?
Typically a class action lawsuit means multiple people suing a company. In this case, however, the Federal Trade Commission is bringing Publisher’s Clearing House (the company) to trial and anyone affected could receive compensation.
If you’re included in the class or group of people affected, then you can file a claim to receive money, coupons or replacement products. But, each case is different, and each will specify who is included. In addition, class action lawsuits may require proof that you are part of the group of affected people. In this case, proof of purchase or other specified proof is needed. However, in some cases, no proof is required. In that case, you can file a claim without proving that you are part of the class of people affected. Of course, when you file a claim you are doing so under penalty of perjury. So, do not file if you do not qualify.
