If you lived in Washington state between 1995 and 2007 and bought a television or computer during that time, you probably have some money coming to you. But, you have to fill out a form with the state attorney general's office to receive your share of a $40 million settlement the state reached with seven major consumer electronics manufacturers. For whatever reason, consumers in Washington state have been slow to file for the money from the anti-trust case against the companies that made CRT, or cathode ray tube, televisions and computer monitors. These are the box-like monitors that predated LCD flatscreens. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is extending the deadline to file a claim to June 17, 2019. The original deadline to file was May 17, 2019.
Brionna Aho, the spokeswoman for the attorney general, says hundreds of thousands of Washington residents qualify for settlement money, but only about 9,000 have filed a claim. She said people may mistakenly assume they need to have a receipt from that TV set they bought in the late 90s. She says that's generally not the case, although the form says "proof of purchase may be required to verify eligibility."
"For most consumers they won't need to provide any documentation and it's pretty quick and easy, pretty painless form to fill out to get their piece of the fund," Aho said. She said proof of purchase would likely only be required for a very large claim, from a business for example.
We aren't talking big bucks here. Each consumer's piece of the fund works out to about $20 per computer monitor and $6 per TV set. Still, Aho says, "it's a few minutes of your time and it's $6 you didn't have before."
You can file a claim online at the website of the Washington Attorney General or print out the form and mail it in by the June 17 deadline. There is also an FAQ on the site.
The office does not require a fee to access the settlement money.
The lawsuit claimed that CRT manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Hitachi, Chunghwa, Toshiba and Philips engaged in a price-fixing scheme to drive up the cost of the screens from 1995 to 2007.
There was a similar price-fixing lawsuit in 2016, filed by Ferguson, against some of the same defendants over LCD flatscreens. The settlement in that case was for $41 million.
