Naughty Credit Card Companies

I've never won anything in my life. I always assume that I've been so generally lucky that when it comes to raffles, lotteries and class action lawsuits, it is someone else's turn. So, when I got a notice with my credit card bill this month that I might be eligible for a refund as part of the winning side in a class action lawsuit, I threw the notice in the trash.

But then I read about it in USA Today and I checked out the Website set up by the plaintiff's counsel and it looks like I may be getting a little check.

And, it seemed worth spreading the word to anyone who has been traveling or living outside the United States over the last decade and exchanging money.

Here's the language from the Website, where you'll also find an online form for filing:

"Any person who held a Visa-, MasterCard- or Diners Club-branded credit, charge or debit/ATM card issued in the United States as of November 8, 2006 is a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class. Those persons who made a foreign transaction on at least one of those cards between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006 are members of the Settlement Damages Class. Only members of the Settlement Damages Class may seek refunds by submitting a claim. If you are only a member of the Settlement Injunctive Class because you did not make a foreign transaction between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006, you will still benefit from the settlement, which requires certain disclosures to cardholders concerning the rate used to calculate the U.S. dollar amount owed for a foreign transaction and any fees applied in connection with a foreign transaction."

With the exchange rate being what it is for dollars these days, the refund might buy you a baguette.