American Volkswagen and Audi drivers have until Wednesday, April 12, to apply for a one-time payment of up to $5,350.
$5,350 One-Time Payment
The one-time payment comes as part of a settlement after customers’ information was allegedly exposed in a data breach. The Volkswagen Group has agreed to settle for $3.5 million, although it has not admitted any wrongdoing, according to a published article in The U.S. Sun.
The stolen data was put into two categories: sensitive personal information (SPI) and personal information (PI), with the former including information like Social Security and driver’s license numbers. To receive the cash payment, all claims must be filed online by the April 12 deadline.
Eligibility for the One-Time Payment
Eligibility for the one-time payment depends on the location of the applicant and the type of subclass they have been put in. Those qualified should have received a letter in June 2021 detailing that their personal information may have been compromised.
The amount received will depend on where applicants live and their subclass. Nationwide PI and SPI subclasses are for those whose PI was compromised in the data breach, while the California SPI subclass is for those whose SPI was compromised while living in California.
One-Time Payment for Members of California SPI
The settlement allows California SPI members to grab up to $5,350. Members of the California SPI subclass and nationwide SPI subclass may receive additional funds for out-of-pocket expenses related to the data breach, including fraud, identity theft, credit expenses, communication charges, and up to four hours of unpaid time off work at a rate of $50 per hour.
Cash payments could be higher or lower depending on the number of claims filed. Claimants must send their claim form to the Volkswagen/Audi Data Incident Litigation Settlement Administrator at a specific address.