Arbitrations for Junk Fees, Drip Pricing and Hidden Charges

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are pursuing various mass arbitrations on behalf of consumers who were charged illegal fees, including so-called “junk fees," or subjected to unlawful “drip pricing” practices that wait to disclose fees until later in the online checkout process. This is a relatively new type of legal action that, unlike class action lawsuits, requires affected consumers to sign up to take action. 

Below, you’ll find a summary of each investigation, including which companies, websites and apps are involved; who could be affected; and which laws may be getting violated. Each summary will also include a link to a secure form where affected consumers can sign up to join others taking action. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up.

Illegal, Hidden Fees? Current Investigations

Undisclosed Fees on Credit Acceptance Corp. Auto Loans?

Credit Acceptance Corporation claims to open a world of possibilities for its auto loan borrowers, but is there a possibility that it illegally hides certain fees on repayments?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have reason to believe Credit Acceptance Corporation charges a processing fee on loan repayments made by phone or through its online portal with a debit or ATM card. However, the attorneys suspect that the company may be failing to properly disclose that fee to borrowers in a clear and timely manner, potentially violating federal lending laws, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), as well as several state usury and consumer protection laws.

The FDCPA states that any payment to be collected in conjunction with a debt repayment, including payments like fees or interest, must be disclosed in a loan agreement. The TILA reinforces this by requiring that all loan terms, including associated charges like processing fees, must be made clearly known to the borrower, typically before the loan agreement is finalized.

Attorneys are now gathering people to take action against Credit Acceptance Corporation and its subsidiaries for potentially unlawful processing fees for certain auto loan repayment methods.

If you have an auto loan with Credit Acceptance Corporation, or had one within the past year, and made payments through its online payment portal, join others taking action by filling out the form linked below.

Credit Acceptance Customers Sign Up Here

DriveTime Auto Loans: Fees for Online Payments?

DriveTime offers a selection of thousands of used vehicles at its dealerships across the country, claiming to offer flexible loan options through its financing partner, Bridgecrest. However, attorneys working with ClassAction.org are concerned that the companies’ lending practices may have violated borrowers’ rights.

Specifically, the attorneys are looking into whether DriveTime and Bridgecrest charged processing and convenience fees for payments made online or by phone without informing borrowers of the fees beforehand. If so, it’s possible that the companies may have run afoul of the federal Truth in Lending Act, which requires creditors to provide clear and conspicuous disclosure of terms related to credit transactions, including any associated fees.

The attorneys also suspect that DriveTime and Bridgecrest may have violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which prohibits the collection of any amount, including fees, that was not authorized by the loan agreement.

The attorneys are now gathering borrowers to sign up for mass arbitration against DriveTime and Bridgecrest. Those who take action may be able to recover money they paid in fees and potentially additional damages under state consumer protection laws.

Do you have an auto loan from DriveTime that was serviced by Bridgecrest Credit Company? If you made an online payment on your loan in the past year, join others taking action by filling out the form at the link below.

DriveTime Borrowers Sign Up Here

Consumer Portfolio Services Auto Loan Processing Fees: Are They Legal?

Consumer Portfolio Services helps consumers with “past credit problems, low incomes or limited credit histories” finance their vehicles, but do they really tell you the full cost of that service?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe that Consumer Portfolio Services (CPS) may fail to properly disclose to consumers the processing fees it charges on online auto loan payments, potentially violating federal lending laws including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Under the TILA, all terms of a loan, including any associated charges such as processing fees, must be disclosed to the borrower in a timely and clear manner, typically before the loan agreement is made official. The FDCPA further reinforces this by prohibiting the “collection of any amount (including any interest, fee, charge or expense incidental to the principal obligation) unless such an amount is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or permitted by law.”

Now, attorneys are rallying CPS borrowers to take legal action against the auto loan provider for potentially unlawful processing fees for online loan repayments.

If you have an auto loan with Consumer Portfolio Services and used its online payment portal to make payments within the last year, join others taking action by filling out the form using the link below.

CPS Customers Sign Up Here

GM Financial Investigation Looks into Processing Fees

Getting charged a processing fee on top of your monthly car payment may feel like a case of adding insult to injury—and in some situations, it may even be illegal.

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org suspect that GM Financial, the financial services arm of American automaker General Motors, may have violated federal and state laws by failing to clearly disclose processing fees charged for loan payments made online and by phone.

Both the federal Truth in Lending Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act require clear disclosure and authorization of any fees associated with loans, but the attorneys believe GM Financial may have fallen short of those requirements by not warning borrowers about processing fees upfront. It’s also possible that the company has violated similar state consumer protection laws.

The attorneys are now pursuing mass arbitration against GM Financial, and those who sign up may be able to recover money for the fees they paid, plus additional damages.

If you’re 18 or older and, within the past year, made an online payment for an auto loan originated by or assigned to AmeriCredit Financial Services (GM Financial), join others taking action by filling out the form at the link below.

GM Financial Borrowers Sign Up Here

Uber One Investigation: Hidden Delivery Fees for Uber Eats?

Is Uber One a scam? Depends on who you ask. Scam or not, attorneys working with ClassAction.org suspect that Uber’s monthly subscription service, which claims to provide discounts on rides and Uber Eats deliveries, may be falsely advertised.

Specifically, they believe that although Uber One subscribers are told they will pay a “$0 Delivery Fee” on eligible Uber Eats orders, the company may be charging hidden delivery fees. According to the attorneys, when an Uber One member places an order through Uber Eats, the checkout screen includes a “Delivery Fee” of “$0” but also has a line that reads “Taxes & Other Fees”—which, when accessed, reveals that the Uber One member is paying a “Service Fee and Other Fees” that cover “delivery services.”

The attorneys believe Uber could be violating various state consumer protection laws by secretly charging Uber One subscribers for delivery services, and they’re now gathering affected users to take legal action via mass arbitration. It’s possible that consumers who sign up could have claims worth anywhere from $100 to $1,000s.

If you had an Uber One membership and ordered one or more food deliveries through Uber Eats in the past three years, join others taking action by filling out the form at the link below.

Uber One Members Sign Up Here

Westlake Financial Auto Loans: Undisclosed Fees?

Westlake Financial claims that it makes car buying a “hassle-free” experience—you can even make your car payments via a convenient web portal. But is the true cost of your new car actually being disclosed to you? Attorneys working with ClassAction.org aren’t quite so sure.

Indeed, they have reason to believe that Westlake Financial may have violated two federal laws—the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)—by failing to properly disclose processing fees levied for online payments made with a debit card.

Under the TILA, lenders must explain all loan terms—including any charges tied to the credit itself, such as processing fees—in a clear and timely manner. Unfortunately for Westlake shoppers, attorneys believe the fee for making a debit card payment online may not have been properly disclosed at the outset of the loan or before making a loan payment in violation of the TILA, a law specifically enacted to protect borrowers against hidden loan charges and fees. Further, the FDCPA states that a debt collector cannot collect any amount (including fees) that is not “expressly authorized” by the loan agreement.

Now, attorneys are gathering Westlake borrowers to take legal action for potentially unlawful lending and debt collection practices. They’re also investigating whether Westlake violated certain state usury and consumer protection laws.

So, if you have an auto loan with Westlake Financial and used the online portal to make payments within the last year, join others taking action using the link below.

Westlake Borrowers Sign Up Here

G Fuel Investigation: Hidden Checkout+ Fee?

G Fuel, known for its caffeinated energy drinks targeted to gamers, is being investigated by attorneys working with ClassAction.org for potentially deceptive online sales practices.

When a customer visits GFuel.com or the G Fuel app and goes to buy, say, the Hype Sauce Energy Formula, they may be charged a “G Fuel Checkout+” fee. The attorneys believe this fee, also called Onward Checkout+, may not be included in the subtotal initially shown to customers and could be getting added automatically without being clearly disclosed or explained. As a result, some customers may not even realize they’re being charged the extra fee.

The attorneys are looking into whether G Fuel violated state consumer protection laws that prohibit hidden fees and deceptive “negative option” practices—where customers pay for an option that was essentially selected by default and could only be avoided by taking action to decline it.

Mass arbitration is now being pursued on behalf of G Fuel customers who made purchases on the company’s website or app (and not through a retailer like Amazon or Walmart).

So, if you’re 18 or older and bought a G Fuel product on GFuel.com or the G Fuel app in the past three years and paid a “Checkout+” or “Onward” fee, join others signing up by filling out the form at the link below.

G Fuel Customers Sign Up Here

Bought Tickets on StubHub for a NY Event?

No one wants to buy resale—the cost, the fees, and the concern about what happens if your tickets don’t work. Oh, and did we mention the fees?

But there may be some hope—at least for eventgoers who bought tickets via StubHub to events in New York State. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have reason to believe that StubHub may be violating New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law by not displaying the true cost of tickets on the page where they are initially listed. For instance, a ticket may be listed as $405, but upon selection is priced at $522 with fees.

Under New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, ticket resellers must disclose the total cost of a ticket, including any fees, before it is selected for purchase. Attorneys suspect StubHub may be violating this law by waiting to reveal its fees, which may include service or fulfillment fees, and they’re now gathering customers to take action.   

If you bought tickets from StubHub on or after August 29, 2022 for an event that took place in New York State, click the link below to join others signing up. You do not have to live in New York to participate.    

New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law specifically states that consumers who are harmed due to a violation can take action to recover $50.

StubHub Users Sign Up Here

MySchoolBucks Arbitration: Illegal Fees? (North Carolina)

We’ve all seen the movies—strong-arming kids into giving up their lunch money is a classic bully move. So, what about charging parents fees to add money to their kids’ lunch accounts? Bully move or not, attorneys are looking into whether payment processor MySchoolBucks is violating North Carolina law by charging users excessive transaction fees.

Specifically, the attorneys believe it could be deceptive for MySchoolBucks to advertise meal plan prices on its website without clearly disclosing that parents will need to pay substantial fees—sometimes up to $3.25—each time they use a credit card to add money to their children’s accounts. They also suspect that the fees (sometimes called “program fees” by MySchoolBucks) may exceed what it actually costs to process credit card payments, allowing MySchoolBucks to profit at parents’ expense.

The attorneys believe that under North Carolina law, people who paid transaction fees could have claims worth anywhere from $500 to $4,000.

If you live in North Carolina and paid a fee for using your credit card to add money to your child’s account on MySchoolBucks.com or the associated app anytime since 2021, join others taking action. Sign up by filling out the form linked to below.

MySchoolBucks Users Sign Up Here

SeatGeek Deceptive Ticket Price Investigation

SeatGeek.com users: ever been frustrated by added fees on the checkout page? Attorneys believe SeatGeek’s ticket prices may have been deceptively advertised due to these unexpected fees and are gathering users to take legal action.

Specifically, they believe SeatGeek may have violated New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs law, which requires sellers to disclose the full price of an event ticket upfront and prohibits them from increasing a ticket’s price during the purchase process. Certain SeatGeek ticket buyers who ended up paying more at checkout than the initially advertised price due to added fees could be owed $50 or more under the Arts and Cultural Affairs law.

If you bought tickets on SeatGeek.com while living in New York or for an event in New York between June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2024, join others taking action against the company. Sign up by filling out the form linked to below.

SeatGeek.com Users Sign Up Here

StubHub Deceptive Ticket Prices? (California)

California ticket buyers: ever use the feature on StubHub.com that includes estimated fees in ticket prices? Was it accurate?

Attorneys believe StubHub may have been tricking its users—and violating several California consumer protection laws in the process—by consistently charging higher fees than initially shown through its “include estimated fees” filter. If that’s the case, StubHub.com users may have been charged more than advertised for concert, sports and event tickets – and they may not have found out until they made it to the final checkout page, where they only have a few minutes to complete their purchase and secure their selected seats.

The attorneys believe StubHub may have violated the California Unfair Competition Law and the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act—and that users could potentially have claims worth over $1,000.

If you live in California and bought tickets on StubHub.com after using the “include estimated fees” filter between June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2024, join others taking action by filling out the form linked below.

StubHub.com Users Sign Up Here

FTC Considering Banning Certain Fee Practices

In November 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a proposed rule to address unfair and deceptive fees for goods and services, including event tickets. Specifically, the agency is considering banning certain fee practices that it has found to be prevalent and harmful, including misrepresenting the total cost of goods and services by leaving out mandatory fees from advertised prices and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of the fees.

The FTC noted that consumers had expressed concern that sellers frequently do not advertise the total cost a buyer will have to pay and instead add on fees “only after consumers are well into purchasing transactions.” According to the agency, many consumers also complained that sellers often misrepresent fees or fail to explain their purpose, leaving buyers wondering what the fees are for and feeling that they’re essentially paying for nothing.

The FTC found that the thousands of public comments it received after initially announcing its intention to address junk fees and other potentially deceptive pricing practices “strongly support” the need for a rule to address harm to consumers and businesses.

Several class action lawsuits have also been filed alleging that drip pricing and junk fees violate consumer protection laws.

Is This a Lawsuit? What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly?

You are not signing up for a lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

Some companies’ terms and conditions may contain a class action waiver and/or an arbitration clause requiring consumers to resolve disputes via arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes place outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to a judge or jury. It’s for this reason that attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle these matters as mass arbitrations rather than class action lawsuits.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your award. 

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

Previous Investigations

The following investigations are complete, and attorneys are no longer signing up affected consumers. 

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