If you are a U.S. resident who paid an e-Toll-Related Charge in connection with renting an Avis or Budget vehicle in the U.S. from April 1, 2007 through December 31, 2015, you may be eligible for a payment from an Avis Budget class action settlement.
Avis Budget Group, Inc. (“ABG”) and Highway Toll Administration, LLC (“HTA”) (collectively “Defendants”) have reportedly agreed to a settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against them in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, styled as Mendez v. Avis Budget Group, Inc. et al., Case No. 2:11-cv-06537-CCC-JSA (D.N.J.) alleging, among other things, that defendants breached the Avis Budget Group rental agreement or the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by collecting certain fees and toll-related charges associated with the “e-Toll” electronic toll payment system available for use by Avis and Budget rental vehicle customers in violation of the terms of the ABG rental agreement; violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act by failing to disclose these fees; and caused unjust enrichment in the Defendants.
Defendants reportedly deny all of the allegations in the litigation and reportedly believe that the claims asserted against them are without merit.
Who Is Included In The Avis Budget E-Toll Charge Class Action Settlement?
The Budget Avis e-toll charge class action settlement reportedly includes, unless otherwise excluded, the following settlement class:
All U.S. residents who (1) rented an Avis or Budget vehicle from a company owned location in the U.S. during the “Class Period” and, (2) in connection with that rental, paid Avis, Budget or their electronic toll processing administrator, HTA, for their use of e-Toll.
According to the settlement notice, an “e-Toll-Related Charges” means e-Toll-Related Service Fees (a/k/a “convenience fees”) and, if any, e-Toll-Related Toll Differential incurred by an Avis or Budget customer for that customer’s use of e-Toll during the rental period, and “e-Toll-Related Toll Differential” means, with respect to an Avis or Budget rental customer who has used e-Toll, the difference, if any, between the amount charged to that customer for a toll or tolls incurred during a rental and the amount paid by HTA to a toll authority for the customer’s incurred toll or tolls during that rental.
In addition, the settlement notice explains that the “Class Period” means April 1, 2007 through December 31, 2015, except that for rental transactions originating in Florida, Texas, and Colorado the class period is March 2, 2009 to December 31, 2015.
What Settlement Benefits Does The Avis Budget Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Provide?
Under the Avis Budget lawsuit settlement, Avis will pay up to forty-five million dollars ($45,000,000) for all valid claims made in the settlement, administration costs (including the costs of implementing and effectuating class notice and claim payments), attorneys’ fees and attorney’s costs/expenses of litigation, any service award to Plaintiff, all subject to court approval.
If the Avis settlement is approved by the Court, each Settlement Class member who files a timely and approved claim will receive a partial reimbursement of eligible e-Toll-Related Charges, the amount of which depends on, among other things, the number of eligible rental transactions the claimant had.
Avis Budget settlement claim forms can be submitted online or via mail. Avis Budget toll fee settlement claims must be postmarked or sumbitted online by the filing deadline of February 28, 2023.
Where Can You Obtain More Information About The Budget Avis E-Toll Charge Class Action Settlement?
For more information about the Avis Budget e-toll charge class action settlement, write to Avis Budget Group E-Toll Settlement c/o Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103, call 1-844-448-0078, email Info@eTollSettlement.com or visit the Avis e-toll class action settlement website at https://etollsettlement.com.