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Sonic Drive-In has decided to settle a class action lawsuit that claims Sonic purchases in 2017 were targeted by a cyber attack on point-of-sale systems at locations across the U.S. While Sonic is admitting no guilt or wrongdoing, the fast food restaurant has reached a settlement to end the legal proceedings — which means you could be entitled to some money.
If you made a purchase at one of the 325 Sonic locations that were supposedly impacted, you might be eligible to receive compensation as part of the settlement. To qualify, your credit or debit card purchase will have taken place from April 7, 2017 through Oct. 28, 2017.
Impacted Sonic Locations
You can find a full list of impacted Sonic locations through the Sonic Data Breach Litigation Settlement website. They span around 30 states, including Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.
How To Receive Compensation
According to Top Class Actions LLC, all valid claims will be entitled to receive $10-$40 in compensation from Sonic.
To receive compensation, you must submit a claim proving that you purchased food from one of the impacted Sonic locations. If you did, you can claim $10 in compensation.
If you also experienced fraudulent activity as a result of the data breach, you can get $40 back. But there’s a bit of a catch — you must also be able to prove it. Any fraudulent activity that occurred from the date of purchase through February 28, 2018 is relevant.
The claim will need to include the last four digits of the affected card, the location at which the purchase took place and proof in the form of bank statements, receipts or other documents. These should show that the purchase occurred and that fraudulent activity took place.
Claim forms can be filled out online or sent by mail, but must be done so by April 19.
The Settlement
If you’re owed money, it will be distributed after the court hearing, which takes place on July 25, 2019.
According to the litigation settlement website, “If the Court approves the Settlement after that, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved, and resolving them can take time, perhaps more than one year. It also takes time for all the Claim Forms to be processed. Please be patient.”
In other words, it may be a while before you see any compensation, but if you can prove you were impacted by this Sonic data breach, it may be well worth the wait to get some money that is owed to you.
Could you or someone you know have been impacted by a data breach after a Sonic purchase? If so, the deadline to file a claim is nearing, so be sure to fill out the form soon!
About the Author
Augusta Statz holds a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. She feels the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what she spends most of her time writing about. More.
