Apple Is Doling Out $400 Million in Refunds: Are You Owed?

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In March, Apple agreed to pony up $450 million to settle a 2012 class-action lawsuit that claimed that Apple conspired with a handful of book publishers to bump up the price of electronic books. Now $400 million of the settlement money is being used to issue refunds to affected consumers.

I just received $38.06 from Apple as a part of the settlement. My refund is available as a credit on Amazon and expires on June 24, 2017. My husband received notification today that he is getting a whopping $114.56 as part of the Apple eBooks Antitrust Settlement. Both my husband and I were notified by email of the credits we received.

If you purchased an e-book from one of the publishers involved in the alleged price-fixing between April 1, 2010, and May 21, 2012, chances are good that a refund will reach you soon. The affected book publishers include Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Group USA, and Simon & Schuster, Consumerist reports.

While most books are credited at $1.57, according to Consumerist, books that were on the New York Times best-seller list are credited at $6.93.

This is the final chapter in a nearly four-year legal battle over Apple’s role in the alleged price-fixing scheme.

For more information on the refunds and the Apple lawsuit, including (if you did not receive an email) how to find out if you’re owed a refund, click here.

Do you think the settlement is enough to deter future price-fixing? Did you receive a refund? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.

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