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Topic: Get your $20!! (Read 291 times)

Rhune
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Get your $20!!
« on: Jan 9^th, 2003, 9:22pm »

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I verified this is true and signed up for it myself. Grin

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Suppose someone was handing out $20 bills and almost
nobody wanted one? That's roughly what's happening with a massive
price-fixing settlement involving states and compact disc companies.

The deal calls for payments of as much as $20 for customers who bought CDs
between 1995 and 2000. But so far, only a few people have signed up, and
officials fear the money will go begging.

In September, the five top U.S. distributors of compact discs and three
large music retailers agreed to pay $143 million in cash and CDs to settle
allegations they cheated consumers by fixing prices.

The lawsuit alleged that the companies -- upset with low prices charged by
some stores -- conspired with retailers to set music prices at a minimum
level, effectively raising the retail prices consumers paid for CDs.

Part of the settlement -- about $44 million in cash -- is earmarked to pay
customers from $5 to $20, depending on how many people wind up dividing the
money.

By the end of December, only about 30,000 people nationwide had applied for
a piece of the pie, a tiny fraction of the number the settlement could
handle.

``The response thus far has been fairly abysmal,'' said Washington Attorney
General Christine Gregoire, who's been on morning radio shows to promote the
settlement.

Gregoire was among the attorneys general of 41 states and commonwealths who
accused record companies of conspiring with music distributors to boost the
prices of CDs between 1995 and 2000.

The companies settled rather than wage a costly legal battle.

The settlement's Web site has been up for a month, and legal notices have
been published in TV Guide, Parade and other national magazines, but the
response rate has been very low, said Tina Kondo, a senior assistant
attorney general in Gregoire's office.

``I guess people don't like to read legal notices,'' Kondo said.

Gregoire and other officials hope a radio advertising campaign set to launch
soon will boost interest in the settlement.

Anyone who bought a CD, cassette tape or vinyl record at a retail store
between 1995 and 2000 is eligible. The application window closes March 3.

You don't even need a receipt to prove you bought CDs by Hole, Metallica or
Shania Twain in 1998. Just click to the settlement's Web site, answer three
questions and fill in your name and address. But don't try to recoup the
entire cost of your music collection -- only one claim per customer.

While 41 states took on the music companies, consumers in all 50 states are
eligible for the cash.

There is one catch. If more than about 8.8 million people apply, in which
case the per-person share would drop below $5, the customer part of the
settlement is to be canceled because sending out such small checks would be
too expensive.

Instead, the money will go to public entities and nonprofit organizations in
each state to promote music programs. The settlement already calls for those
organizations to receive 5.5 million CDs valued at $75.7 million.

The music distributors participating in the deal are Bertelsmann Music
Group, EMI Music Distribution, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corp., Sony Music
Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Also included in the deal were
three national retail chains: Trans World Entertainment, Tower Records and
Musicland Stores, a division of Best Buy Co. Inc.

------

On the Net:

settlement details, http://www.musiccdsettlement.com

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Bumper
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #1 on: Jan 9^th, 2003, 11:49pm »

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Rhune,
Thanks for advising that you checked this out prior to posting.

BUT . . . .

Let me just put this out there for thought. Is it wise to provide someone/anyone, on an unsecure server, your complete identity information complete with date of birth AND the last four numbers of your social security number . . . . . . just for the possiblilty of getting somewhere between five and twenty bucks Huh

!
Hell, the price thieves pay on the street for a good SSN is more expensive than that!!

With the rampant explortation of people's identities and personal information taking place these days, I just don't think it's a wise move.
It's bad enough that they ask for your date of birth, WHY do these people need part of my social security number??
Of course I could lie and put some phony numbers there (as I'm sure many will do), but then again, many will not.

SSN's are coded. The first three numbers identify the state where you were initially registered. That means that you are giving whoever is operating this web site (and anybody else who knows how to hack their way in) the first three numbers of the SSN AND the last four! Now I'm sure that many have moved, but then you HAVE to realize that just as many will have not! It also stands to reason that many who will learn of this "settlement offer" and fill out this form will be younger and less likely to have moved from the state of their birth (making the process that much easier).
That only leaves the middle two numbers as the unknown. I'm no math whiz but I don't think with today's computer programs, it wouldn't take much to come up with those last two numbers, OR just fake em' and assume that person's identity!

And then, someone has ALL the infor needed to steal an identity, lock, stock and barrel!! Only thing missing is your shoe size!!!!

Call me paranoid, and maybe it's just a result of too many years working in my field, but I think I'll pass on my check. It just isn't worth it for me. It could wind up being a very expensive twenty bucks!

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Bumper
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #2 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 12:37am »

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The best advice I can think of, to anyone who makes a decision to submit a claim. . . . .

PRINT OUT the form and MAIL IT IN instead of putting that personal information out there on the web.

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east
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #3 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 1:20am »

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not for canadians... :wail:

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Addams
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #4 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 7:10am »

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first Survivor is not for Canadians and NOW THIS!

I think bumper's idea is a great one. Send in those forms and get your $20 in the mail. If you don't want it then send it to your favourite Canadian Wink

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Rhune
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #5 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 9:00am »

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Sound advice, Bump!

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MzWings
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #6 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 9:39am »

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Bumper - always the sound voice of reason. Thanks.....

After giving this more thought, suddenly $5 to $20 doesn't seem worth having one's identity up for grabs. I would imagine printing the form and sending it through the snail mail would be safer. But still, the personal info is exposed.

Are you still thinking about doing this Rhune?

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The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
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Rhune
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Re: Get your $20!!
« Reply #7 on: Jan 10^th, 2003, 1:37pm »

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Yeah, I've signed up for a million sweepstakes and things over the years and not always on secure servers, I know my name and address are out there. I already signed up and I'm not gonna fret over it. Wink

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