Google first-generation Pixel and Pixel XL owners may get up to $500 in class-action settlement
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Following a lawsuit, Google agreed to pay owners of an original Pixel or Pixel XL who have encountered microphone issues with the first-generation phones if they were bought before Jan. 4, 2017.
The tech giant settled a class-action lawsuit earlier this year that claimed the company knowingly sold the first-generation Pixel or Pixel XL phones with defective microphones.
While Google denied the allegations, the company agreed to pay $7.25 million to settle the case, according to a case summary.
Out of the settlement fund, administration fees, attorneys’ fees, litigation costs and any service awards for the class representatives will need to be paid, according to the FAQ section of the settlement’s website. After that, the rest will be distributed to class members who submit valid claims.
There are four categories of payment, the FAQ section said.
“Money will be set aside to pay up to $20 to each person who did not experience the alleged audio defect or who cannot provide any documentation to show that they experienced it,” the settlement’s website said.
This pool is capped at 25 percent of the total settlement fund, so if more than 145,000 people submit $20 claims, the amount that everyone receives will be prorated lower. The administration and attorney’s fees will reduce the total fund, so the payment will likely be less than the $20, according to the Verge.
“People who paid an insurance deductible to receive a replacement Pixel will be refunded the amount of the deductible,” the FAQ section said.
If an owner experienced microphone issues on multiple devices, and have the documentation to prove it, then the person will get $500, the Verge reported.
As for owners who encountered microphone troubles on a single Pixel phone, he or she will get $350, according to the tech outlet.
“People who experienced the alleged audio defect on one Pixel will be paid $350 each, unless there is not enough money left to make those payments, in which case the rest of the fund will be distributed to them on a pro rata basis,” the FAQ section said.
The requirements for submitting a claim state that owners must live in the U.S. and submit proof of their purchase of the first-generation Pixel or Pixel XL.
Further details on the allocation of payments can be found on the case documents page on the settlement’s website. The FAQ section also answers 26 questions related to the case.
Claims can be submitted through this form.
The deadline to submit a claim is Oct. 7, 2019.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.