Customers ‘shocked’ by hefty Juul settlement payments

The payments range from $15 to more than $10,000, with an average of about $240, said Dena Sharp of the San Francisco law firm Girard & Sharp, who was the lead attorney on the case.

Administrators of the deal, which involved Juul and tobacco giant Altria, which previously held a sizable stake in the company, began mailing checks late last week. Electronic payments began on Monday.

Ms. Sharp said more payments will be sent out in the coming days.

“Please continue to be patient and give us a little time to process these claims,” she said.

More than 14 million people filed complaints with the court, of which only around 842,000 were officially validated.

Ms. Sharp said the court followed a careful process to review the claims, looking for duplicates, signs of fraud and proof of purchase.

About a quarter of recipients purchased directly from the company, making it easier to verify their eligibility, she said.

The lawsuit alleged two things: that Juul customers paid more for the product than they would have if they had received accurate information about its addictiveness and safety, and that the products were illegally marketed to minors.

The court did not rule on whether either company violated any laws.

Many of those receiving payments, like Feinstein, were pleasantly surprised by the amounts and took to social media to celebrate their outcome.

“The money couldn’t have come at a better time, so I’m really grateful that they’re moving forward,” Feinstein said, adding that she could use some of the money to pay off her credit card debt.

Feinstein said she started smoking at age 16 and tried several methods to quit. Eventually, the vaping stuck.

For a few years, he was a loyal Juul customer, consuming a capsule approximately every three days, and for several months participating in regular surveys the company conducted, collecting data on his health and usage.

He ended up switching to other brands because of the cost, he said.

He said he feels Juul has been unfairly singled out among vaping companies by regulators.

“I’m grateful that we reached the agreement, but I don’t think it was fair,” he confessed. “Does that make me a hypocrite? I don’t know.”