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Hayford F. wants to know how Chicagoans can get more money.
Check for unclaimed cash — that’s money you might not have collected from a business or government office. It can include bank accounts, payroll checks, utility refunds, safe deposit boxes, and more. You might be able to receive some automatically thanks to recent changes.
Keep an eye out for pending biometric privacy lawsuits. Illinois has one of the strictest laws in the U.S., Chicago attorney Jay Edelson told the City Cast Chicago podcast. Companies like Facebook and Snapchat have had to pay back residents, so don’t ignore those class action settlement emails.
University of Chicago students who did e-learning in spring 2020 could get money from a class action lawsuit.
Review how to effectively complain to companies. Consumer complaints not only help you to get your money back but also create a paper trail, the Sun-Times’ Stephanie Zimmermann told the City Cast Chicago podcast.
- Opt to use a credit card for online purchases because it offers more protections than a debit card.
- Before you contact a business, write a concise narrative of what happened, gather your receipts, and keep cool.
- If it escalates, consider reaching out to the Illinois Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, or the Illinois Commerce Commission.
- Ripped off for $3,000 or less? File a pro se claim in Cook County small claims court — no lawyer needed.
— City Cast Chicago team
