By Patricia M. Flannery, Esq.
Posted on Feb 24, 2014 9:32:00 AM
The Value of Your Personal Information
Over the course of the last year, there have been a number of class action lawsuits filed against major retailers. These class actions allege that the retailers violated their duty to their customers by collecting personally identifiable information (also known as Personal Identifying Information, abbreviated PII) as they accepted credit card payment. Many, but not all, of these cases have been filed in Massachusetts, because Massachusetts has case law specifically forbidding this practice by retailers.
Some of the largest retailers in the country, and some of the best-known brand names, are currently facing class action suits. A small list of these retailers includes Bed, Bath and Beyond; Payless; Sunglasses Hut; Ann Taylor; Urban Outfitters (and Anthropologie); and, just recently, Apple. All these cases center around the retailers demanding zip code information at the time of sale.
Your personal information has value. It has a value to you personally, but also to the retailer. This information is valuable to the retailers because it helps their marketing efforts. And indeed, some of these cases allege that your personal information has been sold to third parties. If this is true, it is a violation of your privacy, and a violation of the law.
If this sounds familiar to you and is something you have personally experienced, you may have a claim and be eligible to join a class action. With over three decades of representing plaintiffs and consumers, Thornton Law Firm is well prepared to handle even the largest and most complex class action cases. If you are interested in having your potential claim reviewed, please contact us at 1-888-491-9726, or get in touch with us using our online contact form, and one of our attorneys will evaluate your claim free of charge.
