Our Lawyers Defend Your Rights

Class Action

In 2004 and 2006, we filed a Class Action lawsuit against certain financial institutions that are issuers of credit cards.

In November 2006 and October 2007, Justice Clément Gascon of the Québec Superior Court authorized these Class Action lawsuits against the following financial institutions:

* Amex Canada
* Citibank Canada
* MBNA Canada
* Royal Bank of Canada

These financial institutions in contravene the Consumer Protection Act by imposing credit charges before the expiry of a 21 day-period following the mailing of the account statement. For example, if a consumer maintains an unpaid balance on an account statement, he will automatically lose the advantage of the interest-free period for all new purchases that figure on his next statement, even if he pays the entire balance shown on his state of account on the expiry date. The purpose of the Class Action is to obtain elimination of the credit charges and to repay those that were obtained illegally.

Members
You are a member of this Class Action if you paid credit charges without being granted the grace period provided for in the Consumer Protection Act:
 

• With your Amex Bank of Canada card, between July 18, 2000 and August 31, 2010 (Class action n° 500-06-000203-030)
• With your Royal Bank of Canada, Citibank Canada or MBNA Canada cards, between August 2, 2000 and August 31, 2010 (Class action n° 500-06-000375-069)

If you wish to be excluded from the class action, you must advise the Clerk of the Superior Court, District of Montreal, by courier or registered mail. The Clerk’s address is 1,  Notre-Dame Street East,  Suite 1.01, Montreal (Quebec) H2Y 1B6, and the Clerk must be informed no later than January 10th, 2011 that you are a member of the group described in the class action bearing docket number n° 500-06-000203-030 or in the class action bearing docket number 500-06-000375-069 and that you wish to be excluded from these proceedings.


Progress of the Class Action
The Superior Court has authorized us to sue certain financial institutions. This lawsuit could take a few years. We recommend that you follow developments in this case by consulting the newspapers and our Web site.

We suggest you keep all the account statements showing that you experienced this problem. In addition, we invite you to fill out this form.