Less Miserable
'Less Miserable' parody video showcases S.F. City Attorney's Check 'n Go refund drive
A viral video parody of the trailer for the Oscar®-nominated film "Les Misérables" premiered at a film industry screening theater, representing the latest tactic in an innovative social media campaign to identify and educate online Check 'n Go borrowers who may be entitled to significant refunds for interest, fees and finance charges.
Click here to watch the split screen version
The parody video draws parallels between travails of the 19th Century French working class famously depicted in the original novel, stage and film versions of "Les Misérables" with modern day financial challenges like unexpected medical bills and auto repairs, which can force today's consumers to turn to online and storefront lenders with exorbitant (and even illegal) interest rates. The indignities and injustices of post-revolutionary France are updated to reflect contemporary predatory lending practices, and iconic "Les Misérables" characters like Fantine, Cosette, Marius and Jean Valjean find their 21st Century counterparts as consumers whom cruel fate has pushed into crushing debt. Redemption -- the dominant theme of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel and its subsequent adaptations -- is offered in the form of a web address: www.caloanrefund.org. There, Check 'n Go borrowers can watch and share the online parody video, learn more about their eligibility for refunds, download claim forms, and get instructions to file claims in advance of the March 28 deadline.
Did you take out a four-month installment loan online with Check 'n Go?
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis J. Herrera and Check ’n Go have reached a settlement requiring Check ’n Go to repay California consumers who took out certain “four-month installment” loans online.
On behalf of California consumers, City Attorney Dennis J. Herrera sued Check ’n Go of California, Inc. et. al. alleging that certain four-month installments loans offered at www.checkngo.com, www.ilp.fbdul.com and/or www.commandlaons.com were illegal. The City Attorney and Check ’n Go have reached a settlement requiring Check ’n Go to repay Californians who took out the loans at issue between November 2006 and June 2008.
Am I eligible to make a claim for repayment?
You are eligible to make a claim for repayment if: between November 2006 and June 2008 you borrowed a four-month installment loan online via the web site(s) www.checkngo.com, www.ilp.fbdul.com and/or www.commandlaons.com.
How much of a repayment can I receive?
Exact repayment amounts will vary. The lowest possible amount will be $20 and the maximum amount will be $4,675. See Notice of Check ’n Go Settlement Distribution Section 2 for a more detailed explanation of how payment amounts will be determined.
How do I claim my cash award?
Complete a Claim Form for the Check ’n Go Settlement and mail it and a copy of your identification document to the third-party Settlement Administrator, Dahl Administration at the address below. It must be postmarked by March 28, 2013. Claims postmarked after March 28, 2013 will not be eligible. Do NOT mail claim form to the City Attorney.
You must mail in a copy of one of the following forms of identification with your completed Claim Form:
- any government-issued ID card (current driver’s license, passport, voter registration card, birth certificate, military ID, immigration document,
- student or school ID card bearing picture and name,
- employee ID card bearing picture and name,
- public housing ID card with address,
- a utility bill showing name and current address,
- bank statement showing name and current address,
- school tuition bill showing name and address, or
- medical ID card
Send a copy of your identification. Do not send original identification documents.
Mail the Claim Form and copy of your identification document no later than March 28, 2013 to:
CG Loans Claims Administrator
c/o Dahl Administration
P.O. Box 3614
Minneapolis, MN 55403-0614
Tel: (888) 781-6246
Questions?
Phone | SF 311 / Settlement Hotline at (855) 581-2350 toll-free
Email | caloanrefund@sfgov.org
Facebook | facebook.com/sfcityattorney
