Claim
Awards for Repair Reimbursement and Replacement Reimbursement
were mailed in mid-September 2005 to all claimants who filed a
timely Repair Reimbursement and/or Replacement Reimbursement claim.
The following is a list of frequently asked questions regarding
this distribution and claimants' overall claims status.
1.
Why
didn't I receive a dollar-for-dollar cash reimbursement for my
out of pocket costs in repairing and/or replacing my Maytag®
Neptune® Front-Load Washing Machine?
2.Why
is the total amount of my check and Appliance Certificate different
from the amount I claimed on my Claim Form?
3.
I was expecting a larger portion of my reimbursement
to be cash. Why is the amount of my check so much smaller than
my Appliance Certificate amount?
4.
I was expecting to receive reimbursement for both
the repair costs I incurred while owning my Maytag® Neptune®
Washing Machine as well as the cost for replacing my Neptune.
The amount of my check/certificate doesn't seem to reflect this.
What happened?
5.
I filed my initial claim over a year ago and only
recently received my Claim Award. What is the reason for the delay?
6.
I filed a timely claim for Repair Reimbursement
and/or Replacement Reimbursement, but haven't received my Claim
Award yet. What should I do?
7.
Why didn't I receive reimbursement for costs
incurred in purchasing an extended warranty agreement for my Maytag®
Neptune® Washing Machine?
8.
I just received an Appliance Purchase Certificate
as part of my Claim Award. Why did I receive a certificate instead
of a cash payment? How do I use the Appliance Purchase Certificate?
9.
I filed a timely claim for a free repair and/or
a Washing Machine Purchase Certificate. What's the status of my
Claim Award?
10.
I received a Washing Machine Purchase Certificate
as my Claim Award. The certificate is good towards the purchase
of a Maytag® Neptune® Top-Load Washing Machine. I currently
own a Front-Load Washing Machine, so is my certificate incorrect?
11.
I currently own a Maytag® Neptune® Front-Load stackable
unit (washer/dryer combination). My Washing Machine Purchase Certificate
is only valid towards the purchase of a Maytag® Neptune®
Top-Load Washing Machine, but I would prefer another Front-Load
washer. What are my options?
12.
I received a letter from the Claims Administrator
entitled "Notice of Deficient Claim". What does this
mean? Do I need to take any action?
1.
Why didn't I receive a dollar-for-dollar cash reimbursement for
my out of pocket costs in repairing and/or replacing my Maytag®
Neptune® Front-Load Washing Machine?
As
stated in the Notice, Maytag will reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket
costs related to repairs which are the subject of the lawsuit.
However, the cash payments to Class Members for Repair Reimbursements
were limited to a maximum of $2,000,000.00. The dollar amount
of all eligible claims exceeded $2,000,000.00 and as a result,
the cash distribution was made on a pro rata basis with the difference
being made up by the issuance of Appliance Purchase Certificates.
For
Replacement Reimbursements, the Notice states that Maytag will
pay each Class Member up to five-hundred-dollars, subject to depreciation,
if the Class Member already bought a new washer to replace their
Maytag® Neptune® Washing Machine prior to August 9, 2004.
The amount of the reimbursement to qualified Class Members ranged
from $100.00 to $500.00, depending upon the number of years of
ownership by the Class Members. These awards were also limited
to the same maximum of $2,000,000 in cash (which was distributed
on a pro rata basis), with the difference being made up
by Appliance Purchase Certificates.
The
term pro rata means a share of the $2,000,000 was allocated to
each approved claim based on the proportion an individual claim
was to all approved claims.
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2.
Why is the total amount of my check and Appliance Certificate
different from the amount I claimed on my Claim Form?
There
are several possible reasons why a claimant received a Claim Award
amount that differed from the amount claimed. All of the reasons
relate to how the claim form was completed and the validity of
the supporting documentation provided by the claimant.
All
repair invoices related to Class Claims (e.g., door latch, wax
motor, etc.) on Maytag® Neptune® Front-Load Washing Machines
purchased prior to August 9, 2004 that indicated out-of-pocket
costs and had valid corresponding claim form entries were approved.
Invoices indicating out-of-pocket expenses for anything other
than class claims for a Maytag® Neptune® Front-Load Washing
Machine were deemed invalid.
All
invoices dated prior to August 9, 2004 (and after the Maytag®
Neptune® Front-Load purchase date) that clearly indicated
the purchase of a replacement Washing Machine were approved. If
the supporting documentation provided by the claimant did not
meet the above criteria, the claimed amount was not included as
part of the Claim Award. Any replacement invoices dated after
August 8, 2004 were deemed invalid.
In
addition, this class action does not provide reimbursement for
certain out-of-pocket expense categories including (but not limited
to): the purchase of extended warranty plans; laundromat expenses;
damage to washables, residence or business; homeowner or rental
insurance claims; lost wages; and/or hospital or medical care.
For further explanation of valid Reimbursement claims, please
review the Class Notice.
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3.
I was expecting a larger portion of my reimbursement to be cash.
Why is the amount of my check so much smaller than my Appliance
Certificate amount?
The
response rate amongst Class Members in this case was high, and
the majority of filed claims were approved. As a result, the cash
payment allocation was distributed pro rata across a larger pool
of eligible claimants. In order to satisfy all eligible claims
for Repair Reimbursement and Replacement Reimbursement, Appliance
Purchase Certificates became a necessary component of each claimant's
Claim Award.
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4.
I was expecting to receive reimbursement for both the repair costs
I incurred while owning my Maytag® Neptune® Washing Machine
as well as the cost for replacing my Neptune. The amount of my
check/certificate doesn't seem to reflect this. What happened?
The
check/certificate amount represents the portion of your claim
that was approved. It's possible that one or more of the entries
on your claim form or supporting documents you provided was deficient
in some way (e.g., illegible) and, as a result, was not included
in your Claim Award. In these cases, you may receive a Notice
of Deficient Claim (or deficiency letter) asking you to re-submit
your supporting documentation for further review. In other cases,
the supporting documentation submitted with the original claim
did not fall under the categories for reimbursement under the
Settlement terms outlined in the Class Notice; as a result, the
invalid portion of the claim was denied.
For
claimants who filed for Repair Reimbursement and Replacement Reimbursement,
it's possible that all or a portion of the Repair Reimbursement
amount was deficient or invalid, or that the Replacement Reimbursement
portion of the claim was deficient or invalid. In either case,
the Claim Award amount would be less than the claimed amount.
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5.
I filed my initial claim over a year ago and only recently received
my Claim Award. What is the reason for the delay?
Final
approval of the Settlement was delayed for several months until
the Final Notice of Appeal was dismissed. Consequently, the processing
of claims was also on hold during that time period. The Claims
Administrator initiated claims processing shortly after Final
Approval of the Settlement. Accurate claims processing takes time
and requires the careful examination of every document submitted
with each claim. Given the pro rata status of the cash
payment, all Reimbursement claims needed to be processed before
any Claim Awards were issued.
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6.
I filed a timely claim for Repair Reimbursement and/or Replacement
Reimbursement, but haven't received my Claim Award yet. What should
I do?
Everyone
who filed a claim in this case will receive (or has received)
correspondence from the Claims Administrator advising them of
his/her claims status.
If
any portion of your Reimbursement claim was approved, you can
expect to receive your Claim Award in the near future; all checks/certificates
were mailed by the Claims Administrator in mid-September 2005.
It is possible that all or some portion of your Reimbursement
claim was deficient, in which case you can expect to receive a
Notice of Deficient Claim letter asking you to re-submit your
supporting documentation for further review. It is also possible
that your Reimbursement claim was denied, in which case you will
receive notice of your denial status from the Claims Administrator.
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7.
Why didn't I receive reimbursement for costs incurred in purchasing
an extended warranty agreement for my Maytag® Neptune®
Washing Machine?
Per
the Class Notice, this Settlement only covered out-of-pocket costs
incurred for repairs to the Maytag® Neptune® Front-Load
Washing Machine (or the purchase of a replacement Washing Machine).
Repairs or replacements must have been completed prior to August
9, 2004 to be eligible for reimbursement under the Settlement
terms.
The
purchase of extended warranty agreements, service plans, or other
preventive maintenance contracts are not eligible for reimbursement
in this Settlement. Please see the Class Notice for additional
details.
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8.
I just received an Appliance Purchase Certificate as part of my
Claim Award. Why did I receive a certificate instead of a cash
payment? How do I use the Appliance Purchase Certificate?
Per
the Notice, approved Class Members were eligible to receive a
pro rata share of the $2,000,000.00 cash payment for out-of-pocket
expenses as well as Appliance Purchase Certificates (in the event
that the cash payment amount was exhausted). The Notice explicitly
stated the Settlement terms and every claimant agreed to those
terms when filing a claim.
Appliance
Purchase Certificates are similar to a mail-in rebate. Appliance
Purchase Certificates are transferable and may be used to purchase
any major Maytag® appliance (which includes a Maytag®
brand refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer, or free-standing
range) at any major retailer prior to the expiration date. However,
the certificate must be mailed directly to Maytag for redemption.
Appliance purchases made prior to the certificate issue date will
not be eligible for the certificate award.
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9.
I filed a timely claim for a free repair and/or a Washing Machine
Purchase Certificate. What's the status of my Claim Award?
The
Claims Administrator has been processing the Repair Request claims
on a rolling basis since the Final Notice of Appeal was dismissed.
At its sole discretion, Maytag® has been contacting eligible
claimants to determine potential settlement benefits. The majority
of Repair Request claims have been already been resolved, but
many of the claims filed close to the August 9, 2005 deadline
are still in process. If you haven't received a contact from Maytag®
to determine your settlement benefit within 90 days of the August
9, 2005 filing deadline, you may check this website for updates
or email the Claims Administrator at
administrator@maytagfrontloadsettlement.com.
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10.
I received a Washing Machine Purchase Certificate as my Claim
Award. The certificate is good towards the purchase of a Maytag®
Neptune® Top-Load Washing Machine. I currently own a Front-Load
Washing Machine, so is my certificate incorrect?
Per
the Class Notice, the Settlement terms indicate that the Washing
Machine Purchase Certificates are good towards the purchase of
a Maytag® Neptune® Top-Load Washing Machine only. The
certificates cannot be used for the purchase of another Maytag®
Neptune® Front-Load unit.
In
filing a claim, each Class Member agrees to accept the Settlement
terms as stated. Please review the Class Notice for further information.
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11.
I currently own a Maytag® Neptune® Front-Load stackable
unit (washer/dryer combination). My Washing Machine Purchase Certificate
is only valid towards the purchase of a Maytag® Neptune®
Top-Load Washing Machine, but I would prefer another Front-Load
washer. What are my options?
The
terms of the Settlement as outlined in the Class Notice explicitly
state that the Washing Machine Purchase Certificates are only
valid towards the purchase of a Maytag® Neptune® Top-Load
Washing Machine. The Settlement does not include Front-Load units
as an eligible product under the Purchase Certificate program.
In
filing a claim, each Class Member agreed to accept the Settlement
terms as stated. Please review the Class Notice for further information.
Maytag
has authorized exceptions to accommodate claimants with stackable
units who have space constraints that limit them to using only
another stackable unit, as well as disabled persons who require
special accommodations. These exceptions require advance authorization,
so claimants in either of these two categories should contact
Maytag at 1-888-4-MAYTAG (Option 9) prior to purchasing
a replacement washing machine.
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12.
I received a letter from the Claims Administrator entitled "Notice
of Deficient Claim". What does this mean? Do I need to take
any action?
The
Claim Form or the supporting documentation you provided was deemed
deficient in some way. Please review the Notice of Deficient Claim
(deficiency letter) and follow the instructions carefully. You
may be required to re-submit supporting documentation (e.g., repair
invoices, replacement Washing Machine receipts) for further review
and determination by the Claims Administrator.
If
you submitted claims for multiple Neptune® Machines, it's
possible that you will receive multiple deficiency letters. Please
read and respond to each letter that you receive. The deficiency
letter(s) must be postmarked by the due date in order for it to
be considered for your claim(s).
If
you received a check/certificate for your Reimbursement claim
with a different amount than the amount you requested, it is possible
that you will receive a deficiency letter at a later date indicating
the reason(s) why a portion of your claim amount wasn't included
in the initial Claim Award.
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