Question: I received a check for the MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement. I had two issues with the keyboard in 2018, but I do not recall joining the class-action lawsuit. What are the possible consequences if I deposit the check and it is not legitimate?
Answer: From your description, you may be in Group 1 of this settlement of problems that occurred years ago in certain Apple computers. Group 1 members didn’t have to file a claim to receive a payment. Checks for $300 to $395 were being mailed to them this month, according to the settlement website. As for your question, we’d defer to your bank and suggest that you deposit the check in person so that staff can look for tell-tale signs of fraud or verify that that the check is genuine.
The MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement is a $50 million settlement for U.S. customers who purchased, other than for resale, an Apple MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro laptop between 2015 and 2019 that had a butterfly keyboard that needed specific repairs within four years of purchase; the repairs had to be done by Apple or an Apple-authorized service provider. The settlement payment per customer will vary, with the highest going to members of Group 1, who had at least two topcase replacements, meaning a whole new keyboard was installed each time. Group 1 members did not need to submit a claim form. Since you recall two problems in 2018, you may be in this category. For more information, see keyboard settlement.com, which lists the requirements for Group 1 as well as the requirements for Group 2 (maximum payment $125) and Group 3 (maximum payment $50). Members of Groups 2 and 3 did need to submit claim forms, and the deadline to do so has passed.
Con artists keep up with current events, adapting their scams to capitalize on widely disseminated information about financial settlements, government programs, etc. So although it sounds like you are entitled to a payment from this MacBook settlement, you are wise to verify that the check you received is real.
Q: The city did not pick up our gray bin Saturday. Did the truck break? When do you think they will pick up? We live in Makakilo.
A: City officials have said that a shortage of garbage trucks might delay collection on three-bin routes around the island, intermittently. Any affected customer should leave the skipped bin at the curb until it is emptied, which should be within a day or so. If only your garbage was skipped, and not your neighbors’, report the problem to the Pearl City Collection Yard at 808-768-9732; its jurisdiction includes Makakilo, according to the Department of Environmental Service’s website.
Auwe
I was at the Kapolei Costco in July when it was very busy and shopping carts were hard to come by. Staff members were in the parking lot working hard to bring carts to waiting customers. I went and got my cart from the parking lot and entered the store, putting my personal soft-sided cooler in the basket. I turned my back for a few seconds to look at some clothes, and someone took my cart, perhaps an impatient customer who had been unwilling to wait outside for a cart as I had. Taking the cart is one thing, but taking my cooler — that’s stealing. No aloha. — A reader
Mahalo
On Thursday I was caught in traffic. A drive that normally would have taken 15 minutes took a half-hour. I was late for my doctor’s appointment. As I sat waiting, flushed with the heat, one of the doctor’s assistants approached me. I thought it was to call me in for my visit. He asked if I would like a lei, and I replied, “Why, sure.” He appeared with a pakalana lei (my favorite). Wow. What did I do to deserve this? He said his wife makes them and he passes them out. He made my day. It was such a nice gesture. I even forgot about the traffic as I wore the sweet scent. Thank you, Michael. I’m sure you’ve brightened others’ days with this aloha. — Gratefully, Rachel S.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
