Norcold class action?

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wb6kwt

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Mar 27, 2012
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Tracy, Ca.
I received an email this week saying there is a pending class action concerning models 1200, N6 and N8 series, here in California, anyone else received this email? I know there was a Norcold class action in the past but this is the first I've heard of recently.

Bob
 
I just got a postcard that directed me to a website at NorcoldClassAction.com. You can fill out a claim form there.

The original plaintiffs settled privately and the class action is essentially dead (the attorneys stopped working it), but apparently Norcold will be offering some settlement. I wouldn't expect much without the lawsuit pressure, but it is in their interest to offer something to get people to sign a release and avoid another lawsuit in the future.
 
Sorry about that! I fixed the original now.

You can submit the claim form without the serial number, but not sure what effect that may have on the claim. My Norcold 1200 is long gone, so I just marked it "Not Available".
 
It appears that Norcold is offering a $36M fund to share among claimants, but the number of claims has not yet been determined. Therefore the amount that any claimant might receive is still unknown.

The primary litigants in the previous Norcold class action settled privately with Norcold and the law firm has bailed out of the class action suit, so basically it doesn't exist any more.  Norcold appears to be making a blanket offer to try to avoid any new attempt (a suit was recently launched against Dometic over the same issue) and put this affair behind them. They will offer a small payment to every owner who makes a claim, in exchange for a release of liability.
 
Just submitted the claim online.
Not sure what 30 shares will do. Fund an Amish cooling unit?
The last time I participated in a class action, I got a check for 61 cents.  :mad:
We'll see....
 
Not sure what 30 shares will do. Fund an Amish cooling unit?

Not too likely. Lucky if it amount to even $100.

In the previous $33M proposal, claimants would have received $7.02 to $175.40. This one has $36M in the kitty, but the sharing is different.
 
The class action never had any real leverage because Norcold/Thetford doesn't seem to care about their reputation or their product. Hardly anyone is buying high-end Norcolds anymore, or even replacement cooling units for them, yet Norcold rolls blithely on.  Apparently the near total loss of their market share is not important to their business? Maybe they figure the absorption fridge business is a goner anyway, superseded by the improvements to  compressor-based refrigeration and high energy battery packs, and they have already written it off? Or maybe they are just arrogant? That seems to be what JLE Seminole believes, I would be hard-pressed to disagree with him on that point.

Realistically, not many people suffered actual losses and except for a few litigants they have already been compensated, by their own insurance and [I hear] sometimes with secret supplementary settlements from Norcold. I've also been told by a knowledgeable source that Norcold has indemnified insurance companies that had to pay claims on Norcold fires, so that those companies would not join in the attack. Most of the rest of the monetary loss is by people who feared fires and replaced or modified their fridge proactively. Since Norcold denies there is any valid reason to do so, they will treat them as nuisance claims to be paid off as cheaply as possible.
 
I have a Dometic refrig and look to see if there were any recalls on this unit. Glad I checked because there is. I am now wondering, how can people find out if recall work has been done on their RV or not? Maybe some place where you can enter your vin number. This would be relivent for the Norcold as well. After work is done you need to find out if work has been performed.
 
I doubt there is any relationship to the VIN as it mostly relates to the chassis. I don't know if Dometic ever recorded the serial numbers of the fridges they furnished the kits for but these kits could only be ordered by qualified repair techs using the serial number of the fridge involved.

To tell if a Dometic refer has been been modified, simply open the inspection louvered door behind the fridge. There will be a lot of extra galvanized sheet metal on the right hand side boxing in the boiler area. Perhaps a new wiring diagram was affixed to it as well as it was included in the kit for that purpose. We also had to relocate the ice maker water solenoid on one of my fridges to accommodate the new sheet metal box.
 
Hi Alfa38User,

Thank-you for the tip. I'll look and find out. Will at least let me know if something might have been worked on or not. Best!
 
I just received my checks from Norcold for the claims I made.  They will divide the payments over four years.  Just a heads-up to watch for your check if you filed.
 
gclement said:
I just received my checks from Norcold for the claims I made.  They will divide the payments over four years.  Just a heads-up to watch for your check if you filed.

How much did you get?
 
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