Welcome to the Exxon Dealer Class Action website. This site provides information concerning a class action brought on behalf of current and former Exxon dealers who purchased motor fuel directly from Exxon (direct served dealers) between March 1983 and August 1994.

What is the class action about? In 1991, a group of current and former Exxon direct served dealers filed a lawsuit against Exxon. The dealers alleged that Exxon had been overcharging all of its direct served dealers for the wholesale price of motor fuel since March 1983. The dealers filed the claim as a class action, meaning that it was on behalf of all dealers who were parties to one or more Sales Agreements with Exxon and who purchased motor fuel directly from Exxon (direct served dealers) between March 1983 and August 1994.

The claim relates to Exxon's Discount for Cash (DFC) program, which Exxon implemented in August 1982. Under this program, Exxon began charging dealers a separate 3% fee for processing credit transactions. Exxon said, however, that it would reduce the wholesale price of motor fuel by an amount that, on average, would offset the fee. In the lawsuit, the dealers alleged that Exxon collected the fee, but failed to reduce the wholesale price of motor fuel.

What is the Recovery? In 2001, a jury returned a large verdict in favor of the dealers. The jury found that beginning on March 1, 1983, until Exxon cancelled the DFC program on August 28, 1994, Exxon had not reduced the wholesale price of motor fuel. Exxon appealed the case to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court, but the verdict was affirmed.

On December 19, 2005, the attorneys for the class reached a settlement with Exxon. Exxon has paid $1.075 billion in settlement of all 11,000 claims that have been filed by dealers or others who have acquired rights to a claim. All claimants who filed a claim by December 19, 2005 and whose claims are approved by the Special Master will receive 100% of compensatory damages as well as most of their prejudgment interest through October 31, 2005. The claims process will continue without Exxon's participation.

The settlement has been finally approved by the District Court after a hearing in which interested parties were given the chance to object. The class notice that was approved by the District Court describes the terms of the settlement in detail, and is available by clicking the link on the top left of this page.

To view the Current Status, please click here.