You can get at least $50 from a bread price-fixing agreement. but the deadline is approaching

Your chance to get a piece of $500 million class action settlementThe bread pricing scheme that has been in place for years will soon end.

If you purchased packaged bread from one of Canada’s major grocery stores between 2001 and 2021 – and chances are many Canadians did so – you are eligible to apply for a piece of the settlement that grocery giant Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd. have agreed to pay. Contenders have time till December 12 to apply.

According to Verita, an independent administrator of the settlement, each claimant could get a minimum of $50.

But Jay Strausberg of Strausberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, the law firm that filed the class-action lawsuit in Ontario, says it could be $100 or more.

“This is a great opportunity for Canadians to get some money back,” he told CBC News.

He says the final amount depends on how many people submit claims by the deadline.

Verita says more than 1.4 million — not including Quebec, which is being handled separately — have already applied since the process began on Sept. 11. Here’s what you need to know:

Am I eligible?

If you purchased packaged bread for personal use between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2021 – including bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortillas, you are eligible.

There are two different forms for online claim submission: A. residents of quebec and the other one in the rest of canada,

You don’t need receipts to prove your purchases, but you will be asked about your most recent packaged bread purchase and where you bought it.

There is no limit on how many people from the same household can apply. But you must be 18 years of age when you apply and reside in Canada as of December 31, 2021.

When will I get the money?

Claims to be disbursed between six to 12 months after the deadline will be deposited directly into your bank account through Interac e-transfer or cheque.

Strosberg says more money could also be distributed if further settlements occur as the class action continues.

Other grocery shopkeepers were also named in the lawsuit, however, they say that there are no settlement talks going on with anyone at the moment.

What will happen to my information?

The information you submit will be maintained by the administrators.

Strosberg says this is for both auditing and compliance purposes – and also for the possibility of further settlement. They say any personal information will eventually be destroyed.

How will they know if the claim is genuine?

That’s a problem, says Strosberg. But the bigger concern isn’t a matter of one or two additional claims from the same household: It’s bots.

They say millions of fake claims have been submitted by bots.

He says administrators are using “sophisticated software” to monitor how many claims are coming from certain IP addresses, which is a unique numerical identifier assigned to any device connected to the Internet.

But otherwise, he says, they are taking Canadians at their word and encouraging more people to submit claims.

“(Bread) is a staple food in every Canadian’s household,” he said. “Everyone was impressed.”