Lieff Cabraser & Co-Counsel Announce That Victims of Fleetcor’s Alleged Predatory Scheme File Class Action Lawsuit
Fuelman Card included hidden and deceptive fees; earned Fleetcor’s
CEO $357 million in compensation
Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel announce that Wisconsin’s Schultz Transfer
System, Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit in Georgia alleging that
Fleetcor’s “Fuelman” gas card was a predatory scheme that began charging
clients more than the face amount at the pump, despite promising
“deep savings...for fleets of all sizes, in all industries.”1
The complaint alleges that the Fuelman card was more expensive than the
price at the pump because of Fuelman’s allegedly deceptive fees and
charges, often several dollars for each trip to the pump. This was so
even though Fleetcor promised its customers that they would pay “No
fees for set-up, transactions, or annual membership.”2
Schultz, a four-vehicle, family-owned trucking company in Franklin,
Wisconsin, was one of thousands of small businesses who took Fleetcor’s
representations at face value. But in 2017, Schultz started to notice
fees tacked on to the bill: “Minimum Program Administration Fees,”
“Clean Advantage Fees,” and miscellaneous “Other Charges.” When pressed
as to why a “no fee” program was charging fees, Fleetcor refunded some
of the fees, only to go right back to charging them on future bills.
Jason Lichtman of Lieff Cabraser Heiman & Bernstein, LLP; Matthew Wilson
of Meyer Wilson Co., LPA; Sean Sweeney of Halling & Cayo S.C.; and Jason
Doss of The Doss Firm represent Schultz in the class action lawsuit
filed today in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Georgia, Case No. 1:19-cv-558. They say that Fleetcor should
be held accountable for its promises.
“Schultz alleges that Fleetcor preyed on numerous businesses with a
fraudulent, predatory scheme,” explains Lichtman. “My clients want to
bring this fraud to light and ensure that Fleetcor pays restitution to
the many companies it defrauded.”
Fleetcor became the darling of Wall Street in part because of its
ability to extract fees and other charges from its customers—no matter
what it promised when it signed those customers up for its Fuelman
cards. Fleetcor’s CEO has made $357 million in compensation since 2010,
more than what Visa and Mastercard’s CEOs made combined in the
same period.3 This was at the expense of small businesses
like Schultz, who were nickel-and-dimed in order to feed Fleetcor and
its CEO’s excess.
The lawsuit is currently pending, and a
copy of the complaint can be viewed here. If you have been deceived
or defrauded by Fleetcor’s fuel program, you can visit
us online or call us at (1 800 541-7358) to get more information
about the case and to learn how you can help end Fleetcor’s fraudulent
and improper practices.
About Lieff Cabraser
Recognized as “one of the nation’s premier plaintiffs’ firms” by The
American Lawyer, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, has
successfully litigated and settled hundreds of class action lawsuits in
federal and state courts, including scores of consumer fraud class
action lawsuits against many of the largest U.S. companies and financial
institutions. Working with co-counsel, we have achieved judgments and
settlements in excess of $19 billion for consumers and businesses in
these cases. With over 90 attorneys in offices in San Francisco, New
York, and Nashville, we are among the largest law firms in the United
States that represent only plaintiffs. Online at LieffCabraser.com.
About Meyer Wilson
Meyer Wilson is a boutique firm with offices Ohio, California, and
Michigan that focuses on class/mass action lawsuits and investor claims.
Meyer Wilson has been appointed lead and co-lead counsel in numerous
consumer class actions throughout the United States over the past twenty
years. Through our its efforts, our firm has recovered more than
$350,000,000 for its clients. To contact Meyer Wilson, call our offices
at (888) 390-6491, or visit our website at meyerwilson.com.
About Halling & Cayo S.C.
Halling & Cayo, S.C. is a mid-size litigation firm in Milwaukee
Wisconsin focusing on all aspects of litigation, including business
litigation and securities litigation. Halling & Cayo represents business
of all sizes in disputes in state and federal courts. Attorney Sean
Sweeney is the co-chair of the firm’s business litigation team and chair
of its securities litigation section and has been selected to the
SuperLawyers listing, reserved for the top 2.5% of the lawyer in the
state, 8 years running. To contact Sean or Halling & Cayo, S.C. call
(414) 271-3400 or visit HallingCayo.com.
About The Doss Firm
The Doss Firm, LLC, is a successful law firm primarily devoted to
representing aggrieved consumers across the United States in individual
and class cases against companies for engaging in consumer fraud. Since
its inception, the law firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars
for consumers in class action litigation including the successful
representation of approximately 750,000 Georgia households against the
two largest natural gas marketers in Georgia. Also, notably, in 2018,
Jason Doss was selected by a federal court to serve as one of twelve
attorneys to lead the Equifax Data Breach case on behalf of all
consumers across the country. To contact The Doss Firm, please call
(855) 436-7752 or visit our website at www.dossfirm.com.
1 https://www.fuelman.com/fuelman-fleet-cards?tab=0
2 https://web.archive.org/web/20170213154035/http:/www.fuelman.com:80/fuelman-discount-advantage-fleet-card-details.aspx
3 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-31/ceo-made-357-million-from-small-businesses-3-50-at-a-time
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