Consumers who filed a claim years ago in the packaged tuna price-fixing settlements are now running into a different problem: some of the checks the case’s administrator mailed out this month will not go through at the bank. The settlements, which total $152.2 million, finished accepting claims back in 2024, so the issue now facing claimants has nothing to do with filing deadlines and everything to do with a bank processing error the administrator has flagged on its own website. Anyone affected does not need to refile a claim to get paid; the fix runs through a replacement check instead.
A $152.2 Million Settlement, Already Paid Out
The underlying case, In re Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation, resolved antitrust claims against tuna packers with settlements totaling $152.2 million, according to the settlement administrator’s website. Class members had to file a claim by the deadline the court set, and that window is long closed: the settlement’s own FAQ page states plainly that “the deadline to file a claim in these Settlements has passed,” with the original cutoff having been Dec. 31, 2024. Checks funded by the settlement went out to claimants on Sept. 8, 2026, per the same FAQ page, nearly two years after the claims window closed and well after the court granted final approval to the deal on Nov. 22, 2024.
The gap this notice leaves: A settlement check that bounces at the bank and gets reissued weeks later is exactly the kind of paperwork trail a household can lose track of, especially when the original claim was filed nearly two years before the check arrived. See the payment tracker built for exactly this in The Settlement & Refund Recovery System.
The Bank Processing Issue Behind Uncashed Checks
Not every check that went out is working. “The Bank handling distribution has told us some class members are unable to cash their checks due to a bank processing issue,” the settlement administrator states on its site, without naming the bank or specifying how many of the mailed checks were affected. The administrator’s message adds that there are sufficient funds available to cover all payments, meaning the issue traces back to how the checks are clearing rather than a shortfall in the settlement fund itself. Claimants are specifically told not to attempt to re-deposit an original check that failed to clear, since doing so risks generating additional bank fees on top of the original problem.
How A Replacement Check Differs From The Original
The administrator says replacement checks will be issued as quickly as possible and will include an additional $20 to help cover bank fees a claimant may have already incurred trying to cash the original. Anyone charged more than $20 in fees is directed to email the administrator at info@TunaEndPurchaserSettlement.com with documentation, rather than absorb the difference. A reissued check also resets the clock in one specific way: the settlement’s FAQ page states that replacement checks carry a new 60-day void period, and that the original Nov. 7, 2026 void date printed on the first checks no longer applies once a check has been replaced. A void date matters because a check that is not deposited before it passes typically becomes non-negotiable at most banks, so a claimant sitting on an uncashed original check gains a fresh window to work with once the replacement arrives, rather than racing the first check’s own printed deadline.
What The Settlement No Longer Covers
Because the claims window closed at the end of 2024, this is not a story about a new opportunity to file. Anyone who did not submit a claim by the original deadline is not eligible for a payment from these particular tuna settlements regardless of the current check-cashing trouble, and the reissue process only applies to class members who already have a check in hand or in transit. The settlement administrator’s contact line, 866-615-0977, and its mailing address at P.O. Box 91442, Seattle, WA 98111, are listed on the site specifically for claimants with a payment problem, not for new claim submissions.
A Reissued Check Still Needs A Paper Trail
A settlement check that fails at the bank and gets replaced weeks later, with a fee add-on and a new 60-day window of its own, is the kind of detail that is easy to lose track of between the original mailing and whatever eventually clears. The administrator’s fix depends on the claimant keeping the original check, noting the bank’s rejection, and following up if the reissued amount does not match what was expected.
The Settlement & Refund Recovery System includes a claim log and payment tracker for recording exactly that kind of before-and-after detail, alongside the four-date rule for reading any settlement notice correctly.
Read the four-date rule before the next settlement notice arrives, in The Settlement & Refund Recovery System.
This article was produced with AI assistance and checked against the primary sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
