Forced arbitration reduced your options. You can agree to arbitration if both parties desire it when a dispute arises.
One of the biggest consumer protections that a forced arbitration clause can kill is a class action lawsuit. If a corporation harms each consumer for $.30, there’s no real way to bring an individualized case over that. A class action is a viable option to hold the corporation to account.
That makes sense, thanks for the context. Though, I’ve been a part of maybe 10 class actions in my life so far, and all of them amounted to less than $50 each. I suppose they are more effectively punitive to the corp than compensatory to the aggrieved.
> I suppose they are more effectively punitive to the corp than compensatory to the aggrieved.
Generally yes. One of the whole points of a class action is that they can address harms that are de minimis to an individual, but pretty bad for a society as a whole when repeated millions of times. So, generally the harm to you was small (probably small enough that you didn’t notice, or wouldn’t have bothered fighting the corporation on your own over it), so the compensation to you is also generally small.
As a class member, you can opt out of the class, and sue the company individually, if you think you’ve been significantly damaged more tban a typical member of the class. There’s usually a proactive step you have to opt out at some point.
One of the biggest consumer protections that a forced arbitration clause can kill is a class action lawsuit. If a corporation harms each consumer for $.30, there’s no real way to bring an individualized case over that. A class action is a viable option to hold the corporation to account.