Snail mail is considered an antiquated way of doing business, but some organizations across Canada will soon get a very interesting letter telling them they qualify for a rebate.

It’s a result of a settlement between a group of Canadians in a class action price-fixing lawsuit. Five manufacturers of LCD panels for laptops, computer monitors and televisions — including Samsung Electronics — have agreed to set aside $37.6 million to compensate organizations and consumers who bought products between January, 1998 and December 2006.

(After legal and other fees the amount for disbursement will be about $25 million.)

A number of the manufacturers made panels that were put in equipment for brand names like Apple, Dell, HP and IBM.

As part of the agreement the manufactures didn’t admit wrong-doing.

The letters will go to any Canadian organization that bought LCD products direct from one of the manufacturers. They don’t have to provide proof of sale unless they want to contest the manufacturer’s account of what was bought.

But Linda Visser, a partner in the Toronto law firm Siskinds LLC, who represented defendants in all provinces except B.C. and Quebec — who were represented by separate law firms — said in an interview organizations that bought through distributors and resellers Sponsor: IBM Canada Ltd
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