Employees and third-party truck drivers whose information was involved in the February 2024 cyberattack on The Merchant of Tennis, which does business as US Merchants, may qualify for an estimated $45 if they lived in California or $15 elsewhere, plus identity monitoring and up to $2,000 in documented losses, from the $685,000 data breach class action settlement. Claims are open through January 27, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The Los Angeles County Superior Court granted preliminary approval on September 14, 2026, and notices began going out October 29, 2026. Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by January 27, 2027. The final approval hearing is set for March 30, 2027, and no payments will be made until the court approves the settlement. Most class members receive the cash payment automatically; third-party truck drivers, and anyone who wants identity monitoring or reimbursement of losses, need to file a claim.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The settlement resolves Victor Estrada v. The Merchant of Tennis, Inc. et al., Case No. 24STCV09656, in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. The lawsuit was filed in April 2024 after The Merchant of Tennis, which does business as US Merchants, disclosed that an unauthorized third party gained access to its network on or around February 13, 2024 and took certain files. Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl granted preliminary approval on September 14, 2026, and the administrator, Simpluris, began mailing notices on October 29.The Merchant of Tennis denies that it did anything wrong, and the court has not decided who is right. The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims, not an admission of liability.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class is everyone whose information was affected by the February 2024 cybersecurity incident at The Merchant of Tennis. According to the settlement agreement, that is about 20,299 people, mostly current and former employees and third-party truck drivers. About 11,043 of them are “Non-Employees”: people employed by other companies who provided trucking or delivery services for The Merchant of Tennis at or before the time of the incident. About 7,583 were California residents at the time.US Merchants, based in Beverly Hills, makes packaging, display and molded storage crates, according to the complaint. Despite the name, this is not a settlement for tennis shoppers. The files involved may have contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers; the company’s 2024 notice letter to the California Attorney General also listed passport and alien registration numbers and health information. The company itself and its officers, the judge and staff, anyone who opts out, and anyone responsible for the attack are excluded.
How Much Can You Get?
The Merchant of Tennis is paying $685,000 into a settlement fund. Class counsel are asking for a third of it, $228,333.33, in fees, plus up to $20,000 in costs; administration is estimated at about $53,972, and a $2,500 service award is requested. What is left pays these benefits:- Cash payment. An estimated $45 for people who lived in California in February 2024 and an estimated $15 for people in other states. The California amount is always three times the other amount, and both rise or fall depending on how much is paid for losses and monitoring.
- Documented losses. Reimbursement of up to $2,000 for out-of-pocket losses from the incident, incurred between February 1, 2024 and January 27, 2027, such as identity theft or fraud losses, credit report or credit freeze fees, ID replacement, and postage.
- Identity monitoring. Two years of CyEx Identity Defense, which the notice says includes $1 million in financial fraud insurance. Activation codes are sent after the settlement becomes final.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The official website’s online claim form can be filed without the LoginID and PIN printed on the notice: the login page links to a version of the form for people who don’t have them. That form asks for a name, address, email and the benefits being claimed, and the claimant signs under penalty of perjury. The administrator then checks each claimant against the company’s records of people affected.Claiming the California amount requires the claimant’s California address from February 2024 and a statement that they lived there at the time. Lost-money claims require documents such as bank statements or receipts, uploaded with the online form; the notice says personal notes or a claimant’s own statement are not enough on their own. The paper claim form asks for a LoginID “if known.”
What Is the Deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by January 27, 2027. Requests to opt out must be mailed and postmarked by December 28, 2026, and objections are due to the administrator by the same date. The official sources do not state a time of day for online claims.How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed on the official settlement website, USMSettlement.com, which also offers a downloadable paper form. Class members other than third-party drivers who only want the cash payment do not need to do anything: it arrives by check after final approval. The claim form is how a class member asks for the California amount when the notice went to an address outside California, identity monitoring, or reimbursement of losses, and it is how third-party drivers ask for cash. The paper form lists PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, a virtual prepaid card or a paper check as payment options.What Happens Next?
The court will hold the final approval hearing on March 30, 2027 at 10:30 a.m. Pacific in Department 12 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. If the settlement is approved and becomes final, the settlement agreement calls for payments within 35 days after it takes effect; checks expire after 90 days. No payment date has been announced.Sources and Verification
• Official Settlement Website (USMSettlement.com): home page, FAQ, important dates and online claim form• Settlement documents: long-form notice, claim form, settlement agreement, preliminary approval order and first amended complaint
• California Attorney General data breach listing for US Merchants
• Victor Estrada v. The Merchant of Tennis, Inc. et al., Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Case No. 24STCV09656
Questions
Do I need to file a claim to get the Merchant of Tennis cash payment?
It depends on which group a class member is in. Class members other than third-party truck drivers receive the cash payment automatically, by check, without filing. Third-party drivers who provided trucking or delivery services for the company must file a claim to get cash. Anyone who wants credit monitoring or reimbursement of documented losses must also file a claim, by January 27, 2027.
Who is The Merchant of Tennis?
The Merchant of Tennis, Inc. does business as US Merchants, a Beverly Hills company that, according to the complaint, makes packaging, display and molded storage crates and employs many people in California. The settlement covers about 20,299 people, mostly current and former employees and third-party truck drivers, whose information was involved in a February 2024 cyberattack. It is not a settlement for tennis shoppers.
Why do California residents get $45 instead of $15?
The settlement pays people who lived in California in February 2024 three times what it pays people in other states, with estimates of $45 and $15. Class members whose notice went to an address outside California but who lived in California at the time of the attack can file a claim with their California address from then to request the higher amount. Final amounts depend on the number of claims.
What documents are needed for a lost-money claim?
Reimbursement of up to $2,000 requires proof such as bank statements or receipts showing out-of-pocket losses from the cyberattack incurred between February 1, 2024 and January 27, 2027. The notice says personal notes or a claimant’s own statement alone are not enough. The cash payment and credit monitoring do not require documents.
