Georgians Ripped Off by Western Sky Eligible for Refunds

If you were one of the thousands of Georgians ripped off by Western Sky Financial, you may be in line for some money.

This week, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced his office is notifying consumers that settlement administrator, Dahl Administration, LLC, recently mailed out 10,806 Notice and Claim Form packets to Georgia consumers who are eligible for refunds as a result of the Western Sky settlement. 

In 2009, Western Sky Financial began offering high-interest rate, pay-day loans to consumers who could not get a loan through a regular financial institution.

You might remember seeing the Western Sky TV commercials where the company promoted itself as 100 percent Native American-owned, but in truth, the company was owned and operated by a California company called Cash Call. 

In December 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued CashCall, accusing the company of collecting on loans in states where payday loans are either barred outright or effectively outlawed by restrictions on interest rates.

 That put Western Sky out of business, but left millions of borrowers still owing them money, and it didn’t stop the company from using high-pressure collection tactics.

Earlier this year, Western Sky and Cash Call reached a settlement in Georgia. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Western Sky Financial, LLC, CashCall, Inc. and related entities agreed to refund Georgia consumers for loan interest and fees that exceeded the amount permissible under Georgia law. 

The defendants must also pay $23.5 million in consumer restitution, cease all collections and forgive all outstanding loans, which will provide an additional $17 million in loan relief to Georgia borrowers.

In a press release this week, Carr said his office has been working diligently since 2013 to vindicate Georgians who fell victim to Western Sky and CashCall and now, some Georgia consumers could receive more than $13,000 in restitution.

If you believe you are eligible for a refund and you do not receive a Notice and Claim Form within the next ten days, you should contact Dahl Administration by email at: [email protected] or call toll-free 1-888-865-9788 by the May 17 deadline.

Additional details can be found at www.GAWesternSkySettlement.com.