Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You received notice either because you requested it, or because you have been identified as a California natural person who may be affected by this settlement.

The Attorney General brought an action against Defendants alleging that Defendants manipulated gasoline price indices, causing inflated retail gas prices in California, in violation of state law. Defendants have agreed to the terms of this settlement but do not admit any law was violated. You can read the Complaint filed in this action, which includes more details about the conduct alleged under the Case Documents tab. You may also inspect the entire Court docket for free on the Court’s website and in person at the Courthouse, learn more here. 

The Attorney General filed this case in parens patriae, on behalf of the state’s residents, for violations of antitrust laws. The Attorney General is vested with this authority to safeguard the general and economic welfare of the state’s residents and to assure that the benefits of these laws are not denied to the general population.

The Court did not decide in favor of the Attorney General or Defendants. Instead, both sides agreed to a settlement. That way, they avoid the cost of a trial, and the people affected will receive compensation. The Attorney General thinks the settlement is the best way to resolve this litigation. You may review the Settlement Agreement by clicking here.

Upon the Settlement Agreement becoming final as set out in Section 7.2 of the Settlement Agreement, the Plaintiff Releasor and Defendant Releasees shall be fully, finally, and forever released as follows:

1. Plaintiff Releasor, on the one hand, and Defendant Releasees, on the other hand, hereby completely release, acquit, and forever discharge each other from the claims and cross-claims asserted in the Action, or that could have been asserted in the Action, or that relate to the facts and conduct alleged in the Action. For the avoidance of doubt, this Release includes claims or cross-claims for violation of any federal or state antitrust, commodities, market manipulation, price gouging, unfair competition, unfair practices, price discrimination, unitary pricing, or trade practice law (the “Relevant Laws”), whether known or unknown, and arising from or relating to Defendants’ conduct concerning trading, selling, buying, or importing Relevant Products in California. This Release includes a release of claims on behalf of natural persons on whose behalf this Action was brought to the fullest extent permitted under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code, section 16760.
2. Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, the Release specifically does not include environmental claims or claims related to tax liability.
3. With respect to the Released Claims, the Plaintiff Releasor expressly waives and releases any and all provisions, rights, and benefits conferred by § 1542 of the California Civil Code, which states: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party” and all provisions, rights and benefits conferred by any law of any state or territory of the United States, or principle of common law or foreign law, that is similar, comparable or equivalent in effect to Section 1542 of the California Civil Code.

If you are a natural person living in California, your rights are affected by this settlement. If you purchased gasoline at retail in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and/or Imperial counties in California between February 20, 2015 and November 10, 2015, you may be eligible for monetary benefits.

If you are not sure whether you are affected by the Settlement, you may contact the Settlement Administrator by calling 1-877-725-7523 or emailing [email protected]. Please do not contact Defendants or the Court.

A natural person is someone who is a human being, as distinguished from a corporate entity (a business, partnership or other corporate organization).  Only natural persons are covered by the settlement and you must be a natural person to participate in any distribution. Businesses, corporations, partnerships, etc. are not included in the settlement.  However, if you purchased gas on behalf of a business entity, you may be eligible for compensation through a settlement in a related litigation.

If you are not currently a California resident, you may still be eligible for monetary benefits under this settlement if you previously lived in California.  If you have never lived in California but you purchased gas while visiting California, you may be eligible for compensation through a settlement in a related litigation. More information can be found at calg.calgassettlement.com.

All people who file a valid claim will receive a payment out of the $37,500,000 portion of the Settlement Fund allocated to the Cartwright Act claim.  After deductions for payments of taxes, administration costs, attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, the remaining amount will be divided equally among all claimants who timely submit a claim. The amount of the payment will depend on how many valid claims are received. Each claimant will be limited to a single recovery. 

Separately, $12,500,000 is allocated to the Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”) claim. Half of the amount, less any administrative costs, will be provided by the Attorney General to the City and County of San Francisco pursuant to Business & Professions Code, § 17206(c)(1) for the enforcement of consumer protection laws.  The other half of the amount will be deposited in the Attorney General’s fund for UCL enforcement by the Antitrust Section of the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Such funding may be used for the costs of the DOJ’s investigation, filing fees and other court costs, attorney’s fees and expenses, payment to expert witnesses and technical consultants, and other costs necessary to pursue unfair competition matters.

If, following the distribution to eligible consumers and the deduction of taxes, attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, and administration costs, any funds remain for the portion of the Settlement Payment allocated to the Cartwright Act claim, the funds will be distributed cy pres to a public California university or universities to further study the California gas and transportation energy market with a goal of lowering costs to consumers and/or to develop analytical tools to detect and deter future market manipulation.

To qualify for payment, you must submit a claim. You can submit a claim online (click here) or download a claim form (click here). You may also request a claim form by contacting the Settlement Administrator at: 1-877-728-7523 or write to California v. Vitol Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 301177, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1177. Read the instructions carefully, fill out the form, sign, and mail the claim in its entirety. Claim forms must be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than January 8, 2025. 

You may receive payment through an electronic payment account (PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle) or via a paper check. You will have 180 days to cash a paper check.  If your selected form of payment is unsuccessful, delivery will automatically be attempted a second time.

The court will hold a hearing on February 28, 2025 to decide whether to approve the settlement. If the court approves the settlement, there may be appeals. It’s always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved, and resolving them can take time, perhaps more than a year.  Payments will be made following the conclusion of any appeal.

Unless you exclude yourself, you will remain in the settlement. All of the Court’s Orders will apply to you and bind you to the Court’s decision. You will give up the right to sue Defendants later for any claims this settlement resolves. If you have a pending lawsuit or are considering one, speak to your lawyer immediately.

To exclude yourself from the settlement, you must respond by letter or online form saying that you want to be excluded from The People of the State of California v. Vitol Inc., et al. settlement. To be valid, each written request for exclusion must set forth the name of the individual seeking exclusion and be signed or submitted physically or electronically by the individual seeking exclusion (or his or her individual legal representative, but not counsel purporting to act collectively on behalf of capable individuals who have not consented to such representation). You must submit the online form or mail your exclusion request postmarked no later than January 8, 2025 to:

California v. Vitol Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 301177
Los Angeles, CA 90030-1177

The online exclusion form can be found (here) or at the top right by clicking 'File Exclusion Form'. You cannot exclude yourself on the phone or by email.

If you do not exclude yourself now, you will give up the right to sue Defendants later for any claims this settlement resolves. If you have a pending lawsuit or are considering one, speak to your lawyer immediately.

No. If you exclude yourself, you are choosing not to be a part of this lawsuit and will not receive benefits from this settlement. However, you may sue, continue to sue, or be part of a different lawsuit against the Defendants.

If you are affected by the settlement, you can comment on it or protest it if you do not like any part of it. To do so,  you must send a letter commenting on or protesting the proposed settlement in The People of the State of California v. Vitol Inc., et al. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, your signature, and the reasons you like or dislike the settlement. Mail the statement, postmarked no later than January 8, 2025 to the Settlement Administrator at: 

California v. Vitol Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 301177
Los Angeles, CA 90030-1177

Additionally, if you are affected by the settlement (and do not exclude yourself), you may appear at and speak in court at the Final Approval hearing without providing any notice.

Making a statement protesting the settlement is telling the court that you like or do not like something about the settlement but do not wish to be excluded from it. By excluding yourself, you are telling the court that you do not want to be a part of the settlement. If you exclude yourself, you will not be bound by the settlement and will not receive any money under it.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing at 10:00 a.m., on February 28, 2025 at San Francisco Superior Court, Department 613, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA. At this hearing the Court will consider whether the settlement should be approved. If there are statements, the Court may consider them. The presiding judge may listen to people who are present to speak at the hearing. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the settlement. We do not know how long these decisions will take.

No, but you are welcome to come at your own expense. If you send a written statement, you do not have to come to court to talk about it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary to do so.

You may appear at and speak at the hearing without providing any notice.

If you do nothing, you will receive no monetary benefit from the settlement. Unless you exclude yourself, you may not be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against Defendants about the legal issues in this case ever again.

The People of the State of California are represented by Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California. The Attorney General has brought this action in his law enforcement capacity and as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons who are residing in California.

The Attorney General will seek reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and costs up to 25% of the $37,500,000 allocated to the Cartwright Act claim.  Additionally, half of the $12,500,000 Unfair Competition Law penalty will be deposited in the Attorney General’s fund for future enforcement of consumer protection laws. Counsel in In re California Gasoline Spot Market Antitrust Litigation, a related case discussed below, may additionally seek a fee award out of the Cartwright Act settlement fund.

The Attorney General will use a Settlement Administrator to provide notice of the settlement and distribute settlement funds, also be paid out of the Cartwright Act settlement fund.  Depending on the number of claims, the Settlement Administrator estimates notice and distribution will cost between $3,072,622 - $3,349,780.

Lawyers' fees and expenses will only be awarded if approved by the Court as a fair and reasonable amount. You have the right to object to the lawyers' fees and expenses even if you think the Settlement is fair, using the procedures described above. 

You will not be charged for this lawyer. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

The notice documents summarize the proposed settlement. The Settlement Agreement and all court documents related to this matter are available on the Case Documents tab. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, JUDGE, OR CLERK OF COURT WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MATTER.

You can call 1-877-725-7523 toll free, write to California v. Vitol Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 301177, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1177, or browse through the website tabs where you will find answers to common questions about the settlement, a claim form (click here), plus other information to help you determine your eligibility and options (Home, Case Documents Tab).

You can access the Free Public Docket online by completing the following:

1. Go to www.sf.courts.ca.gov/online-services/case-information in a web browser. It is recommended to access this page through a computer, rather than a smart phone for ease of use and compatibility.
2. Scroll down to the ‘Civil Case Query’ and click the button titled ‘Access Now’.
3. Under the ‘Search by Case Number’ tab, enter “CGC20584456” into the search field.
4. Click on the grey ‘Search’ button.
5. This will return the complete list of docket entries for the case.
6. A description of each docket entry can be found under the ‘Proceedings’ header.
7. Only ten entries are displayed per page by default. This can be changed in the upper left-hand corner above the ‘Date’ header on the table of entries.
8. When you find an entry wish to inspect, click the ‘View’ button on the right of each entry’s description. Some entries may not be accompanied by the ‘View’ button as the entirety of the entry was captured in the description.
9. After clicking the ‘View’ button, a PDF of the entry will open in a new tab in your web browser.

To access the free public docket in person, please complete the following:

1. Proceed to the San Francisco Superior Courthouse, located at 400 McAllister Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94102. The Courthouse is open on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
2. Pass through security.
3. Turn left and after security and head towards Room 103, the ‘Public Viewing Area.'
4. Proceed to a computer terminal and select ‘Case Information’ in the search program.
5. Enter Case Number ‘CGC20584456’ into the search field.
6. Click the ‘Process’ button.
7. This will return the complete list of docket entries for the case.
8. Select the entry you would like to inspect and click the ‘View Doc’ button. Some entries may not be inspectable as the entirety of the entry may be captured in the entry description.
9. This will open the document on the computer terminal for inspection.
10. Clerks will be on hand to assist with locating specific documents or printing.
11. It costs $.50 per page to print.

Acceso gratuito y público a los expedientes: en línea

1. Ingrese a www.sf.courts.ca.gov/online-services/case-information desde un navegador web. Le recomendamos que acceda a esta página a través de una computadora, en lugar de un teléfono inteligente, para facilitar el uso y mejorar la compatibilidad.
2. Desplácese hacia abajo hasta “Civil Case Query” (Consulta de casos civiles) y haga clic en el botón “Access Now” (Acceder ahora).
3. En la pestaña “Search by Case Number” (Buscar por número de caso), ingrese “CGC20584456” en el campo de búsqueda.
4. Haga clic en el botón gris “Search” (Buscar).
5. Esto le permitirá obtener la lista completa de las entradas del expediente de ese caso.
6. Bajo el encabezado “Proceedings” (Procedimientos), podrá encontrar una descripción de cada entrada.
7. De forma predeterminada, solo se muestran diez entradas por página. Esto se puede cambiar en la esquina superior izquierda, arriba del encabezado “Date” (Fecha) que se encuentra en la tabla de entradas.
8. Cuando encuentre una entrada que desee ver con mayor detalle, haga clic en el botón “View” (Visualizar) que se encuentra a la derecha de la descripción de cada entrada. Es posible que algunas entradas no estén acompañadas por el botón “View” (Visualizar), en los casos en que la totalidad de la entrada se encuentre estipulada en la descripción.
9. Una vez que haga clic en el botón “View” (Visualizar), se abrirá un PDF de la entrada en una nueva pestaña del navegador web.

Acceso gratuito y público a los expedientes: en persona

1. Diríjase al Tribunal Superior de San Francisco, ubicado en 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102. El tribunal está abierto los días de semana de 8:30 a. m. a 12:00 p. m., y de 1:00 p. m. a 4:00 p. m.
2. Pase por el puesto de seguridad.
3. Gire a la izquierda después del puesto de seguridad y diríjase hacia la Sala 103 (el “Área de visualización pública”).
4. Vaya a una terminal computarizada y seleccione “Case Information” (Información del caso), en el programa de búsqueda.
5. Ingrese el número de caso “CGC20584456” en el campo de búsqueda.
6. Haga clic en el botón “Process” (Procesar).
7. De este modo, obtendrá la lista completa de las entradas del expediente de ese caso.
8. Seleccione la entrada que desee ver con mayor detalle y haga clic en el botón “View Doc” (Ver documento). Es posible que algunas entradas no puedan verse porque la totalidad de la entrada ya se muestra en la descripción de la entrada.
9. Esto abrirá el documento en la terminal computarizada, a fin de que pueda visualizarla con mayor detalle.
10. Los empleados estarán disponibles para ayudarlo a localizar documentos específicos o imprimirlos.
11. Imprimir una página cuesta USD 0,50.

Following the Attorney General’s filing of this case, a number of other cases were filed in federal district court in the Northern District of California bringing claims against the Defendants on behalf of all individuals (whether California residents or not) and business entities that purchased gasoline at retail in California in 2015-2017. The federal cases were consolidated into a single case captioned In re California Gasoline Spot Market Antitrust Litigation, Civil Case No.: 3:20- cv-03131. California natural persons who purchased gasoline in California and were affected by Defendants’ conduct had claims for damages made on their behalf in this action, as well as the federal class action.

A settlement in In re California Gasoline Spot Market Antitrust Litigation has also been reached, and a court is similarly deciding whether to approve it.  The settlement reached in that case does not provide any benefits for California natural persons, but does cover business entities and non-California residents, and specifically those that purchased gasoline in California at retail, for their own use and not for resale, between February 18, 2015 and May 31, 2017. Please refer to the settlement website, which also contains information about this parallel settlement, at www.calgaslitigation.com.

The Attorney General understands that counsel for the federal class action will seek a fee award out of the Cartwright Act Settlement Fund in this case for legal work performed that materially contributed to fact and expert development and that benefitted the California natural persons whose claims will be released by the Settlement. Any such fee award would need to be approved by the Court.  Documents concerning any future fee request will be made available on the settlement website at www.calgaslitigation.com. In the event the Court awards a fee to federal class counsel, such an award may decrease the amount of money that is available to be distributed to California natural persons.

If you wish to contact the Attorney General, Defendants, or the Court concerning this settlement, you may use the following addresses:

For the Attorney General:
PAULA L. BLIZZARD
Senior Assistant Attorney General
MICHAEL JORGENSON
Supervising Deputy Attorney General
LAUREN J. POMEROY
DIVYA B. RAO
Deputy Attorneys General
455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 11000
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: (415) 510-4400 Fax: (415) 703-5480

For Defendants:
ALEX KAPLAN
Susman Godfrey LLP
1000 Louisiana Street
Suite 5100
Houston, TX 77002
Tel.: (713) 653-7835
Counsel for Defendant Vitol Inc.

JEFFREY M. DAVIDSON
Covington & Burling LLP
415 Mission Street
Suite 5400
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel.: (415) 591-7021
Counsel for Defendants SK Energy Americas Inc. and SK Trading International Co. Ltd.