If your tuna settlement check was deposited and then reversed as “Refer to Maker,” most people do not need to do anything but wait: the settlement administrator says replacement checks are being issued on its own initiative, each with an extra $20 toward bank fees. What you should not do is deposit the original check again. The administrator blames a bank processing issue and says there is enough money to cover every payment in the $152.2 million StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Lion Capital price-fixing settlement.
Status: Payments in progress | Distribution began September 8, 2026 | Replacement checks include an extra $20 | Claims closed December 31, 2024
What the Administrator Has Said
During the week of September 13, 2026, claimants reported to OpenClassActions.com that settlement checks their banks had accepted were reversed a few days later with the return reason “Refer to Maker,” sometimes with a returned-item fee added. On September 17, the administrator, JND Legal Administration, posted an Important Update on the official settlement website. It says:
- The bank handling the distribution reported that some class members could not cash their checks because of a bank processing issue.
- There are sufficient funds to cover all payments.
- Replacement checks will be issued as quickly as possible, each with an additional $20 toward bank fees.
- Anyone whose bank charged more than $20 should contact the administrator through the contact details on the official website.
- Class members should not try to redeposit the original check, to avoid more fees.
The notice does not break down what exactly went wrong at any individual bank.
When You Should Write to the Administrator
Because replacements are going out without a request, most affected claimants do not need to contact anyone. Write in if one of these applies:
| Your bank charged more than $20 | The notice directs you to the administrator for the difference. |
| You have moved | Update the mailing address so the replacement reaches you. |
| No replacement after a reasonable wait | Ask whether one was issued and by what method. |
Use the contact channel listed on the official Tuna End Purchaser settlement website, where the case appears as In re Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation. Do not rely on contact details from an email, a text or another website. Email creates a written record tied to your claim. Include your name and mailing address exactly as filed, the email you filed with, your claim confirmation number if you kept it, and the check number, amount, deposit date, reversal date, bank name and return reason exactly as the bank stated it. Useful questions: is a stop payment or void recorded on that check number, how will the replacement be sent, and is the address on file current? You can also ask whether it can be sent electronically.
Before the Replacement Arrives
Keep the evidence. Screenshot the bank alert, and keep the paper check if the bank returned it with a stamp; some administrators ask for photos of both sides before reissuing.
Cover the gap. A reversal pulls the full amount back out of the account. If the money was already spent, the account can be overdrawn, so move funds in before the next transaction posts.
Contest the fee. In October 2022 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in Bulletin 2022-06 that blanket policies of charging a returned deposited item fee on every returned check, regardless of circumstances, are likely unfair, because the depositor usually cannot know a check will bounce. Several large banks have dropped the fee since. A bank is not required to waive it, but a request through the dispute channel citing the bulletin, and the fact that this was a court-ordered settlement payment, is worth making.
Watch the clock. Trade press reporting on the July 27 distribution order said claimants would have 60 days to cash a check before it is canceled. The administrator has not published a separate window for replacements. When one arrives, deposit it promptly — at a teller if possible, since a person keying the amount from paper avoids the image-capture mismatch that can trip a mobile deposit. Keep the original and the alert until the replacement clears.
Why a Funded Check Can Still Bounce
Settlement checks are drawn on a dedicated account funded before mailing. Genuine checks still come back as Refer to Maker for three ordinary reasons. Positive pay: the administrator sends the paying bank a file of every check number and amount, and the bank refuses anything that does not match, such as a phone deposit that misreads the amount. Stop payment: placed on a check that was reissued or reported lost. Expiration: a check presented after its void date or the court’s cancellation window. The return code does not say which applied, and all three are fixed the same way — with a replacement from the administrator. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, Section 4-214 gives the depositing bank its right to charge the deposit back.
The Settlement Is Not in Trouble
Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California signed the order authorizing distribution on July 27, 2026, only after every settling defendant had paid in full and appeals were resolved. The end-purchaser total combines $130 million from StarKist, $6 million from Lion Capital, the private equity owner associated with Bumble Bee, and $16.2 million from the earlier Chicken of the Sea settlement. JND began distributing on September 8, 2026, and claimants are reporting both paper checks and electronic payments. A returned check is a processing problem with one item; the claim behind it stays approved.
If your check has not arrived at all, that is a different issue. A distribution of close to a million claims goes out in batches, so give the mail until early October, check the email on your claim for an electronic payment, and remember that the court-approved notice paid nothing on claims worth under $5. Anyone offering a paid “check recovery” service adds nothing: reissues are free, and the administrator will never need a bank login, a full Social Security number by email, a gift card or a payment of any kind. The FTC’s guide to fake check scams covers the warning signs, and the OpenClassActions.com tuna check update tracks the replacements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was my tuna settlement check returned as Refer to Maker?
The administrator’s September 17, 2026 notice attributes the returns to a bank processing issue reported by the bank handling the distribution and says there are sufficient funds to cover all payments. Refer to Maker is the return code banks use for reasons other than insufficient funds, such as a positive pay mismatch, a stop payment or an expired check.
Should I redeposit the returned check?
No. The administrator says not to redeposit the original check, to avoid more fees. A replacement check is being issued.
Do I need to request a replacement tuna check?
In most cases no. The administrator says replacement checks are being issued as quickly as possible. Contact the administrator through the official website only if your bank charged more than $20, your address has changed, or no replacement arrives after a reasonable wait.
How much extra is included for bank fees?
Each replacement check includes an additional $20 toward bank fees. Class members whose bank charged more than $20 are directed to contact the administrator.
Does this mean the tuna settlement ran out of money?
No. The court authorized distribution on July 27, 2026 after the settling defendants paid in full, and the administrator says there are sufficient funds to cover all payments.
Can I still file a tuna settlement claim?
No. Claims closed December 31, 2024. Only approved claims already on file are being paid.
Sources
- Official settlement website — Tuna End Purchaser Settlement, including the administrator’s Important Update and the order authorizing distribution in In re Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation, No. 15-MD-2670 DMS (MSB) (S.D. Cal., signed July 27, 2026).
- Claimant reports of returned checks received by OpenClassActions.com, week of September 13, 2026.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Bulletin 2022-06, Unfair Returned Deposited Item Fee Assessment Practices.
- Uniform Commercial Code — Section 4-214, right of charge-back or refund.
- Federal Trade Commission — How to Spot, Avoid and Report Fake Check Scams.
- OpenClassActions.com — Tuna Settlement Replacement Checks Are Coming With an Extra $20 for Bank Fees.
Source and credit: this report builds on our sister site’s coverage — OpenClassActions.com: Tuna Settlement Replacement Checks Are Coming With an Extra $20 for Bank Fees — which follows the case and is updated as new filings, orders and payment news come in.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.