If you’re a B.C. resident who purchased a car between Feb. 1, 1997 and Dec. 31, 2012, you might be entitled to some money from a proposed $2,729,000 class-action settlement.
The class action is related to individuals who purchased or leased a new vehicle in Canada that was transported by an international vehicle carrier shipping service.
Residents of Ontario and Quebec also qualify for the settlement, which raises some fairly serious and concerning allegations regarding how certain car prices may have been determined.
According to the details of the settlement, the defendants, Höegh Autoliners AS and Höegh Autoliners, “allegedly conspired with other suppliers of vehicle carrier services to fix, raise, maintain or stabilize prices in Canada” between Feb. 1, 1997 and Dec. 31, 2012, the class period.
To get a better understanding of vehicle carrier services, it applies to paid international ocean shipping services “via roll on/roll off vessels (RoRo) of cargo.”
The types of vehicles involved in the B.C. class action include new and used cars and trucks, as well as agricultural, construction, and mining equipment.
“A ‘RoRo’ is a type of ocean vessel that allows wheeled vehicles to be driven on and off the vessel and parked on its decks for ocean transport. It is alleged that, among other things, customers were overcharged for vehicle carrier services as the defendants participated in an unlawful conspiracy to fix, raise, maintain, increase, or control the price for vehicle carrier services,” the class action states.
According to the settlement details, Höegh has agreed to pay $2,729,000 to class members. The settlement still requires court approval, and the class action notes that the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability, wrongdoing, or fault.
“The litigation will continue against the remaining non-settling defendants.”
The motion to approve the settlement is scheduled to be heard on Feb. 5, 2026, and it will be determined at a later date how potential funds will be distributed.
“At these hearings, the Courts will determine whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the Class Members. The lawyers for the Plaintiffs will also be requesting that legal fees of up to 30 per cent of the settlement funds plus disbursements and applicable taxes be approved by the Courts and paid out of the settlement funds.”
This is the third RoRo settlement reached since 2016; additional details about the B.C. class action can be found on the RoRo website.
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