Car loan flex commissions class actions

If you received a notice of proposed settlement, you have either:

• been identified as a potential group member in the class action by Westpac or St. George Finance; or
  
• previously registered for the class action.

We are unable to provide group members with an estimate of the amount of money they will receive if found eligible to participate in the proposed settlement.  This is because any amount of compensation they receive will depend on a range of factors, including the:

• number of group members who register to participate in the proposed settlement;
• terms of their loan contract; and
• date on which they entered their car loan contract.

At this stage, we are unable to tell eligible group members when they will receive compensation.   

The Court will be asked to approve the following deductions from the settlement sum before the remainder is distributed to eligible group members.

Legal costs:

The Court has made a “group costs order” of 24.5%, which means that Maurice Blackburn Lawyers will be paid 24.5% of the settlement sum (i.e. $31,850,000) for the work and risks it took in running the class action from July 2020 to August 2025. The Court may adjust the group costs order percentage if it considers an adjustment to be appropriate.

Plaintiffs' reimbursement payment: 

The Court will be asked to approve a reimbursement payment of $40,000 to each of the Plaintiffs to compensate them for their time associated with acting as the plaintiffs in the class action.

Settlement administration costs: 

The Court will be asked to appoint Maurice Blackburn Lawyers as the scheme administrator to implement the settlement distribution scheme. There will be an estimated $3,005,200 in settlement administration costs. This estimate depends on certain assumptions, including the number of group members who register to participate in the proposed settlement. The costs of the settlement distribution will be offset in part by the interest earned on the settlement sum. The Court may fix a lower or higher amount of settlement administration costs if it thinks that a different figure is appropriate.

You will not be asked to pay any out-of-pocket costs.

As outlined above, the amount of the group costs order, Plaintiffs’ reimbursement payments and settlement administration costs will be deducted from the settlement sum before the remainder is distributed to eligible group members.

Notices for the Allianz car dealer add on insurance class action are not relevant to the flex commissions class action against Westpac and St. George Finance.  They concern a separate class action.  Please review any notice you receive to understand what you are required to do. More information about the Allianz car dealer add on insurance class action is available here.

If the Court approves the proposed settlement, the settlement sum will be distributed to eligible group members pursuant to a settlement distribution scheme. 

A copy of the proposed settlement distribution scheme is available here.

The settlement distribution scheme is subject to approval by the Court.  The settlement distribution scheme aims to deliver a simple, fair and cost-effective way to distribute the settlement funds to eligible group members.

Under the proposed settlement distribution scheme, the settlement sum will not be divided equally between eligible group members.  This is because group members’ claims have different values, risks and complexities associated with them. 

At this stage, we are unable to tell eligible group members when they will receive compensation.   

The Court will be asked to approve the following deductions from the settlement sum before the remainder is distributed to eligible group members.

Legal costs:

The Court has made a ‘group costs order’ of 24.5% in this proceeding. This means that Maurice Blackburn Lawyers will be paid 24.5% of the settlement sum (i.e., $13,842,500) for legal costs and the risks it took in running the class action from October 2020 to 20 August 2025.  The Court may adjust the group costs order if it considers it appropriate to do so. 

Plaintiffs' reimbursement payment: 

The Court will be asked to approve a reimbursement payment of $40,000 to the Plaintiffs to compensate them for their time associated with the class action.

Settlement administration costs: 

The Court will be asked to appoint Maurice Blackburn Lawyers as the settlement administrator to implement the settlement distribution scheme. We estimate that there will be $1,533,000 in settlement administration costs associated with implementing the settlement distribution scheme.

You will not be asked to pay any out-of-pocket costs.

As outlined above, the amount of the group costs order, Plaintiffs’ reimbursement payments and settlement administration costs will be deducted from the settlement sum before the remainder is distributed to eligible group members.