Earlier this week some Newegg customers, including some of our own staff, received an email from the company about a settlement from a lawsuit over several GPUs. The email listed AMD’s R9 280 and Nvidia’s GTX 960, 970 and 980 GPUs. As it turns out, Newegg sent most of the emails in error, which left customers confused for a few days.

The emails started on Monday and continued Tuesday. Newegg Customer Support sent out an email (in my case) with the subject, “AMD R9 Class Action Lawsuit Settlement” along with the following message:

We have been informed about a class action lawsuit settlement with AMD regarding the R9 graphics card. Newegg is currently awaiting details about the settlement claims process (instructions, website). Once we have this important information, we will send you a follow-up email with the specifics on how you can submit your claim.If you have any questions regarding the information provided in this email, please don't hesitate to contact Newegg Customer Service through one of the convenient contact methods provided here.Sincerely,Your Newegg Customer Support Team

There weren't any recent lawsuits that involved AMD and the R9 GPUs, so we contacted AMD to determine if there was any truth to the matter. Antal Tungler, AMD’s senior manager of public relations, said that there wasn't a lawsuit or settlement in regards to the R9 graphics cards.

However, the emails weren't limited to AMD GPU customers. Nvidia customers, including our own Derek Forrest, received a similar email for the GTX 960, 970 and 980. Last week, there was news of a settlement on Nvidia’s GTX 970 cards, but there was no mention of the other two models.

It didn't take long for Newegg to realize the mistake. Early today the company sent a second wave of emails stating that there was no lawsuit or settlement for most of the graphics cards and that, “the email was sent in error and was not accurate.”

It's likely that Newegg sent the messages due to the recent settlement regarding Nvidia’s GTX 970 GPU. Last week, a settlement was reached that would have Nvidia, EVGA, Gigabyte and Asus give GTX 970 customers a cash payment of $30 with no cap. The four companies have until October 23 to notify customers of the settlement and inform them how to make a claim (if the settlement is approved). It seems that Newegg was already thinking one step ahead and notified its customers, most of whom weren't even part of the settlement.

We contacted Newegg to find out why it sent the emails, but the company hasn't responded to our email. For now, those with a GTX 970 will have to wait for the four companies in the settlement to send out instructions on how to redeem the cash payment. As for everyone else who received an email, don't worry about it.

