Victims of Target's recent data breach are expected to receive minimal settlement options: only a few of those affected are likely to get anything, with even fewer getting the maximum $10,000 that they are eligible to receive as part of a $10 million settlement, USA Today reports.
One of the primary reasons many of the victims are not eligible for settlement is because the burden of proof lies on the consumers. The breach, which occurred last November and December, affected more than 100 million customers.
"The law generally does not compensate consumers for their hassle," Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP managing partners Romanosky and Craig A. Newman told the newspaper.
"In terms of being able to document that and say, 'I as a consumer have suffered legal damages,' that's a very tough putt for a consumer."
Target recently announced that it decreased its minimum online order size requirement by half, down from $50 to $25, in an attempt to boost e-commerce sales and remain competitive against industry rivals Best Buy, Amazon and Wal-Mart.
Best Buy and Amazon both currently require a $35 minimum for online ordering while Wal-Mart requires $50.
"Playing catch up is never fun," Target's Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Casey Carl told Fortune in a recent interview in Minneapolis.
"I've lived that for the last five years, and we'll not let that happen. We'll be seeing around corners far more effectively."
Target officials have not made any mention of links between changes in e-commerce sales regulations and the data breach.
