Dell Inc.

Tacoma, WA: A nationwide class action lawsuit was filed against the computer company on behalf of customers who purchased computers from Dell and financed their purchases with Dell Financial Services. The class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and alleged Dell, Dell Financial Services, and CIT Bank practices caused customers to incur excess finance charges and late fees. Plaintiffs claimed promotional offers such as "90 Days Same as Cash" were used to entice them into financing their purchases and alleged Dell did not adequately disclose the terms and conditions related to the "Dell Preferred Account" lines of credit. A federal court in Tacoma, WA granted final approval to the class action settlement of up to $17 million. Class members who are eligible may apply to receive a refund of 75.95% of the estimated interest paid during sixty days following the initial purchase and class members who paid a late payment fee may receive a refund of 75.95% of the average late fee paid by class members. (Oct-26-06) [TRADING MARKETS: DELL SETTLEMENT]