Text messages cost Bills over $3 million in lawsuit

The Buffalo Bills got a little too text-happy with some fans (well, at least one) and now it's going to cost them. The Bills could end up paying over $3 million after agreeing to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by fans who opted in to the team's text-messaging service, per a report from the Buffalo News.

Bills fan Jerry Wojcik, who started the suit against the team in 2012, said he received 13 messages in a two-week span, but the team was only legally allowed to send five per week. The Bills maintained they did nothing wrong, but agreed to settle the suit with gift cards for the fans to the team's store.  

There are an estimated 39,750 fans that would be eligible for the gift cards that range between $57.50 and $75; if all those fans redeem their gift cards, it would cost the Bills nearly $2.5 million. However, the real winner here appears to be Wojcik's lawyers, as they will collect $562,500 in fees from the team.

“The Buffalo Bills have reached a settlement in this matter which we believe is in the best interest of our organization and our fans. The purpose of the Bills’ voluntary, opt-in text messaging program was to provide our fans with information they requested about the team. The organization maintains that our text messaging program was in compliance with the law,” Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold said in a statement Monday

The settlement has been given preliminary confirmation and will have a final hearing Aug. 20 for approval.