FuelRod Litigation Ends, Current Users Eligible to Continue to Get Free Swaps

You may recall that back in the fall of 2019, it was announced that FuelRod — the service with locations sprinkled around Disney that allows you to pay once for a portable charger and then swap it out for a free one each time you needed more power — would begin charging for swaps at Disney properties. You may also recall that that announcement was met with predictable outrage from the Disney community, that a class action lawsuit was filed against the manufacturer of FuelRod, and that FuelRod reversed course and kept the swaps free. Well, what you may not realize is that while that resolved the issue in the short term, the lawsuit continued. The matter has now been settled, however, and we finally know how this service is going to work going forward.

In conjunction with the settlement, FuelRod has agreed to the creation of what it is calling a “Founders’ Club,” and if you owned a FuelRod as of that October announcement, you’re eligible to become a member. The focus of the lawsuit was that in conjunction with the initial purchase, FuelRod promised to provide “Free Unlimited Swaps,” and as part of the settlement, they have agreed to provide that for members of the Founders’ Club. You’ll download an app, create an account, and any time you need to swap out your device, the app will give you a QR code that you will scan at the kiosk. That QR code will allow you to swap for a fresh charger for free, even if FuelRod chooses to charge new customers to swap going forward.

To take advantage of the settlement, and become a member of the Founders’ Club, you need to do the following:

• Sign up here by completing a brief questionnaire within the next three months.
• Download the FuelRod Mobile app (iOS — Android).
• Set up an account using the same email address as indicated in the questionnaire. 

If you are already a user of the app or otherwise in FuelRod’s database, watch your email for a message that will allow you to quickly click to verify your eligibility.

For any questions or assistance in verifying and activating their account, customers can call FuelRod’s customer service number (844) 383-5763, or send an email to support@fuel-rod.com.  If you have any questions about the litigation, you can contact James Rosemergy, who represented the Plaintiff in the case.

Consumers who did pay to swap their device at any time will have the charge automatically refunded to the card used to pay for the swap without further action on their part. This agreement applies to the current generation of FuelRods only, but FuelRod has not announced plans to introduce a new version, and has agreed to refrain from doing so for a minimum of two years.