> if you have to assume each victim is a separate case with $400 of fees just to file, isn't that just begging bad people to commit whatever torts don't exceed

> if you have to assume each victim is a separate case with $400 of fees just to file, isn't that just begging bad people to commit whatever torts don't exceed $400/person? It's much worse than that. It's not worth suing someone for even $10,000 in damages, as the article points out, due to the time and costs involved. Good lawyers bill $400+ per hour. $100,000 is a small case. Class actions are intended as a solution to the very problem you describe. Steal $10 from 1 million people, and it's not worth it for any one of them to file on their own. But a $10 million class action is worth it. If you aren't in a class, then the unfortunate reality is that you don't have much legal recourse. If someone cheats out out of a $1,000, the result is you don't do business with them again and their reputation may suffer. There's small claims court, but how much time, money, and opportunity cost are you going to spend on that, and then you have to collect: WHat if the other party ignores the court's judgment? More time in court, etc. If you're smart, you'll swallow your outrage and move on to something more profitable to spend your time on.