One case produced real relief for Great Plains Lending borrowers. Relief in this industry is almost always limited to loans taken inside a specific window, and the settlement sites that would let you check are usually gone. The dates below are the part that decides whether it reaches you.
The cases
In re Think Finance / Gibbs v. Rees
settlement~$1B total relief; $384M CFPB distribution
After Think Finance’s 2017 bankruptcy, settlements delivered roughly $1 billion in aggregate relief across Plain Green, Great Plains Lending and MobiLoans — cancelling pre-2016/2017 loans and deleting tradelines. The CFPB later distributed $384 million to 191,000 borrowers.
✓ Produced relief for borrowers
What happened to Great Plains Lending balances
What to do if you are still being collected from
- Check your loan date first. Relief in this industry is bounded by a window, and the boundary is where people lose. A Mountain Summit loan from February 2021 was not cancelled while its sister brands' were; a Lac du Flambeau loan after 1 October 2023 falls outside the $1.4 billion Fitzgerald cancellation.
- Check your state before you negotiate. In nine states, loans above the rate cap are void — nothing is owed regardless of the contract or any settlement. See where tribal loans are void.
- Do not pay to make it stop. A payment can restart the statute of limitations on a debt that may already be unenforceable. It is the most expensive reflex in debt collection.
- Demand written validation within 30 days of first contact: the original agreement, the full payment history, and proof the collector owns the debt. Chains of sale on tribal loans are frequently incomplete.
- Revoke ACH authorisation in writing — to the lender and, separately, to your bank. Telling only one of the two is the common mistake.
Our full walkthrough is in how to get out of a tribal loan, and can tribal lenders sue you covers what they can and cannot actually do.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a lawsuit against Great Plains Lending?
Yes — In re Think Finance / Gibbs v. Rees (Bankr. N.D. Tex. + E.D. Va.). Outcome: ~$1B total relief; $384M CFPB distribution. It did produce relief for borrowers.
Do I still owe my Great Plains Lending loan?
ALL Great Plains debts cancelled (any origination date) under Think Finance settlements If your loan falls outside that, or a collector contacts you anyway, demand written validation and proof of ownership before paying anything.
Can I claim money from a Great Plains Lending settlement?
A claims process existed at thinkfinancesettlement.com. Check whether it is still open — these sites are decommissioned once distribution completes, and several in this industry are now blank pages.