Thousands of AT&T customers can get share of $14million pot after 'overcharging errors' - see who qu
CUSTOMERS with AT&T can claim a portion of a $14million pot in a new settlement.
Telecommunications giant AT&T has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it illegally charged customers with undisclosed fees.
Impacted AT&T users in California can claim a portion of the settlement payout until October 29, 2022.
According to the lawsuit, the company added a $1.99 "administrative fee" to the bills of all post-paid wireless customers.
This fee was never disclosed to customers and allowed AT&T to charge more for its services without advertising higher prices to customers, according to the plaintiffs.
Not only were the administrative fees allegedly only visible after a customer signed up and received their first bill, but the suit also claims the fees were "intentionally" buried on statements.
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"Through this scheme, AT&T has unfairly and improperly extracted hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains from California consumers," the suit alleged.
AT&T did not admit any wrongdoing by choosing to settle the suit.
"We deny the allegations in this lawsuit because we clearly and prominently disclose all fees charged our customers, however, we have decided to settle this case to avoid lengthy, expensive litigation," an AT&T spokesperson told The Sun.
Claiming cash from the settlement
Although customers nationwide were impacted by AT&T's allegedly nefarious billing strategy, only California residents can claim a portion of the settlement.
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AT&T customers in California who had a post-paid wireless plan and were charged administrative fees between June 20, 2015, and June 16, 2022, are eligible for compensation.
Customers should also provide their AT&T phone number or account number, if either is known.
The deadline to file a claim is October 29, while eligible class members must opt out by September 29 if they don't want to be involved.
Impacted consumers should have received an email, text, or physical notice about the settlement, which
According to the settlement, anyone who files a claim could be in line for a payment of $15 to $30.
Payment amounts will vary based on how many consumers join the class action suit.
However, this represents only a small portion of the fees AT&T charged the average customer.
The Verge reported that AT&T has charged customers an average of $180 in administrative fees since 2015.
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Read More on The US Sun
Millions of T-Mobile customers can claim a portion of a $350million class action settlement.
Plus, we explained how low-income households can get free or discounted internet service thanks to a government program.
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