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Comcast Forced To Refund $700,000 To Customers Over Misleading Fees (vice.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Comcast has been forced to shell out $700,000 in refunds and cancel the debt of more than 20,000 Massachusetts customers after a state attorney general investigation found the company routinely jacks up consumer bills via a bevy of misleading fees. An investigation by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy found that Comcast routinely advertises one rate, then charges customers up to 40 percent more when the bill for service actually arrives. When shocked customers then tried to cancel or downgrade to cheaper broadband and TV plans, Healy's office found they were socked with a $240 fee for violating long-term contracts. Many users were promised a locked-in rate of $99, but hidden fees and surcharges quickly left many with service plans they couldn't afford, the AG said. Under the new settlement with Massachusetts, Comcast must forgive all outstanding debts for unpaid early termination fees and related late fees, clearly disclose all fees in future advertisements, and train the company's service reps to more clearly outline billing caveats. "Comcast stuck too many Massachusetts customers with lengthy, expensive contracts that left many in debt and others with damaged credit," Healy said in a statement. "Customers have a right to clear information about the products and services they buy. This settlement should encourage the entire cable and telecommunications industry to take a close look at their advertisements and make sure customers are getting a fair offer."
1 minute of profit, poof.
The reason they can get away with it is because the 'taxes' part of the additional fees varies by region and government. Since it varies it can't be a flat advertised price. The 'and fees' part though, should be outright illegal if you advertise a 'price for a service'. This is supposed to be what regulated monopolies and utilities is supposed to not allow happen...
They are refunding them in bitcoin.
It's news like this that proves competition is good. In areas where there are only one or two options for internet and TV, shit like this can happen almost unchecked. Unregulated monopolies are only good for one party, the corporation. Without competition, you get slow and shitty service.
And vote in your mid terms and even your primaries. This is why it's so important to vote. People don't realize how much power elected government officials wield. But I guarantee you Corporations do
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I missed the part of the story where Comcast was punished at all. Lengthy costly lawsuits and in the end they only have to give the money back with no punitive penalties? That's a real sweet deal there.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
If you try that in Europe there's a very good chance you will end up in a criminal court and you are probably then going to jail.
I've never understood why you Americans take so much abuse just because it's dished out by a private company.
This would never happen here.
Nobody ever regretted buying their way out of their contract. $240 is a lot, but it's not a lot-lot, and it's better than being stuck upside down in a contract you can't afford.
moox. for a new generation.
Where it said "Comcast stuck too many Massachusetts customers." So if they had only screwed fewer customers they would have been happy to overlook that little problem with billing.
Disincorporate Comcast in the entirety and execute the stockholders.
Their behavior is cruel and exploitative, though not unusual at all. So we need to stop it.
Once and for all.
That'll show them. Any company that is caught scamming that many people deserves to be shut down, no if's and's or but's.
I had a one-year contract, moved a couple blocks, they insisted on canceling the contract, creating a new account, and jacking my rate up $40/month... after telling me when I got the contract that moving it to another address was no problem.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
"The reason they can get away with it is because the 'taxes' part of the additional fees varies by region and government. Since it varies it can't be a flat advertised price."
There is no obligation to make the customer pay taxes and fees individually on top of the prices as opposed to including them in the price. As an example, my T-Mobile $60 per month wireless plan results in me being billed exactly $60 per month. Any taxes and fees are paid out of that $60 dollars.
So, how is that capitalism working out for you?
Privacy begins with
Went to mark insightful and let go of the mouse button too soon. :P :P :P