Friday, December 19, 2014

Schmidt: T-Mobile customers in Kansas eligible for refunds under national settlement

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- T-Mobile customers in Kansas who were charged for third-party services on their mobile phone bills without their consent are eligible to receive refunds as part of a multi-state settlement reached earlier this week, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

The national settlement announced today was reached between T-Mobile, the attorneys general of Kansas and 49 other states and the District of Columbia, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

It includes a total payment of $90 million to resolve allegations that T-Mobile placed charges on consumers’ mobile phone bills for third-party services that had not been authorized by the consumer, a practice known as “mobile cramming.”

This settlement follows a similar one reached with AT&T Mobility in October.

Under the terms of the settlement, T-Mobile is required to provide at least $67.5 million in refunds to consumers who were victims of cramming.

“Consumers have a right to be clearly informed about the services they are purchasing – and the cost,” Schmidt said. “This settlement returns to consumers charges for programs they didn’t know they were signing up for and were often unable to cancel.”

For more information on how to obtain a refund, Kansas consumers should visit the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org or call (800) 432-2310.