A class action lawsuit says that AT&T charges customers an “administrative fee” on post-payment wireless plans, and does not notify customers of the fee in an attempt to boost their profits.
Plaintiffs Ian Vianu and Irina Bukchin claim that when they signed up for an AT&T wireless plan, they were not notified that they would be charged an administrative fee.
However, they say that they were charged the fee and the price raised gradually over the course of their contract.
Vianu notes that he did not notice that the fee was being charged at first, because it increased so slowly. Allegedly, after a number of months, he noticed that his rate had risen by around $15.
Allegedly, both Vianu and Bukchin say that after their initial contract with AT&T, they then signed new contracts with the company when they purchased new phones, and in Bukchin’s case, allegedly added a new line to her phone plan.
The plaintiffs claim they were not told that they would be charged an administrative fee when they resigned their contract, as they were not told when they signed their initial contract.
The AT&T administrative fee class action lawsuit asserts that the fee was charged unjustly, because administrative fees should have been included in the price of the wireless plan as advertised by AT&T.
Furthermore, the AT&T class action lawsuit says at the wireless company does not advertise the fees to its customers. Allegedly, this fee is not disclosed in the contract, and is hidden in the company website.
AT&T reportedly raised this fee without notifying customers that it exists or notifying customers that it is being raised. The customers assert that this rate hike happens gradually so customers do not notice it is being raised, and is effectively a way for AT&T to increase their monthly charge to customers without having to advertise a higher rate.
Vianu and Bukchin say that AT&T intentionally misleads customers about the fee in an effort to make their services seem like a better deal than they are.
To emphasize their assertion that the company charges this fee without customers’ knowledge or consent, the customers note that this fee is only charged to customers who are on post-payment plans, not prepayment plans.
The customers argue that AT&T charges this fee to post-payment and not prepayment customers because post payment customers are less able to cancel their plans if they do not want to incur the fee. Allegedly, post-payment customers would be charged a large fee for the service they already used and would face penalties for breaking a contract.
Vianu and Bukchin are represented by Michael W. Sobol, Roger N. Heller, Sarah R. London, and Avery S. Halfon of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP; and by Daniel M. Hattis and Paul Karl Lukacs of Hattis & Lukacs.
The AT&T Wireless Plan Administrative Fees Class Action Lawsuit is Ian Vianu, et al. v. AT&T Mobility LLC, Case No. 3:19-cv-03602, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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594 thoughts onAT&T Class Action Alleges Bait-and-Switch Pricing Scheme
I purchased my home a year ago. I had no problem with my IPhone 12 Pro. Att started messing with my cell towers then I couldn’t get any incoming calls or make out going calls. I made several visits to Att was told my phone shows no issues and to reboot your phone, they switched my SIM card..etc. I had to start driving away from my house to make calls. My family and friends would have to text me that they are trying to reach me. My phone worked perfectly when I moved here for 8 months and I had no issues at my last home which was only 10 miles away! Finally after suffering months with that issues and missing work calls. I was told my cell needed to be upgraded. I was forced to go on a new plan and upgrade my cell. My bill is absolutely ridiculous right now! I am still having issues and Att won’t allow me out of my contract even though I can’t use my cell as it is intended.
So disappointed I’ve been with them over 16 years!
We need help to do something about at&t deceptive sales and get off this overpriced plan we were tricked into. Someone please contact me about this
The fees keep going up on my home phone. I finally got away from AT&T cell phone as they kept going up and up on prices, fees etc! They did their dandiest to try to keep me but NOPE, I finally went to Consumer Cellular. Their fees keep going up too but everything is. I still pay less than if I’d kept our cell service with them. I still want to be added to this lawsuit.
I recently traded in my phone and the sales representative added a bunch of extra charges, one for a Flex plan, insurance for my phone and insurance for appliances in my home. I refused all of these extra charges. When I called to inquire why my bill was double, they would only reimburse me for three months. When I asked to speak with a manager and requested to be reimbursed for the full six months, they refused. I made a formal complaint about the employee and they said I would have to go to the store and complain that there is nothing else they could do for me. This is a multi million dollar company totally robbing their customers. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I highly doubt that three extra months of extra charges cost them anything to reimburse me.
We were told by a salesperson at Fred Meyer that we could get 4 lines of service and unlimited data for 140$ bit when we got our bill the bill was over 230$. We were lied to about the cost of the plan. What do we do about this? Do you know who to contact?
Please add me. I was promised a Samsung Galaxy S22 for free with trade in of any Galaxy devise ,any condition. I was supposed to get a $22.23 credit every month. However only getting $8.34 credit a month. Supposedly they received the trade in to late to receive the full credit. Given a $400 credit as the trade in is only worth $35 now.
Add me
Please add me to the ATT Bait & Switch hidden fees lawsuit