Christina Spicer  |  September 7, 2018

Category: Consumer News

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A proposed $15.5 million Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement took its first tentative steps to approval.

The Comcast set-top box class action settlement was previously denied in 2015 when a federal judge determined that the proposed Class Members could not reliably be determined.

Comcast appealed the denial and, in the meantime, the parties amended the settlement proposal.

U.S. District Court Judge Anita B. Brody preliminarily approved the fourth amended version of the Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement. The judge noted, however, that the notice proposed needs to be further modified to cure some deficiencies.

Pointing out that the Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement is several years old at this point, Judge Brody states “In light of the risks attendant with this litigation, the settlement agreement provides sufficient compensation to putative class members,” in tentatively approving the agreement.

“Because the settlement agreement does not raise any red flags and adequately compensates putative class members, there are no obvious deficiencies to cast doubt on the proposed settlement agreement’s fairness,” concluded the judge.

The Comcast class action settlement stems from allegations made by consumers in 2008 that the company forced them to rent a cable box to access Premium Cable packages. The Comcast cable TV class action lawsuit alleged the requirement was a violation of the Sherman Act, as well as state antitrust and business laws.

The initial case was consolidated into multidistrict litigation, along with dozens of other similar lawsuits.

Under the terms of the Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement, Class Members will receive between $10 and $59.95 between cash payouts and “in kind” awards. “In kind” awards will include things like subscriptions to certain channels. The amount of the award will depend on whether the Class Members still subscribe to Comcast.

“Current subscribers receive nothing more from Comcast than former subscribers because the actual cost to Comcast to provide higher-value in-kind relief to current customers is much less than the actual cost to Comcast to provide lower-value cash payments to putative class members,” stated the judge in the order preliminarily approving the Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement.

“Thus, the $59.95 maximum value of in-kind relief that a current subscriber may receive only costs Comcast $15.00 or less. At best, the in-kind relief is equivalent to the cash payments available to all putative class members.”

However, the judge also noted that final approval will be held in the Comcast set-top box class action lawsuit settlement until notice has been provided to all Class Members.

Top Class Actions will post updates to this class action settlement as they become available. For the latest updates, keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter. You can also receive notifications when this article is updated by using your free Top Class Actions account and clicking the “Follow Article” button at the top of the post.

The MDL plaintiffs are represented by NastLaw LLC, Wexler Wallace LLP, Begley Carlin Mandio LLP, Sweetnam LLC, Bailey & Glasser LLP, Fodera & Long, Devereux Murphy LLC, The Bell Law Firm PLLC, Foote Meyers Mielke & Flowers LLC, Edgar Law Firm LLC, Gustafson Gluek PLLC, Becnel Law Firm, Macuga Liddle & Durbin PC, and Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis LLC.

The Comcast Set-Top Box Class Action Lawsuit is In re: Comcast Corp. Set-Top Cable Television Box Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 2:09-md-02034, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

UPDATE: March 2019, the Comcast set-top box rental fees class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim. 

UPDATE 2: On Sept. 24, 2019, the $15.5 million Comcast set-top box class action settlement was granted final approval by a federal judge.

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322 thoughts on$15.5M Comcast Set-Top Box Class Action Settlement Gets Approval

  1. Loni says:

    Add me as well. My bill was suppose to be $129.00 with unlimited internet. now it’s $170.00 with no unlimited internet service. Comcast are ripping off their customers. Bill goes up every month and their excuse is price increase.

    1. Kelly says:

      Add me as well. My bill was suppose to be unlimited internet for 124.99 a month. Now its 170 a month without unlimited internet. All service fees increased they told me and this is not right. My bill is a different amount every month, how is that possible?

  2. Carol Mayer says:

    Add me Bill is different every month Multiple times cable out and customer service is beyond poor

  3. CARLA SMITH says:

    Add me

  4. tijuana m ashton says:

    My original bill was 201 now its 277. Their billing practices are over the top something needs to be done

    1. shawn says:

      comcast is a thief company they tell you your bill will be such then it changes I only pay them what’s agreed not a dime more and I fight with them everytime so they get the bill fixed I don’t pay no extra at all

  5. charles hill says:

    Add me I have been paying to much for my internet and security system. I was told my bill would 130 now it is 160 and I don’t know why

    1. shawn says:

      easy kick them out like I did and don’t pay pay only the agreed amount

  6. Mary C Fuller says:

    Please add me to the class action lawsuit. They over charged me for service that wasn’t even working and charged me for 3 months after I cancelled my service its on my credit report and they have ruined my credit.

  7. Miner Bolden says:

    Please add me to this class action lawsuit comast also forced me to pay for landline phone when i only wanted cable then the phone number they gave me was not mine at all when you called it a asian man answered they also billied a extra month after i cancelled with is now on my credit please please help me with this thank you in advance

  8. Gabe Henley says:

    Add me also. I used to work for comcast (2007-2010). Worked there 3 years. A month before I left the company, I subscribed to have employee benefits (video/hsd for $20/mo) removed because the same service was around $200 for customers. When I left, not only did they try to charge me for ANOTHER FULL MONTH when they neglected to remove the services as requested. I still talk to my old supervisor about it and he can verify it all. They wanted over $250 AND wanted me to RETURN THE MODEM I BOUGHT because they added it as a rental! I bought the damn thing from Best buy!

  9. NICHOLAS GERMAN says:

    Please add me to this. Comcast should be punished for forcing customers to sign-up for a so-called triple play package (TV, Land Line Phone Service, and Internet. If you want to remove the phone service, which most people would because the entire world now uses cell-phones, Comcast tells you the bill would be higher. Like all of their customers are stupid. Land-based phones are going away, yet I’m forced to pay for one each month. I would much rather have them stop lying to me about them giving me a break when I use all 3 services and price the services fairly and let people choose what they want and don’t want. It’s not the customers fault the Comcast bought all the land lines in America and are passing their bad decision along to me and their customer base. If you are a lawyer creating a case against Comcast feel free to contact me at the address below. Big money in this case….

  10. Felix Maldonado says:

    Add me

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