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A California woman claims AT&T’s false debt collection practices have damaged her credit and left her feeling “deceived, anxious, and harassed.”
Plaintiff Susan Whiting claims defendant AT&T Corporation has been unlawfully trying to collect a debt from her that doesn’t actually exist.
On behalf of herself and a proposed plaintiff Class, Whiting’s AT&T false debt class action lawsuit is seeking statutory damages under California and federal consumer protection laws.
Whiting says that starting in September 2016, AT&T began erroneously billing her for equipment and services she never ordered and never received.
The company apparently charged her for renting its modem and other internet equipment, when in fact Whiting had been using her own equipment. The plaintiff says she never even requested the equipment for which she was being billed.
Whiting says AT&T sent her letters in an attempt to collect the debt, letters that she says were full of misrepresentations. She claims these letters misstated the nature and legal status of the debt, the services rendered in the attempt to collect it, and the amount owed, among other things.
In her AT&T class action lawsuit, Whiting claims AT&T acted in violation of California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
The RFDCPA provides consumers with several broad protections against abusive debt collection practices, in part by incorporating references to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Generally, these consumer protection laws forbid debt collectors from using false or deceptive representations or deceptive means in the course of attempting to collect a debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer.
Collectors are also prohibited from collecting an amount that is prohibited by law or that is not expressly authorized by the agreement that created the debt.
The act makes it unlawful for a collector to falsely represent the nature or legal status of the debt, or to falsely represent any compensation the collector may lawfully demand for their services provided in the course of collecting the debt.
The RFDCPA’s protections extend to alleged debtors as well as actual debtors – so a person who is the subject of false debt collection attempts can also use the act to protect themselves.
According to Whiting, both state and federal laws provide for $1,000 in statutory damages for each person affected by the alleged AT&T false debt collection practices.
Whiting proposes to represent a plaintiff Class consisting of all persons in the U.S. who were subject to AT&T false debt collection efforts via mail for equipment charges that the purported Class Member had no knowledge of. She expects Class Members will number in the thousands.
She seeks an award of damages that would include $1,000 in statutory damages for herself and for each Class Member. She also seeks reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation, plus any other relief the court deems appropriate.
Whiting is represented by attorneys Todd M. Friedman and Adrian R. Bacon of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman PC.
The AT&T False Debt Collection Class Action Lawsuit is Susan Whiting v. AT&T Corp., Case No. 2:17-at-00076, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
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97 thoughts onAT&T Class Action Says False Debt Collection Targets Thousands
They are billing me $1800.00 when I no longer had their phone service the contract was over and they are still saying that I owe them for phones that are paid for and a two year contract that I never wanted I told them after the two year contract was up I know longer wanted there service. And they still are trying to collect from me and destroy my credit I never agreed on or sign a new two year contract so how can they say that I owe them for anything. AT&T is ripping off their customers and some one needs to STOP them.
I canceled my service with AT&T at the end of last year because I received bills for different amounts for the same month! I contacted consumer affairs two or three times, they called AT&T, they fixed the problem, and started it all over again! Everything started on October 2015 and ended when I canceled my phone and internet service… Well, at least I thought so, but then again, I received another weird bill, which they corrected after me calling several times…
It was stressful, time consuming, and crazy stuff. :(
I returned their non-working Internet unit and advised them why I returned it.
Inspire of that returned and cancelled service! they still billed me as if I used their stupid service!
Please help!
That happened to me too! Sent me the stuff for Internet, I sent it back and they billed me for two months of service and it was cancelled and never hooked up. Count me in.
I have had the same problem as well. I returned the modem within the 30 days. I was called constantly about payment. I told them I will only pay for the time I used it nothing more. When I finally got a bill I was billed for 3 months. I faxed them the receipt showing I returned it within the 30 days and they backed off. This happened 2009 and here it is 2017 and now they are up to their illegal collection shit. I no longer have the receipt and as far as I am concerned AT&T is the equivalent of ISIS.
They charged me amount on my credit card for something I didn’t have or bought. Please give info on how to get in this settlement. Thanks
AT&T is a rip off they are a billion dollar company and they still scam customers on a daily basis this is horrible and they need to be stopped .
I am be being charged for some equipment that I turned in years ago and they keep telling me that I never turned them in ..
They are doing this to my mom, refuse to give itemized list of charges. Over $3000
AT&T bought Cricket which was the server I went to after AT&T because they tried to keep raising the price for my phone. AT&T bought Cricket where I had my broadband and phone and when I left Cricket for Straight Talk, AT&T said I owed Cricket money for my broadband, which Cricket agreed I did not since it was pay as you go. I had had AT&T for 3 years before and their service was okay but Cricket phone service was lousy. AT&T was in charge of accounting for Cricket.
I was told in the store and buy the sales person as a professional courtesy when either your contract or the buying. For your device telephone smart phone iPad they automatically renew it and renew your voice and data plan as a courtesy mean they don’t tell you
They have done this to 419.00 on my credit report, please help me