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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
How do you become a part of this claim?
I would like to know as well
There is also a new rule by AT&T that any one who has your Information ie ssn, birthday can make changes to your account. No verification needed.
The same thing happen to me. I want to be a member of this class action.
This whole last year we had no to minimal service they took our tv it was proven that the contour 11 had fried the mother board in my tv they finally brought us a new tv after I had yelled and called the cag department spoke to several people to zero avail! “ALL YEAR LONG!” All talk saying they would take care of things! They refunded by only lip service “words” that we would not be charged if we kept paying minimum payment so we don’t lose our phone number we’ve had for 52 + years! To keep our account open! I’m sick of this whole ordeal! We’re still being over billed! They lied about having no contracts any longer for cell
Phone services and then get me to sign up with a new program I’m finding so they can get paid commission! I’m sick of the 400+ bill every single month! It’s insane! I’m not even able to explain it all clearly here! I’m too overwhelmed by everything! AT&T has gone back to their old rip off ways! I got a “free” phone for an upgrade and now after more than a year I’m still
Paying for the free phone that I had already paid taxes on and being pretend reembursed every month 29 dollars! They are a major rip off! Thieves! I have had it with them! Very overwhelmed and stressed out! I hate crooks!
How do you become a s part of the claim?
i never had an account and they put a huge collection on my credit and never notified me. now i cant remove it
I have challenged this on my credit report at least 3 times!!!
I am dealing eith a similar problem. I cancelled my ATT services in Nov. and paid my bill leaving a zero balance. They now are billing me late charges along with a $98 charge. Talked to numerous people. They say they didn’t receive a payment. I sent them proof that it was paid via my bank statement. Now receiving collection calls! Ugh!
I had at&t internet after I closed my cell phone account. Both were set up in my bank account bill pay. One month I accidentally made my payment to the closed cell phone acct. I was charged late fees on the internet acct. I realized I paid the wrong acct. I called and talked to so many different people in different departments. I filed a couple issues with at&t. They took the money from my bank acct but no one could tell me where the funds were applied. I went back and forth for months. I refused to pay that amount because they already had my money. They eventually sent me to the creditors. I ended up having to pay the creditor and it is still on my credit report.
How can I be apart of this lawsuit?Same thing happened to me.