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A class action lawsuit claims that CenturyLink promises customers one rate but charges them another.
Plaintiff Jason Malueg alleges that CenturyLink, a major telecommunications company, uses fraudulent sales practices to entice customers into signing up for its services only to routinely charge those same consumers much more than the promised price for services. According to Malueg, this is a company-wide practice.
The CenturyLink false advertising class action lawsuit claims the phone company also tacks on extra, unauthorized charges during billing, and refuses to acknowledge discrepancies, brushing off consumer concerns as “billing disputes.”
According to Malueg, this practice results in a profit of tens of millions of dollars annually for CenturyLink, which represents unjust enrichment and fraudulent business practices on the part of the company.
The CenturyLink false advertising class action states that the practice of misleading consumers is part of a “uniform business model,” as evidenced by the training and instructions given to sales offices and employees.
Allegedly, CenturyLink’s customer service representatives are really salespeople, and are given the task of meeting “draconian sales quotas and revenue targets through any means necessary.”
The CenturyLink false advertising class action lawsuit claims that the company incentivizes sales representatives to make a sale in any way necessary — even if this means promising a rate that the company had no intention of following through on, and uncharging the consumer later.
Additionally, the sales representatives are allegedly encouraged and incentivized to brush off consumer complaints about this practice.
The CenturyLink rate discrepancy class action lawsuit claims that “CenturyLink’s chosen business model yielded predictable results by encouraging and rewarding deceptive and other unlawful conduct.”
In support of Malueg’s claim that this practice is consistent throughout the company and not just a fluke or a single instance of bad customer service, he states that thousands of consumers have put forth complaints of virtually the same unlawful and unethical practices of the sales and customer services departments.
Consumers around the country have allegedly reported “being promised one rate during the sales process but being charged a higher rate when actually billed” and in other cases, sometimes in addition to the aforementioned practice, “being charged unauthorized fees, including billing for services not ordered, for fake or duplicate accounts, for services ordered but never delivered, for services that were canceled, for equipment that was properly returned, and for early termination fees.”
Malueg claims that he and many other consumers were financially injured by CenturyLink, because they did not receive the promised benefit of the service they were sold, and were unable to determine the value of the services they were charged because another value had been advertised.
Additionally, the CenturyLink false advertising class action lawsuit states that the company’s practices are fraudulent and misleading.
Consumers have no choice but to trust the advertising and statements put forth by the company in making their purchasing decisions, but are unable to make wise decisions because the information they’re given is inaccurate, Malueg claims.
CenturyLink False Advertising Class Action Lawsuits
CenturyLink has faced numerous false advertising class actions over the years regarding billing practices.
In addition to the bait-and-switch scheme allegations, some customers say CenturyLink goes as far as “victim-blaming” when consumers call to complain about not discovering added charges on bills.
One screenshot conversation mentioned in a recent CenturyLink class action between a customer service rep and a customer named Nichole states the following: “Nichole, I understand your frustration, but at the same time it’s also the customer’s responsibility to look at their bill. That’s why you are sent one.”
Another CenturyLink class action was filed after The Oregonian reported on unlawful billing and issues regarding door-to-door sale tactics.
“CenturyLink’s unlawful billing tactics in Oregon include billing customers for services they never requested, billing higher amounts than quoted during sales calls and door-to-door sales campaigns, billing customers for hidden fees when they canceled their services due to the higher amounts they were being billed, billing customers for periods of service before service was connected, and overbilling customers for returned equipment,” the Oregon CenturyLink class action states.
In addition, CenturyLink is facing class actions regarding pulling credit reports on customers who inquire about the service in violation of the federal Credit Reporting Act.
Malueg is represented by Richard M. Hagstrom, Anne T. Regan, Nicholas S. Kuhlmann, and Jason Raether of Hellmuth & Johnson PLLC.
The CenturyLink False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Jason Malueg v. CenturyLink Inc., Case No. 1:18-cv-00725-WCG, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
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578 thoughts onCenturyLink Class Action Says Customers Promised One Rate, Charged Another
I have been calling Centurytel/Centurylink over and over for the last 15-20 Years.. begging for faster internet speeds… I live only about 3 miles outside of town and they continually increase and expand their internet speed to “In Town” residents… constantly updating and improving their service to insanely fast speeds of 100+ while leaving the rest of us with a MAXIMUM 1.5 download speed. We are charged the same as the other customers and Centurylink keeps taking our money and refusing to improve our service. I understand that it takes time and money but almost 2 decades is beyond accepable! i have contact them via phone and email.. and always told the same thing.. “im sorry its not available to you at this time and we will add you to the list to be notified when it becomes available… Unfornately Centurylink in our Only option for service and they know that there isnt anything we can do about it.. they can charge whatever they want..all we can do it complain…which does nothing.. it is a Monopoly.. Centurylink should be ashamed not only because it is illegal but it also shows poor ethics!
Same story with me! Een with them in several locations in Idaho since 1997 and 5 years in my current place. On one call the customer service/tech rep admitted that my rural town in SW Idaho CAN’T even get more than 10Mps from them, though we pay for 12Mps. Who knows how many pay for more?! The highest I’ve ever gotten in my apartment complex is 7Mps and it’s between 1.5 and 3.5Mps the majority of the time and often drops out completely. Two installers who came out to help told me our lines in the building are too old and this cuts down the signal on top of all this. However, they’re not allowed to work on the line between my wall and the outside connection and the apartment management/owner don’t care to replace them, either. I go to uni online and I almost missed assignment deadlines a few times because of this. And I cannot afford cable. Most ppl in our little town can’t. I’m so sick of Centurylink not fixing this! I’d like yo be added to this class action suit, for sure!
Over charged monthly and internet service went down daily, up to 4 or 5 times a day, for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. No compensation for that and I used their service for my business! No fix to that problem for 3 years! Could not get out of contract where monthly payment kept going up. Paid often in excess of $120+ a month and long distance charges, all kinds of crap for them to get rich off their customers.
Please add me as well! Hundreds in my area paying $45 + tax a month for 1.7 speed. Almost impossible for 2 smart TVs or 2 phones using it in the house at the same time. Then they just started in March ( just when pandemic was hitting of course) if it’s not paid on the exact due date a $16 late fee is added. Double raping me & many many more!!!
Another point is that it is almost impossible to cancel my Century Link account. I have been trying to cancel it for 8 days using every phone number I can find, every Chat I can find online and even driving to two local Century Link stores to turn in equipment and pay my July Bill of $262 before the 8 August due date. My date before the next account start day of the month (with NO CONNECTED SERVICES)is 12 August. I had waited to pay my July bill until I found any contact that got through to them. But sent it through my bank to arrive there 10 August (Before the September bill would have charges in advance for the month.
I went to the two local stores with the equipment in hand – Both were online with addresses and open/closing times on the web and one with an email were not only closed but one, they had moved out and the other was now a shoe store!!! The email went through but NO response.
—- I don’t want in the suit – just trying to do whatever I can to get the account cancelled now I also contacted local TV Consumer problem reporters,.
i would like to with draw from the settlement completely. How do I do that? no interest at all.
Please add me to the lawsuit.
Please add me.
Thank you, I have been a CenturyLink customer for over 15 plus years. I want to be part of the lawsuit. What can I do?
Yes add me to this claim. Or how do I fill out a claim. This site is good for information but I can never figure out how to participate in the claim
I was offered a plan for $65 a month for 10gb DSL, but they are billing me $85. I’ve tried calling multiple times only to be put on long wait times without getting through. Please add me.