Spectrum Class Action Filed Over ‘Illegitimate’ $9.99 Wi-Fi Activation Fee

Charter Communications Operating LLC has been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing its broadband company Spectrum of charging customers an “illegitimate” Wi-Fi activation fee.

Plaintiff Sharon Memmer filed the Spectrum class action lawsuit Jan. 31 in Florida. She asserts Spectrum “illegitimately asserted” that she had activated Wi-Fi service, even though she had already enrolled in Wi-Fi service. She was reportedly charged a $9.99 activation fee.

According to the Spectrum class action lawsuit, Memmer had Wi-Fi service through Bright House Networks before the company was purchased by Charter Communications last year. In November, Charter Communications began rebranding Bright House as Spectrum.

Memmer maintains she did not order new Wi-Fi services from Spectrum or Charter, but she was charged the $9.99 Wi-Fi activation fee without her authorization.

Charter reportedly informed customers that individuals with Bright House accounts would not experience any changes to their services or prices. However, Memmer claims that the company broke its promise to consumers by charging them a Wi-Fi activation fee even though they were already receiving Wi-Fi services.

Memmer claims that Spectrum made “false assertions” to its customers about their Wi-Fi services. According to the Spectrum class action lawsuit, the broadband company’s false assertions about their Wi-Fi services and invoicing regarding the Wi-Fi activation fee “is collectively an unfair method of competition, an unconscionable act or practice and/or an unfair or deceptive act or practice.”

The Spectrum class action lawsuit is seeking $1,000 for each customer who was allegedly wrongly charged for the Wi-Fi activation fee. Memmer asserts that “hundreds if not thousands of persons” may be affected.

Spectrum has acknowledged that some customers were mistakenly charged a Wi-Fi activation fee. “Some former (Bright House) Internet customers were inadvertently charged the wifi activation fee when they transitioned to a Spectrum package, due to a billing-code error,” Spectrum spokesman Joe Durkin said. “We apologize for the inconvenience, and will proactively and automatically credit any customer who was incorrectly charged and communicate that to those customers on an upcoming statement.”

Many former Bright House customers have complained about a number of issues after the company was re-branded as Spectrum. They have accused Spectrum of breaking its promise not to raise rates by falsely claiming that their “promotional plans” are expiring. Others accuse Spectrum of turning on customers’ service without their authorization.

A spokesperson for Spectrum says the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Memmer is represented by Ian Leavengood of Leaven Law.

The Spectrum Wi-Fi Activation Fee Class Action Lawsuit is Sharon Memmer v. Charter Communications, in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, Florida.