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Charter Cable TV Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Charter cable TV customers are suing the company Charter Communications Inc. over an alleged bait-and-switch scheme, but four of the five plaintiffs have been forced into arbitration
- Why: A judge said the plaintiffs did not specifically opt out of the arbitration agreement
- Where: The case is being heard in a Connecticut federal court
Only one of five Charter cable TV customers who allege the company tricked them with a “bait-and-switch” scheme with hidden fees may go ahead with a class action lawsuit, a Connecticut federal judge has ruled.
In an order filed Jan. 14, U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. ruled that four of the named plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed against Charter Communications Inc. in 2020 must resolve their claims through arbitration — outside of court.
He agreed with Charter’s supplied documentation that most of the plaintiffs had agreed to the company’s General Terms.
“The record shows that Plaintiffs Kleuskens, Weber, Foster-Harper, and Kinell all assented to the arbitration provision by clicking “I Agree” when presented with electronic versions of the General Terms,” he wrote.
“These plaintiffs also assented to the agreement by continuing to use and pay for Charter’s services after receiving notices on their billing statements.”
Only Randall Byrne will be allowed to stay and lead the class action because he was the only one to specifically opt out of the arbitration agreement that the rest agreed to. Byrne must wait for the arbitrations to conclude before he continues with the class action, Judge Haight ruled, as the arbitration may overlap with the case.
The Charter customers filed the class action lawsuit in May 2020, saying that the communications company misled its customers about the costs of its Spectrum cable television services.
The customers, all of whom have Spectrum TV subscription with Charter, allege the company deceptively increases the monthly rate, charges undisclosed fees, reduces the number of channels included in its packages, and makes it hard for customers to cancel their service subscriptions.
The plaintiffs say that they were all offered a lower monthly rate that was then raised, contrary to what the company advertised.
The customers all present similar stories of how the company implanted a “bait and switch” scheme that led to them paying more than was advertised when they decided to purchase subscriptions.
Have you ever encountered hidden fees in your cable or internet services? Share your experiences in the comments below.
The customers are represented by Hugh W. Cuthbertson and Steve Rickman of Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson Duhl & Grello PC, Michael W. Sobol and Daniel E. Seltz of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, and by Daniel M. Hattis of Hattis & Lukacs.
The Charter Cable TV Bait-And-Switch Class Action Lawsuit is Randall Byrne, et al. v. Charter Communications Inc., et al., Case No. 3:20-cv-00712, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
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26 thoughts onCharter Cable TV Class Action Customers Must Arbitrate Over Alleged ‘Bait and Switch’ Tactics
we where going to move. so my girlfriend called spectrum to get the services transfered.it turned out we could not move.when we realized that she called to stop the service.she was told that because it was processed we need to let the processing go thru then call to cancel.she did call getting put on hold and transfered..eventually being told to return the unused equipment that was shipped. we waited inline for a hour to return and being reassured that everything is fixed. she recieved a billl for equipment and a service we never used.. after being put on hold and transfered on ten different phone calls and being told that it was resolved.more bills have come and now we are told that if we pay over seventy dollars it will be fixed. to not have my girlfriends credit damaged and to be done with the frustration,,anxiety,anger while making sure no one else has to go thru this ordeal is all we hope for. bye ,bye spectrum
2 of there reps flew from Nevada and signed people up in our Kennewick Wa store which they told me and my daughter plus put it in writing our rates are forever locked in and will never go up. In 1 yr our rates went up 7times in 12 months, today 7/1/2022 our rates went up again which comes out of my .daughters bank acct# so I can produce the records
add me as well, the rate went up and I called Spectrum for a better rate since the price was too high…they told me they had nothing better so I cancelled my service. I was informed that I owe the full amount even though there are 20 days left in the contract.. so basically charging me for providing no service… I agree that is called stealing and they are getting away with it… Can we group together and do something about it?
I disconnected my cable service with Spectrum on the 8th of June and the 7th was my final day of the billing cycle. They charged me for the entire month. I dont know about everyone else but when someone takes your money and doesnt provide anything in return that is called STEALING. I never read or was informed about anything like this or i would have never disconnected the day after. They did something similar with my spectrum mobile account. These people should be held accountable for the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollar, probably more, of unsuspecting customers. This is extremely concerning as other companies will most likely follw suit.
Same here. I even called them twice to ask when to cancel so I would not be charged for additional; time. So I canceled my service on the day I was told. Next I returned all my gear at the store and they told me, not only had my service not been shut off, I had been upgraded to more channels, HBO, Showtime and more!!!!!!!! I was pissed. They told me that those people on the phone always pull that crap on people. So they fixed it all for me and told me all was finished.
Now I am paying for a full month and I don’t even have their services anymore. When I got the bill for $150 I called them and they said I owed another month. So I’ve been paying them $15/month. This morning I got a call from a bill collector. I now want to sue them for lying to me. And upgrading me.
ADD ME PLEASE. In addition to the above complaints, they are charging me for the cable box that should come with the package.
Add me as well. Same as everyone above
They did a bait and switch with bundling discounts. They raised the prices of equipment that is not being updated or replaced and is getting older with each day. They are the ONLY cable provider in my area and they treat customers knowing they have no other options. Please include me in your lawsuit.
Please add me! I signed up with the agreement my costs will never go up. They have been currently tacking on “broadcast surcharge” every other month, which I’m being told broadcast companies are charging them and they have to pass that along to customers. Bait and switch, and not part of my contract agreement!
Add me
Please add me
Please add me