Metronet class action claims company conducts ‘bait-and-switch’ pricing scheme

Metronet pricing class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiffs Jyoti Gautam Murray and Allen Perry filed a class action lawsuit against Metro Fibernet LLC. 
• Why: Murray and Perry claim Metronet artificially inflates the true cost of its broadband internet service by tacking on a service fee that is not included in the advertised price. 
• Where: The Metronet class action lawsuit was filed in Indiana federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges that Metronet uses fictitious low-price advertisements to bait-and switch consumers into enrolling in its broadband internet service. 

Plaintiff’s Jyoti Gautam Murray and Allen Perry’s class action lawsuit claims Metronet artificially inflates the true cost of its internet service by automatically and covertly adding a “Technology Services Fee” (TSF).  

“Rather than simply adding the mandatory TSF to the advertised price of the internet service itself, Metronet secretly tacks on the TSF as line item separate from the basic contract price of the internet service,” the Metronet class action says. 

Murray and Perry want to represent a nationwide class of consumers who held an account for an Internet Service with Metronet and were assessed a TSF. 

Class action: Metronet fails to adequately disclose service fee

Murray and Perry argue Metronet fails to adequately disclose the TSF in its advertisements, and that its customers do not discover the fee until either after signing up or when they receive their bill. 

“By unfairly obscuring the true cost of its internet service, Metronet deceives consumers and gains an unfair upper hand on competitors that fairly disclose their true service costs,” the Metronet class action says. 

Murray and Perry claim Metronet is guilty of unjust enrichment and violating the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, Minnesota Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act and Minnesota Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The plaintiffs demand a jury trial and request declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory and punitive damages for themselves and all class members. 

Last month, the 7th Circuit reversed a district court’s decision to throw out a similar class action lawsuit filed against Walmart over claims it used false and misleading shelf pricing. 

Has Metronet charged you a Technology Services Fee? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Tyler B. Ewigleben and Christopher D. Jennings of Jennings PLLC and Jeffrey Kaliel and Sophia Gold of KalielGold PLLC. 

The Metronet pricing class action lawsuit is Murray, et al. v. Metro Fibernet LLC, Case No. 3:24-cv-00131, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

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