back to article AT&T subscribers back in court to crack open telco giant's $60m FTC settlement over limited 'unlimited data' plans

Angry AT&T customers have asked a judge to force America's trade watchdog, the FTC, to hand over the information it used to reach a $60m settlement with the cellular network for throttling “unlimited data” plans. Last month, the FTC finally reached an agreement with AT&T following a five-year legal battle in which the telco …

  1. JassMan

    $12 or $31

    Is that a one off payment, or per month, or per day? On the grounds that 2GB is only a quarter hour at 20Mb, unless the compensation is per day, I think the class actioners have every right to feel agrieved.

    1. NeilPost Silver badge

      Re: $12 or $31

      Just a shame Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is on it’s break.

      1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

        I'm sure he'll get around to that next year.

  2. deevee

    AT&T just need to die.

  3. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    Doesn't the US have a small claims route? A class action is probably more efficient for a big corporation to fight and undoubtedly more efficient (at reeling in fees) for lawyers but it doesn't seem very efficient for claimants. A big corporation can't effectively fight a few million individual claims for small amounts when it can't claim costs if it loses; settling promptly is its best option.

    1. Imhotep

      The US does have local small claims courts, but I believe that a case certified as a class action suit rolls up all claimants in to that suit. Perhaps someone else can clarify that point.

      1. Charles 9

        Don't those kinds of class actions provide an opt-out in case you don't wish to be part of the class?

        Plus, why aren't there criminal fraud charges being pressed?

        1. Duncan Macdonald
          Unhappy

          Fraud ?

          The big companies in the US own the government. Any laws that could result in significant penalties are always watered down to the point where they are ineffective.

        2. JohnFen

          Yes, class action lawsuits do provide a means for people to opt out of the class, preserving their ability to sue on their own. The instructions about how to opt out are included with the Class Action Notification you receive. There is a cut-off date for opting out, though, so this is a "you snooze, you lose" sort of thing.

        3. Carpet Deal 'em

          Plus, why aren't there criminal fraud charges being pressed?

          The 2GB cap was probably somewhere in the fine print(which is the sort of technicality that's handled differently in civil and criminal law).

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Heheh,,

    fleeced its customers to enrich its executives and its investors.”

    Just about sums most company’s up !

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    AT&T dirtbags

    I was recycling cell phones for a local non-profit which provides them free to battered women so they can call 911 and perhaps save their lives.

    We got a nice, clean AT&T phone which was donated when the owner died.

    AT&T refused to even consider unlocking it because 1) the owner had the unmitigated gall to DIE before his contract was up hence he still owed them money, and 2) we couldn't provide the dead guy's social security number. They insisted we call the family to get it before they'd even talk to us. "Hi, what was your dad's social security number? We promise we won't steal his identity."

    But what the heck, they're the phone company and they don't have to care.

  6. Miami Mike

    AT&T

    I was recycling cell phones for a local non-profit which provides them free to battered women so they can call 911 and perhaps save their lives.

    We got a nice, clean AT&T phone which was donated when the owner died.

    AT&T refused to even consider unlocking it because 1) the owner had the unmitigated gall to DIE before his contract was up h ence he still owed them money, and 2) we couldn't provide the dead guy's social security number. They insisted we call the family to get it before they'd even talk to us. "Hi, what was your dad's social security number? We promise we won't steal his identity."

    But what the heck, they're the phone company and they don't have to care.

    1. Charles 9

      Re: AT&T

      What? They wouldn't take a certified copy of the Death Certificate? I would think refusing that could result in a visit from the police for refusing to acknowledge someone is dead...

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