The law that will make AT&T pay almost $1 billion to consumers

[DainBramaged]

The financial benefits that the Class Members will realize from the Settlement are far from academic," an Illinois District Court judge noted in his just released approval of a deal between tens of thousands of consumers and AT&T Wireless. That's putting it mildly. The settlement in question requires AT&T to refund or credit wireless customers based on an estimate of $1.152 billion. When various legalities kick in, the final cash payout will come to around $956,160,000.

Class-action attorneys charged that AT&T Mobility improperly collected millions of dollars in taxes from almost 2,000 state or territorial areas. All this was contrary to the Internet Tax Freedom Act, the lawyers contended. But as is so often the case, the matter never went to trial. Instead, the parties settled.

"Fair, reasonable, and adequate," United States District Court Judge Amy J. St. Eve calls the arrangement. "The Court thus finds that the expected cash value of the Settlement to the Class strongly counsels approval."

The deal may be the "largest class-action case in history in terms of the number of consumers affected," the class-action attorneys note.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/the-law-that-will-make-att-pay-almost-1-billion-to-consumers.ars


And I complained multiple times to them about these taxes and it fell on deaf ears. Who's punked now AT&T

[ret5hd]

1. Who's punked now?

How much did ATT collect from these "taxes"? If it was much over $1B, i'd say WE were.

[NV Whino]

2. A settlement means

we'll probably get abut 50 cents apiece.

[DainBramaged]

3. (sigh) maybe I should just post about penis pictures?

were you an AT&T wireless customer during the period listed?

[NV Whino]

4. I've always been an ATT customer

So, I'm gonna say yes.

But really, think about it. Cases are never settled for the actual amount. The whole figure sounds good, but by the time it trickles down, it's pennies—partial pennies, even— on the dollar. We are always on the short end of the stick.

[DainBramaged]

6. I will not allow YOU who think the story is unworthy, convince me I should not post if you don't

like my posts.

[NV Whino]

7. ??

How on earth did you get that warped statement out of my post?

[Horse with no Name]

5. One thing for certain

Once ATT makes a few select campaign bribes...this will go by the wayside like the tobacco settlement did.