Virginia part of settlement resolving wireless carriers' alleged deceptive advertising practices
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A group of 50 jurisdictions, including Virginia, have reached a $10.25-million settlement against AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon Wireless, TracFone Wireless and T-Mobile, resolving their investigations into alleged deceptive and misleading advertising practices.
The agreement resolves allegations that the companies made unsubstantiated claims about data allowances, free phone offers, and incentives to switch mobile networks. It also requires the companies to make all future advertisements truthful, accurate, and non-misleading, and to clearly and conspicuously disclose any restrictions on data speed, as well as the triggers of such restrictions.
The settlement also requires the companies to offer to pay for customers to "switch" carriers only where they clearly and conspicuously disclose the type of fees and amounts that they will pay consumers, the form and schedule that such payment will take, and all material requirements that consumers must satisfy in order to qualify and receive such payment.
Virginia will receive just more than $192,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs as part of the settlement.
