Verizon Wireless is under scrutiny from the FCC for $50 million in improperly charged fees. While that investigation is ongoing, the company has agreed to offer a rebate to those customers affected.
“The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others included accessing certain Web links, which should not have incurred charges,” said Verizon in a statement. “We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future.”
The FCC, meanwhile, will continue its investigation. “We’re gratified to see Verizon agree to finally repay its customers. But questions remain as to why it took Verizon two years to reimburse its customers and why greater disclosure and other corrective actions did not come much, much sooner,” said Michele Ellison, the FCC’s enforcement bureau chief. “The Enforcement Bureau will continue to explore these issues, including the possibility of additional penalties, to ensure that all companies prioritize the interests of consumers when billing problems occur.”
Some of the fees accrued when customers without data plans opened mobile Web links, though many of the other fees came without actions from mobile users.”Customers who did not have data plans were billed for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate,” said Verizon. “These customers would normally have been billed at the standard rate of $1.99 per megabyte for any data they chose to access from their phones.”
Source: CNN
