Minnesota Attorney General Sues CenturyLink® For Alleged Overbilling

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson recently sued one of the fastest internet providers in the country, CenturyLink^® by claiming that the telecom company often billed Minnesota customers at higher rates than what their sales agents had originally promised. Reports indicate that more than hundreds of CenturyLink^® customers also complained that the provider asked them to pay higher rates.

Swanson said that she is planning to ask a judge to impose civil penalties against the provider and ask the company to alter their sales practice. She also added that the telecom giant should pay compensation to subscribers who were misled about their purchases.

Swanson said, “I want [CenturyLink^®] to knock it off. It is not OK for a company to quote one price and then charge another for something as basic as cable tv and internet service. We want an injunction so the company stops doing this to other people, and hopefully fixes the problem for these people as well.”

The lawsuit against CenturyLink^® that was filed in Anoka County District Court accuses the telecom company of in deceptive trade practices and committing consumer fraud. In addition to that, the lawsuit also cites 37 specific cases, where customers were overbilled by the company and were denied the chance to reduce the overcharges even when they had the originally promised offer from CenturyLink^® in writing.

In a recent statement, CenturyLink^® spokesman Mark Molzen said that his office will show full cooperation to the ongoing investigation and he has also “provided all information requested.” Molzen added, “We are disappointed that the Attorney General has chosen a news conference to communicate her concerns instead of contacting CenturyLink^® directly. We take these allegations seriously and will review and respond in due course.”

Swanson stated that the increasing number of complaints about CenturyLink^® has made this case one of her top priorities. She said, “This one is top of the pile in terms of the concerns we have about the nature of their conduct and what we’re hearing from people.”

However, the lawsuit filed by Swanson is not the only thing CenturyLink^® is concerned about, as several class action lawsuits were filed against the company recently in many western states including Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, and California. Most of these lawsuits claim that the telecom service provider fraudulently billed their subscribers and sent them to collection agencies.