AT&T slowed data speeds for millions of customers, feds say. Refunds are still available
AT&T charged for “unlimited” data while slowing data speeds for its customers, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Now some may be entitled to a refund.
Former customers with AT&T who had unlimited data plans between 2011 and 2015 could receive payment after the FTC “in 2019 required AT&T to provide $60 million for refunds,” according to a news release.
The FTC says $7 million remains to be refunded to eligible customers, though payment amounts are uncertain.
Payouts will depend on multiple factors, “including how many people file claims,” according to the FTC’s website. It’s also unclear when payments will be sent.
The refunds stem from a lawsuit filed by the FTC in 2014 that accused AT&T of “data throttling,” or reducing customers’ data speeds, often without notice, if they used a certain amount of data in a given billing cycle. The complaint said at least 3.5 million AT&T customers were affected.
“Some customers experienced data speeds so slow that many common phone applications, such as web browsing and video streaming, became difficult or nearly impossible to use,” the FTC wrote.
An AT&T spokesperson addressed the claims, saying: “While we continue to dispute the allegations in this lawsuit from 2014, we elected to settle in 2019 rather than continue with drawn-out litigation.”
To date, the wireless carrier has repaid more than $52 million to current and former customers to settle the allegations, according to the FTC. What’s left is for former customers who have not been compensated.
To qualify, consumers must be:
- a former AT&T customer
- had an unlimited data plan between Oct. 1, 2011 and June 30, 2015
- experienced data throttling, or reduced speeds
- haven’t received a bill credit or payment from AT&T
The deadline to file a claim is May 18.
For more information, consumers can contact a refund administrator at 1-877-654-1982 or email info@ATTDataThrottling.com.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 1:41 PM with the headline "AT&T slowed data speeds for millions of customers, feds say. Refunds are still available."