A settlement has been reached with AT&T in class action litigation involving claims that third-party mobile content providers have placed unauthorized charges on the cell phone bills of customers throughout the country. The settlement, which was preliminarily approved by a Georgia court on Friday, entitles AT&T Mobility customers to receive refunds of unauthorized charges.

Third party mobile content refers to products such as ringtones, games, graphics and news or other alerts that generally are purchased over the internet and are charged directly to customers’ cell phone bills. Although these products were not available in the United States as recently as five years ago, they have evolved to form a large and increasingly important industry. The lawsuits alleged that there were not adequate safeguards in place to ensure that customers are only billed for services they agreed to purchase.

This is the first nationwide settlement of its kind and promises to serve as a benchmark for the mobile content industry more generally. Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile face similar lawsuits.

Attorneys Jay Edelson, Myles McGuire and Scott A. Kamber of KamberEdelson, LLC, were appointed by the Court to serve as the co-lead attorneys for the class. “Most defendants who are sued tell us that their primary goal is to protect their customers,” explained Edelson. “By agreeing to provide this type of unprecedented relief, AT&T proves that it stands behind its words. This is both a great result for the class and should put a lot of pressure on other carriers to demonstrate that they, too, are serious about their customers’ welfare.”

The settlement involves over a dozen lawsuits that were filed throughout the country. After preliminary negotiations, the parties mediated with the assistance of respected mediator Rodney Max of Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group, who helped the parties reach a settlement.

Class members are encouraged to visit www.thirdpartycontentrefund.com to learn more details about the settlement and how to apply for refunds. Class members may also call the claims administrator directly at 1-877-465-4797.

Contacts

KamberEdelson, LLC
Jay Edelson, 312-589-6370