Pay special attention if Frontier Communications is your Internet service provider. A federal class-action lawsuit accuses Frontier Communications of defrauding its customers by charging fees it claims imposed by the government, according to consumeraffairs.com.
The complaint claims Frontier charged Internet customers local and state taxes prohibited by the Internet Tax Freedom Act, the Federal Communications Act and various state laws. In addition, Frontier allegedly charged customers for 911 services even though customers cannot call 911 from their computers.
The plaintiffs also accuse Frontier of charging a made-up “HSI surcharge,” which Frontier says the government requires. The lawsuit calls it a junk fee that is completely unrelated to any government fee or regulation.
Frontier Communications serves primarily rural communities formerly served by Verizon. It operates in 27 states and has a little over 7 million customers. In 2003, Frontier changed its name from Citizens Telecommunications Company. The plaintiffs want a refund of the fees along with damages related to the disputed fees.
If you have looked closely at your Internet bill or cell phone bill, how many of the fees and charges do you understand?
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida attorneys