Verizon Wireless to refund errant Web, data charges

October 04, 2010|Associated Press

NEW YORK — Verizon Wireless could pay out up to $90 million in refunds to cellphone customers who were improperly charged for inadvertent Web access or for data usage over the past several years.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission asked Verizon Wireless about $1.99-a-megabyte data access fees that appeared on the bills of customers who did not have data plans but who accidentally initiated data or Web access by pressing a button on their phones.

In a statement on its website yesterday, Verizon Wireless said that most of the 15 million customers affected will receive credits of $2 to $6 on their October or November bills.

Some customers will receive larger sums.

Those who no longer do business with the New York-based carrier will get refund checks.

“Verizon Wireless values our customer relationships and we always want to do the right thing for our customers,’’ said Mary Coyne, deputy general counsel for Verizon Wireless.

“The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the Web, which should not have incurred charges.

“We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future,’’ she said.

Verizon Wireless has said that it stopped charging such fees when a customer started using a data service but then quickly shut it off.

Verizon Wireless, which is the largest cellphone carrier in the United States, is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, of Britain.

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