Former AT&T Customers May Be Due Part of AT&T’s $60 Million Settlement

The FTC announced this week that AT&T still had $7 million left to distribute as part of a 2019 settlement resolving claims that the wireless carrier failed to notify millions of customers with unlimited plans that their data speeds were being reduced. 

At least 3.5 million users had their data speeds intentionally slowed by AT&T, according to a 2014 FTC lawsuit, a practice known as “throttling.” 

As a result, network speeds declined 80% to 90%, the commission said, with some users reporting that video streaming, web browsing and even GPS navigation “became difficult or nearly impossible to use.”

“Before people signed a long-term contract, AT&T didn’t adequately disclose to customers that it would slow down their internet,” the FTC said in a statement.

AT&T didn’t reply to a request for comment. In a statement at the time of the filing of the lawsuit, then-senior executive vice president and general counsel Wayne Watts called the FTC’s accusations “baseless.”

“It’s baffling why the FTC would choose to take this action against a company that, like all major wireless providers, manages its network resources to provide the best possible service to all customers,” Watts said, adding that the company’s messaging was “fully transparent and consistent with the law and our contracts.”

In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission ordered AT&T to pay $60 million in conjunction with the case. Current customers were given a credit on their accounts and most former customers were mailed refund checks.

The FTC and AT&T are now trying to disburse the remaining unclaimed funds.

Who is eligible for money from AT&T?

According to the FTC, payments are available to consumers who meet all these requirements:

  • You are a former AT&T customer with an unlimited data plan at some point between Oct. 1, 2011, and June 30, 2015.
  • You experienced data throttling.
  • You didn’t receive a credit or check from AT&T relating to the settlement.

Current AT&T customers should have received a credit on their account and aren’t eligible for this offer.

Former customers who already received a check from AT&T are likewise ineligible.

How much can I get from the AT&T settlement?

An FTC spokesperson said how much individual consumers receive will depend on how many people file a valid claim.  

In the initial round of compensation, current and former AT&T customers received between $10 and $23, depending on what state they lived in.

How do I claim money from AT&T?

The FTC has launched an online claim form for eligible former customers.

You can also request a claim form or ask questions by calling 877-654-1982 or emailing info@ATTDataThrottling.com.

The deadline to submit a claim is May 18, 2023.

For more settlements, find out if you’re eligible for T-Mobile’s $350 million data breach payout and learn why Apple is paying some MacBook users up to $395.



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