Comcast sued for $3.7bn by Washington state over consumer rights violationshttps://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/01/washington-sues-comcast-over-consumer-rights-violationsLawsuit filed on Monday alleges that Comcast "grossly misrepresented" its consumer protection plan and charged for repairs that should have been free<< Washington state has filed a $3.7bn lawsuit against the telecommunications firm Comcast alleging that the company violated the state's
Consumer Protection Act almost 2m times. If the suit is successful, the exact award would be up to a judge to decide, but if Washington gets the amount it is demanding, it would be one of the largest legal payouts in American history.
The suit was filed Monday morning in King County superior court by the state attorney general, Bob Ferguson, whose office has been investigating Comcast – the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world. Topping the litany of malfeasance outlined in
the complaint is the allegation that Comcast "grossly misrepresented" its consumer protection plan to its customers. Other customer guarantees were also misleading, the complaint states, and many customers were charged for repairs that should have been free.
"This case is a classic example of a big corporation deceiving its customers for financial gain", Ferguson said in a statement. "I won’t allow Comcast to continue to put profits above customers – and the law."
"Not every Washington consumer can hire an attorney to take on a powerful interest who doesn't play by the rules", Ferguson said in a press conference Monday morning. "A lot of times you don't even know they're not playing by the rules.”
The suit could prove costly to the Pennsylvania-based firm. Washington is seeking $2,000 for each of the alleged 1.8m violations of the CPA, totalling $3.6bn. The suit also demands $73m to pay back Service Protection Plan payments, and an estimated $1m to refund people who were unfairly charged for service calls. >>
