Fergie's Tech Blog

Cingular Loses California Court Ruling

Bob Egelko writes in The San Francisco Chronicle:

A state appeals court upheld a $12.1 million fine against Cingular Wireless on Tuesday for charging unfair fees and misleading customers, in a ruling that strengthened state regulators' authority over cell phone providers.

The Public Utilities Commission could assess financial penalties against Cingular for misrepresentations about its service without intruding into the Federal Communications Commission's exclusive authority over wireless rates and infrastructure, said the Court of Appeal panel in Santa Ana.

The court also upheld the PUC's order requiring Cingular to pay reimbursement, plus interest, to customers who were charged early termination fees for ending wireless service contracts before they expired in one to two years. The fees were $150 to the company and, in some cases, up to $400 to its sales agent.

posted by Fergie @ 6/21/2006 06:12:00 AM