Bureau Sues Sprint for Allegedly ‘Cramming’ Third-Party Charges
December 22, 2014
The CFPB sued Sprint Corp. last week for allegedly billing wireless customers tens of millions of dollars in unauthorized third-party charges from 2004 to 2013. The issue here involves charges for what are known as “premium text messages” or “premium short messaging services” because they are frequently delivered by text messages. Examples of such products and services include ringtones, wallpaper images, and text messaging providing flirting tips, horoscopes, and other digital content. Some third-party goods were sold with one-time charges, costing about $0.99 to $4.99, according to the bureau’s complaint. Often, they were monthly subscriptions that cost about $9.99 a month. Most consumers were targeted online, according to the CFPB. Consumers clicked on ads that brought them to websites asking ...