Verizon Wireless to pay $1.5 million to state of Florida for unfair billing practices

[Quint101]

Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay $1.5 million to the state of Florida to settle charges of unfair billing practices for ring tones and other Internet content that were falsely advertised to its customers as free, Attorney General Bill McCollum announced this morning.

"We've seen advertising for ring tones and wall paper on the Internet and it said it was free," McCollum said. "Well, it was not for free."
Under the agreement, third-party vendors who hawk online content, including ring tones and wall paper to Verizon cell phone customers will have to notify them clearly that the products will show up on their phone bills, typically between $9 and $19 a month.

Verizon will also have to send notices to millions of customers and former customers nationwide that they can apply for refunds or rebates on future bills if they think they were duped. Of the $1.5 million, which will go to the state to reimburse the cost of the investigation, $500,000 represents fines for Alltel, which Verizon recently acquired.

Verizon Wireless to pay $1.5 million to state of Florida for unfair billing practices | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat