Looks like a few folks are going to get a refund in California
http://www.slyck.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43755The fees that cell phone carriers charge customers who break service contracts took a big hit in a California courtroom when a judge said such charges by Sprint Nextel Corp. likely violate state law.
The judge, in a tentative ruling issued late Monday, said Sprint will have to pay $18.3 million to customers who sued over the fees and credit $54.8 million to those who were charged but did not pay the fees.
The same judge is considering other lawsuits against telecommunications companies over their so-called early termination fees, which can range from $150 to $225. This month Verizon Wireless agreed to pay $21 million to settle an identical lawsuit just as trial was starting.
This ruling makes clear that an ISP cannot make up the rules as they go along, there is a potential case for obtaining such early termination revenue when a cellphone that came a part of a contract deal is factored in, but in when this is not the case and they are claiming to suffer from over subscription negating their claims of any loss of revenue then this is pure consumer fraud in my opiion. It looks like the judge thought something similar.
