The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

DA announces historic settlement with Time Warner Cable

by The AV Times Staff • February 20, 2020

LOS ANGELES – Time Warner Cable will issue credits to customers valued at nearly $17 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit stemming from allegations that the company used misleading advertising practices to entice customers to pay for high-speed internet services that it could not deliver, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced Thursday.

The vast majority of the money — which is the largest ever secured by the District Attorney’s Office in such a lawsuit — will be returned to customers within 60 days through automatic credits on their monthly cable/internet bills from Spectrum, the parent company of Time Warner Cable after a May 2016 merger.

The company’s internet customers in California will also be offered a free month of an entertainment streaming package, Spectrum Choice, valued at about $40, while those who are cable TV subscribers will be offered three free months of Showtime, valued at $45, if they don’t already subscribe to it, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

A few customers who both were issued outdated modems and paid for higher internet speeds will be eligible to receive about $180 in credit, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The company — which did not admit or deny fault under the settlement – – also agreed to pay $1.9 million that will be split evenly between the district attorney’s offices from Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties, which filed the consumer protection lawsuit.

The district attorneys alleged in the lawsuit that Time Warner advertised and marketed internet services to its customers in California that overstated the speeds it could deliver.

Lacey called the settlement a “warning to all companies in California that deceptive practices are bad for consumers and bad for business.”

“We, as prosecutors, demand that all service providers — large and small — live up to their claims and fairly market their products,” the district attorney said. “When they don’t, my office will take legal action to protect consumers.”

–

Filed Under: Home, Los Angeles County

2 comments for "DA announces historic settlement with Time Warner Cable"

  1. Mars says

    February 22, 2020 at 7:28 am

    Soooo..What about the people who’s no longer have cable?

  2. Lolita says

    February 20, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Time Warner overcharged constantly. You would sign up at one price, and then they’d charge more a few months later.

Recent Comments

  • Claire on Man found dead in Lancaster [update: victim ID’d]: “Thank you, Mary.” Jan 24, 07:31
  • Claire on Woman found dead in Lancaster; man arrested [updated]: “What a shame little care is shown to a valuable human being.” Jan 24, 05:32
  • Mary Driscoll on Op-ed: Protect nurses and the community now: “It’s time to bring in the retired nurses and the ones that are close enough in licensing requirements like they…” Jan 24, 04:27
  • Mary on Woman found dead in Lancaster; man arrested [updated]: “May God let Kelley rest in peace with him and may all victims of domestic violence take the time and…” Jan 24, 04:10
  • Mary on Man found dead in Lancaster [update: victim ID’d]: “May this man rest in peace and let us pray he is with Jesus now and may our community be…” Jan 24, 04:02

© 2021 · The Antelope Valley Times. All rights reserved. Terms of Use