T-Mobile Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Alleged Hidden Fee
A recent class action lawsuit filed against T-Mobile is claiming that the company has been disguising a hidden fee as a government charge for the past two decades. According to the complaint filed by 23 plaintiffs in California federal court on October 29, T-Mobile allegedly misrepresents its “Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fee” as a required federal government charge.
This alleged hidden fee, introduced in 2004, has been gradually increased over the years to a monthly charge of $3.49 per line. The complaint argues that this fee is not properly disclosed in the company’s Subscriber Agreement, leaving customers in the dark about how much they are being charged, when it is charged, and that it is charged per line.
The complaint further challenges the explanation provided by T-Mobile for the RPTR fee, stating that it is unfair and deceptive. While T-Mobile claims the fee is meant to help with funding and compliance with government mandates, the complaint argues that this explanation lacks transparency and allows the company to increase rates without proper disclosure.
On the T-Mobile website, the company clarifies that the Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fee is not a government tax, but rather a fee collected by T-Mobile to help recover certain costs incurred by the company.
When asked for comment on the lawsuit, a representative for T-Mobile declined to provide any additional information, citing pending litigation.
Overall, the lawsuit alleges that T-Mobile’s “RPTR Fee” has been misleading customers for years, disguising a revenue-boosting fee as a government-mandated charge. The outcome of the lawsuit remains to be seen, but it raises important questions about transparency and disclosure in the telecommunications industry.
