Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Both AT&T and T-Mobile have negotiated a settlement with the FCC after charging customers for third-party message subscriptions. This practice is also known as "cramming," where carriers add unauthorized charges to a customer's bill for other companies. The charges are normally listed as something innocuous like a $1.99 "service fee" which causes them to go unnoticed on a customer's monthly bill. You may be entitled to a refund for bogus charges if you have ever received daily horoscopes, dieting tips, dating advise, etc. on your cell phone. Here's how to find out if you qualify for a refund from AT&T and T-Mobile:
AT&T agreed to pay $105 million to settle with the FCC. Some of this money will be refunded to customers who apply before May 1, 2015. You can visit this website and enter your email address or phone number to apply for a refund online.
T-Mobile customers can request an Account Summary by visiting t-mobilerefund.com or calling 1-855-382-6403. You have until April 30, 2015 to scan your account for "any charges that you did not authorize" and mail it back to T-Mobile for a full refund.
Sprint was also recently hit with a $105 million fine by the FCC for the same illegal practices, but no refund claim submission has been set up at this time.