AG Ellison settles lawsuit against Comcast, gets relief for Minnesota customers
(FOX 9) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Thursday his office has settled a consumer protection lawsuit against Comcast/Xfinity and obtained refunds and debt relief for more than 30,000 customers.
Ellison said his office has retained refunds for 15,600 Minnesotans as well as debt relief for an additional 16,000 Minnesotans. The settlement also requires Comcast to change its advertising practices to disclose to its customers the full amount they will be charged for the service.
Former Attorney General Lori Swanson’s office sued Comcast in 2018, alleging the company charged Minnesota customers more than it promised it would for their cable services, including undisclosed “fees,” and charged for services and equipment that customers did not request.
The lawsuit also alleged Comcast promised customers prepaid gift cards if they signed up for multi-year contracts, then failed to provide the gift cards.
In a statement, Comcast said it disagreed with the allegations initially made in the lawsuit; the company agreed to settle because it is "committed to improving the experience of our customers in all respects.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Comcast is required to pay out $1.14 million in refunds to eligible customers and to pay an additional $16,000 to the Attorney General's Office, which will also be used to provide refunds to customers. Comcast will send a claim form to all eligible customers. Customers can also complete a contact form on the Attorney General's website to get a refund.
Comcast has also agreed to wipe clean the debt for approximately 16,000 former customers whom they charged an early termination fee after they downgraded or canceled their services after they were locked into a contract.
The settlement with Comcast comes one week after Ellison announced his office had settled a multi-year lawsuit against CenturyLink.
FULL STATEMENT FROM COMCAST
Today’s settlement with the Minnesota Attorney General reflects our ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience. While we disagree with the allegations initially made in the lawsuit – which do not reflect our policies and practices – we agreed to settle because we are committed to partnering with Attorney General Ellison and others who share our commitment to improving the experience of our customers in all respects. We believe this settlement agreement furthers that shared goal.