Minnesota Attorney General, CenturyLink agree to $8.9 million settlement to be distributed to harmed customers

(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Attorney General announced a nearly $9 million settlement with CenturyLink Wednesday after the company was accused of overcharging Minnesotans in a 2017 lawsuit. 

According to Attorney General Keith Ellison, the settlement also requires CenturyLink to disclose its true prices to customers and to honor promised discounts. It also bans the company from charging “sham” internet fees.

Now, the Attorney General is asking customers to complete a contact form on the AG’s website so they can be reimbursed their share of the settlement. In total, $844,655 will be refunded to over 12,000 Minnesotans who were promised discounts. Ellison’s office will then distribute the remaining $8,055,345 to other harmed customers.  

In addition, CenturyLink will have to disclose the “true price” of its services at the time of sale and in advertisements, give customers an order confirmation, honor all discounts and stop charging internet fees.

CenturyLink, the third largest telecom company in the country, faced a lawsuit from Ellison for fraudulently overbilling Minnesotans starting in 2011.

“My job is to help Minnesotans afford their lives. That means holding accountable companies that make that harder by breaking the law. CenturyLink broke the law by fraudulently overbilling hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and illegally raising the price Minnesotans had to pay for the company’s service,” Ellison said in a statement. 

The settlement was filed in Anoka County District Court Wednesday after first being filed in July 2017.

The Minnesota Attorney General is also sharing information from this lawsuit with the states of Colorado, Oregon and Washington.