Metronet Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Deceptive Tech Service ‘Junk Fee’

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action lawsuit claims Metronet advertises fictitiously low prices for its internet services only to add a significant, mandatory “technology services” or “tech assure” fee to customers’ monthly bills.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

According to the 27-page fraud case, Metronet represents on its website that the fee—which has increased over time from $9.95 to $12.95 per month—is automatically added to each bill to cover costs associated with technician service calls or equipment. The lawsuit contends, however, that the technology service fee serves “solely to extort more money from its customers” since the charge cannot be waived, and consumers must pay for the charge regardless of whether their internet ever needs servicing.

The suit alleges that the defendant unfairly obscures the true cost of its services by failing to include the fee in its advertised prices. Instead, the case says, Metronet secretly tacks on the tech service fee as a separate line item apart from the basic contract price of the internet service.

As a result, customers often remain unaware of how much their internet service actually costs until after they sign up, or sometimes even after they receive their first bill, the complaint stresses.

“Indeed, depending on whichever specific internet service plan a customer selects, Metronet’s [technology service fee] can represent as much as 43% of the advertised cost [of] the internet service itself,” the filing says.

The case claims that Metronet’s tech service fee is nothing more than a hidden “junk fee” designed to muddy the defendant’s genuine prices, make it difficult for customers to compare rates with competitors and trick people into buying its services.

The filing argues that Metronet customers would have chosen different internet service providers had they known the company allegedly misrepresents its low base rates.

The Metronet lawsuit looks to represent anyone who, during the applicable statute of limitations period, held an internet service account with the defendant and was assessed a technology services fee.

Are you owed unclaimed settlement money? Check out our class action rebates page full of open class action settlements.