AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular) Cannot Charge Customers for Unauthorized Calls Made After Their Phones Are Lost or Stolen

The California Attorney General entered into a settlement with AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular) that will prohibit the cell phone company from charging customers for any calls made after their phones are lost or stolen.  The agreement, a stipulated judgment filed today with the San Francisco Superior Court, requires the company to credit a customer's bill or immediately investigate customer reports that the calls were made after the phone was lost or stolen. The company may only charge a customer if an investigation determines that the customer actually authorized the charges.

The judgment requires AT&T Mobility to inform their customers in writing of their legal rights regarding lost or stolen phones. It requires AT&T Mobility to assist customers who disputed charges when their phones were lost or stolen. This judgment applies to disputed charges back to the year 2003. AT&T customer's legal rights include:

• The right to have the case investigated within 30 days
• The right to provide information showing a customer did not authorize the calls
• The right not to pay disputed charges during the investigation
• The right to appeal the outcome of an investigation to the California Public Utilities Commission

If you have any questions please call AT&T Mobility at  1-800-888-7600.