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BT Telecom Landline Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: The Competition Appeal Tribune approved a class action lawsuit filed by Justin Le Patourel against BT Telecom.
- Why: Plaintiff claims BT Telecom overcharged its landline customers for years and should be required to pay them back.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of consumers across the UK.
BT Telecom could end up owing millions of consumers £500 a piece after an Ofcom investigation revealed the company overcharged its landline customers for years.
The Competition Appeal Tribune approved a class action lawsuit on Thursday which seeks a total of £600 million in compensation for a Class of more than 2 million current and former BT Telecom customers.
Plaintiff Justin Le Patourel claims BT Telecom took advantage of elderly customers and the virtual monopoly it has on the landline market in order to drive up prices.
Le Patourel, who is the founder of the Collective Action on Land Lines, says many of the customers involved are vulnerable and deserve to be given refunds for the overpayments, reports The Mirror.
Investigation Into Landline Service Reveals Excessive Charges
A 2017 investigation by Ofcom found that BT Telecom had been overcharging its landline customers since 2009, despite a 25 percent decrease in wholesale costs, reports The Mirror.
BT Telecom responded to the Ofcom review and subsequent criticism by reducing the price of it’s landlines from £18.99 to £11.99 a month in 2018.
The company, while assessed a £42 million fine for a separate violation Ofcom discovered, was not ordered to pay back any of its customers for the overcharges, reports The Mirror.
The Class consists of consumers who were “Voice Only Customers,” that had landline service with BT Telecom between October 2015 and April 2018 without a broadband service, and “Split Purchase Customers,” who had both landline and broadband services that were not bundled together on or after October 2015.
Do you believe BT Telecom overcharged you for its landline service? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by Ronit Kreisberger QC, Nikolaus Grubeck and Jack Williams of Monckton Chambers, and Nicholas Bacon QC of 4 New Square, instructed by Mishcon de Reya LLP.
The BT Telecom Class Action Lawsuit is Justin Le Patourel v. BT Group PLC, Case No. 1381/7/7/21, in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
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