TOPEKA, Kan. (Legal Newsline) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has announced Billing Services Group North America Inc. has agreed to settle allegations it added unauthorized charges to consumers’ home telephone bills – a process known as “cramming.”
According to Schmidt’s office, the company allegedly billed third party services to Kansas consumers’ landline telephone bills. The consumers who had been billed had never signed up for or authorized these charges.
“Consumers should only be charged for services they expressly authorized, no matter whether that purchase is made in cash, by credit card or by a charge on their phone bills,” Schmidt said. “This company has agreed to cease this practice – making sure consumers’ rights are protected.”
The company did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement. However, it agreed to reform its business practices.
In a related case, the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with Billing Services Group earlier in the month.