Continuing his Honest Fees Initiative, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that Bothell-based TV and broadband internet provider Wave will pay $900,000 to more than 23,000 customers who ordered the company’s services online.
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Wave failed to adequately disclose taxes and fees added to their bills, and did not clearly disclose its fees on some of its advertising.
Wave, which provides television and internet services in Washington, Oregon and California, did not clearly disclose all taxes and fees to customers when they signed up online. The Attorney General’s Office estimates that about 12,000 to 13,000 of the more than 23,000 customers who will receive bill credits are from Washington state.
The Attorney General’s Office filed a legally enforceable consent decree in King County Superior Court ordering Wave to clearly and conspicuously disclose all fees, surcharges and terms or conditions of its offers to consumers prior to them purchasing service. Today’s announcement resolves the Attorney General’s investigation into the company’s failure to adequately disclose fees during online sales and in its advertising.
The $900,000 in consumer restitution will be directly returned to more than 23,000 current customers impacted by the hidden fees. Wave will send bill credits to these consumers along with a notice on their bill referencing the Attorney General’s investigation and the consent decree. Every current subscriber harmed by Wave’s conduct will receive direct restitution in the form of a credit.
The Attorney General’s Office is developing a claims process for people who were Wave customers between January of 2016 and mid-2018, but are no longer subscribers.
Those former customers should contact our office at www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint. Wave must pay an additional $300,000 to the Attorney General’s Office to pay consumer claims. Any money left over will be used to cover the cost of the investigation and continue the work of the Honest Fees Initiative. ■