OLYMPIA, Wash. – Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Thursday that Lumen, formerly CenturyLink, has agreed to pay a total of $825,000 to 1,099 customers who were wrongfully disconnected during the pandemic.
This resolution stems from two separate investigations conducted by Ferguson’s Public Counsel Unit and Consumer Protection Division.
Lumen, a major telecommunications company providing network and cloud services, as well as local and long-distance telephone services across 18 states, including Washington, will compensate affected customers with $707.55 for each unlawful disconnection experienced between March 23, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021.
This is the state’s largest local telephone company, according to the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC), Lumen serves approximately 650,000 residential and business lines in Washington.
Customers impacted by the wrongful disconnections will receive checks in the mail, and current customers will see a credit applied to their bills. The distribution of checks is expected to be completed by Feb. 10.
In addition to the settlement, Lumen must confirm to the Attorney General’s Office that it has refunded all reconnection and late fees charged to over 35,000 customers during the pandemic.
If any customers were charged fees that haven’t been refunded, the company is obligated to refund those fees, along with interest. Lumen has already returned over $1.3 million to customers charged in violation of the emergency proclamation.
Attorney General Ferguson emphasized the significance of this outcome, stating, “Lumen’s conduct resulted in Washingtonians losing a critical lifeline during the pandemic. This outcome compensates Washingtonians who were harmed, provides accountability for unlawful conduct, and reduces the likelihood of similar conduct in the future. I appreciate Lumen’s willingness to work with my legal team to reach this resolution.”
During the pandemic, the Governor issued a proclamation prohibiting telecommunication companies from disconnecting customers from landline services, as well as imposing restrictions on late fees or reconnection fees. This proclamation took effect from March 23, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021.
This was created to ensure that communication channels remained open for telephone customers, especially those in rural areas or without reliable cell phone service.
Despite directives in the proclamation, Lumen disconnected 1,099 customers, with 67 of them facing repeated disconnections.
This resolution comes in addition to the $692,250 in penalties imposed by the UTC against Lumen for violating the moratorium. Lumen has agreed not to contest these penalties any further as part of the resolution.
Penalties collected by the UTC in these cases will be utilized to support the commission’s public benefit and education programs, contributing to the enhancement of consumer protections.
For more information, visit the Attorney General’s Public Counsel website.
