When CenturyLink began offering high-speed internet service in Jeff McCulloch’s neighborhood two years ago, the Albany resident said he was intrigued by the idea of fast service from someone other than the cable TV company.
CenturyLink was especially appealing because it made him a promise: “Price for Life.” The company said it would never charge McCulloch more than $70 a month, so long as he kept the same internet plan and paid his bill on time every month.
This past April, though, CenturyLink sent McCulloch an email notifying him his monthly rate was going up by $10. McCulloch called to complain but said CenturyLink claimed he wasn’t really a Price for Life customer and would have to pay the higher rate.
After haggling with a supervisor, McCulloch said he convinced the company to restore the original rate. But that only lasted a month and then the price went back up.
So he sued. A complaint filed Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court seeks class-action status and an unspecified sum for and McCulloch and others impacted by CenturyLink’s alleged broken promise.
“This is a matter of principle, not a matter of money,” McCulloch said in an interview. “I just want them to do what they said they would do.”
His lawsuit was filed by Portland attorney Michael Fuller, who frequently pursues class-action lawsuits in consumer protection cases. The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice will serve as co-counsel.
It’s not clear how widespread the CenturyLink issue might be, but the Oregon Department of Justice says it has received “many complaints” about Price for Life.
“We have an open investigation into the matter,” department spokesperson Roy Kaufmann said in a written statement.
The Denver Post reported last year that customers had reported similar problems with Price for Life in Colorado. In 2019, CenturyLink agreed to pay $8 million to resolve an investigation by the Colorado attorney general that the company had failed to honor “price lock” and “fixed price” contracts.
Lumen, CenturyLink’s parent company, said it cannot comment on the pending litigation. But it said it is always happy to talk with its customers about their concerns.
“CenturyLink honors the terms of its agreements with its customers, including any Price for Life promotions to which they are subscribed,” spokesperson Mark Molzen said in an email.
Internet service providers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to connect neighborhoods around Oregon to their high-speed networks. They are eager to sign up customers to recoup their investments.
In most places, customers only have a few choices for their home internet. But competition is fierce and companies frequently offer steep discounts to new customers — sometimes raising prices later.
CenturyLink’s Price for Life guarantee debuted several years ago, taking things a step further by promising new customers that their rates would never go up.
An email to McCulloch from a CenturyLink sales representative, provided by his attorney, lays out the terms of the 2022 agreement, including the $70 “Price for LIFE!”
Companies expect their customers to pay their bills every month and McCulloch said it’s only fair that those businesses hold up their end of the bargain.
“The good outcome for me is to honor their word,” McCulloch said. “I signed up on the fixed price and I have obeyed the rules. I’ve paid the bill.”
This article has updated to note that Oregon Consumer Justice is also participating in the litigation.
— Mike Rogoway covers Oregon technology and the state economy. Reach him at [email protected].
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