Tyler v. Alltel Corp.

265 F.R.D. 415, 76 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 18, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15550, 2010 WL 670119
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 23, 2010
DocketNo. 4:07CV00019 JLH
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 265 F.R.D. 415 (Tyler v. Alltel Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tyler v. Alltel Corp., 265 F.R.D. 415, 76 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 18, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15550, 2010 WL 670119 (E.D. Ark. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

J. LEON HOLMES, District Judge.

Heather Tyler commenced this action against Alltel Corporation and Alltel Communications, Inc. (collectively, “Alltel”), seeking to represent nationwide classes consisting of persons who were charged an early disconnect fee and persons who were enrolled in a roadside assistance program without their consent. Pending before the Court are the following motions: Tyler’s motion for leave to file a second amended complaint; Alltel’s motion to strike Tyler’s class allegations; Tyler’s separate motions for class certification of the “Mr. Rescue Automatic Charge [419]*419Class”1 and the “Early Disconnect Penalty Classes”; and Tyler’s motion to strike the expert testimony of Prof. Jerry Hausman. Tyler’s motions for class certification were filed on May 8, 2009, and a class certification hearing was held on July 31, 2009. For the following reasons, Tyler’s motion for certification of the early disconnect penalty class is denied. Tyler’s motion to strike the expert testimony of Hausman, Tyler’s motion for leave to file a second amended complaint, and Alltel’s motion to strike Tyler’s class allegations are denied as moot.

I.

Tyler’s complaint alleges that she and other similarly situated plaintiffs were injured by Alltel forcing them to pay an early disconnect penalty.

Alltel was a wireless telecommunications company.2 According to Tyler’s complaint, Alltel offered its customers various service plans, some of which were “post-pay” plans and some of which were “pre-paid” plans. Under the pre-paid plans, customers were committed to their respective plans for a certain period of time and were obligated to pay an early disconnect penalty if they terminated their contract before the end of its term. The early disconnect penalty for early termination was typically $200. The contract term and early disconnect penalty were stated in the written contract. Alltel asserts that its contract conspicuously displayed the contract start date, the contract end date, and the early disconnect penalty amount. Alltel also asserts that customers had to sign the contract, acknowledging that they understood and accepted its terms and conditions, including the early disconnect penalty, and that customers were provided a copy of the contract.

In November 2003, Tyler purchased a telephone and wireless service plan from Alltel. In March 2006, she cancelled her service with Alltel prior to the completion of her contract term, and Alltel imposed the $200 early disconnect penalty. Tyler says that she never signed a contract or otherwise agreed to pay the early disconnect penalty. She says that Alltel has been unable to produce the written contract that she supposedly signed or other evidence indicating that she agreed to a two-year service agreement. After Tyler contested the validity of the early disconnect penalty, Alltel imposed a late payment fee in addition to the penalty. Tyler contacted both the Better Business Bureau of Arkansas and the Arkansas Attorney General’s office. Alltel continued to add late fees and taxes, and Tyler says that Alltel threatened to retain an outside collection agency to collect the penalty and late fees. In July 2006, Tyler paid under protest the balance of the penalty and the related charges.

Tyler stated in deposition testimony, and she reiterated in her testimony at the class certification hearing, that she did not recall the details of her interactions with an Alltel sales representative when she entered into the contract; that she does not remember whether she initiated service at an Alltel store or through a kiosk; that she does not recall whether she was given or signed any documents at that time; and that she otherwise has no recollection of what she was and was not told when she initiated service in May 2003. In September 2004, Tyler upgraded her wireless device, which Alltel says resulted in a twenty-four month contract extension. Alltel says that the twenty-four month contract extension resulted in her being able to purchase the upgraded wireless device at a deep discount.

In August 2006, Alltel began supplementing its wireless contracts with a document called “My Info,” which prominently displayed the contract length, contract start date, contract end date, and the early disconnect penalty in a section called “Contract Summary.” Alltel says that its sales representatives were trained to review key features, the contract length, and the early dis[420]*420connect penalty with all of Alltel’s customers. Alltel says it trained its representatives, provided them with checklists, and monitored their representatives to ensure that all proper disclosures were being made to the customers. Starting in May 2005, customers no longer signed contracts because Alltel transitioned to a paperless contract system that included the My Info disclosures as well as a “Welcome Guide,” which explained the various features and the early disconnect penalty.

II.

Tyler’s complaint asserts claims based on three legal theories: unjust enrichment, unfair and deceptive business practices in violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and unfair and deceptive business practices in violation of other class jurisdictions’ consumer protection statutes. The putative class members reside in the following twenty-five states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Tyler alleges that Alltel violated the consumer protection laws of Arkansas and the other class jurisdictions3 by charging and collecting an early disconnect penalty from its customers.4 Tyler says that the early disconnect penalty is designed to penalize and hold its customers hostage; is assessed without a justifiable basis; is assessed without adequate disclosure of all its applicable material terms and conditions; and is excessive for any actual damage experienced by Alltel when a customer cancels service.

Tyler moves for certification of the early disconnect penalty payor class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and (b)(3), and for certification of the early disconnect penalty current subscriber class under Rule 23(a) and (b)(2).

Tyler defines the proposed classes as follows:

Early Disconnect Penalty Payor Class.
All Alltel wireless and/or communication services customers who subscribed to and activated an Alltel service plan, and who have been charged for and paid charges associated with Alltel’s “early disconnect penalty” and/or “early termination fee” within the past five years immediately preceding the date of the filing of this action to present. Excluded from this class are: (1) any person, firm, trust, corporation or other entity related to or affiliated with Alltel; (2) all currently serving federal district court judges, their current spouses, and all persons (and their current spouses) within the third degree of consanguinity to such federal district court judges and spouses; (3) claims by any person or entity who timely opts out of this proceeding; and (4) any person who has given a valid release concerning the claims asserted in this suit.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Nosler v. Quick & Associates
E.D. Arkansas, 2020
Jarrett v. Panasonic Corp. of North America
8 F. Supp. 3d 1074 (E.D. Arkansas, 2013)
Morangelli v. Chemed Corp.
275 F.R.D. 99 (E.D. New York, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
265 F.R.D. 415, 76 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 18, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15550, 2010 WL 670119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tyler-v-alltel-corp-ared-2010.