AT&T passing along its multi-million dollar settlement to its customers

KSDK -- One million AT&T
customers in Missouri might want to check their monthly bills for some
new charges. In November, AT&T reached a $65 million settlement
with about 300 Missouri cities. But as the I-Team discovered, the
company will not be paying a dime; its customers will foot the bill.
Kris Hittner, owner of Fischer's Cake and Candy in Florissant, is
one of those customers. She isn't so sweet on AT&T these days. Her
November phone bill showed a one time charge of $6.10. The bill said
the fee was a special municipal charge to cover a settlement paid to
municipalities for past gross receipt taxes.
"If I have something priced wrong or I don't collect taxes, I absorb
that," Hittner said. "I don't go chasing down my customers."
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Arnold IS on the list

Now that AT&T and Missouri municipalities have settled a $65
million suit over disputed taxes, AT&T's customers are now stuck
with paying the bill.

AT&T in December began adding up to $1.99 a month for residential
customers and up to $3.50 a month for businesses to the bills of its 1
million Missouri customers.

The fees, likely to last four years, will pay the $48.75 million that
AT&T has paid to 271 Missouri cities as part of the settlement. The
settlement, approved by a judge in November, allowed AT&T to pass
through the cost to its customers, but drew the line at letting
AT&T pass on the cost of the legal fees — $16.25 million.

AT&T spokesman Kerry Hibbs said that the new fees for residential
customers will range from 59 cents to $1.99 a month. Longtime customers
will pay more because the claims in the suit go back to 1999, he said.

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