Your iPad or iPhone sitting idle may be costing you money. That’s the message from a class-action lawsuit charging AT&T with overcharging Apple customers up to 300 percent.
Lawyers charge the carrier regularly overcharged its millions of Apple handset and tablet users, usually by 7-14 percent. The legal team spent $80,000 to test their theory. A new iPhone sat for two weeks with anything affecting data usage turned off. Still AT&T billed for 35 instances of data usage, lawyers charge.
The carrier replied the lawsuit is “without merit.” AT&T counters by saying the problem is a misunderstanding how data is charged. Although an iPhone or iPad with cell coverage appears inactive, applications on the devices can still perform automatic updates and other actions in the background.
The questions raised may eventually bring Apple into the spotlight. The outcome will likely be closely-watched by Cupertino, as well as iPad and iPhone users. Earlier this year, a similar problem cropped up with Verizon iPhones being overcharged for data consumed by the handset’s personal hotspot feature.
