A class action lawsuit against national cellphone carrier T-Mobile alleges that the company failed to provide promotional gift cards as promised. The plaintiff, Purya Ghrabeti, filed the complaint in November last year in California court due to the state’s consumer protection laws.
Newsweek reached out to T-Mobile by email on Thursday afternoon for comment.
Why It Matters
T-Mobile is facing at least two legal complaints, including a lawsuit from competitor AT&T over an “Easy Switch” tool that allegedly uses artificial intelligence (AI) to illegally scrape confidential consumer data from its private systems. T-Mobile has denied this and maintains that the initiative is consumer-friendly.
And another competitor, Verizon, has sued T-Mobile over alleged false advertising, claiming that T-Mobile exaggerated savings and compared promotional rates to Verizon’s standard rates—to which T-Mobile has countersued, alleging similar deceptive tactics.
What is the T-Mobile Class Action Suit?
The lawsuit focuses on a promotion offering $200 gift cards for each new phone line purchased. However, the company allegedly failed to honor the promotion.
Ghrabeti bought two new phone lines in June 2024 as part of the deal, with the representative saying he would receive $400 in gift cards in approximately 10 weeks.
Ghrabeti said that after purchasing additional lines based on the promotion, he received a phone call from a T-Mobile supervisor on September 10, 2024, and was told that the promotion did not exist and that the company would not provide the gift cards.
Ghrabeti said that a store representative had confirmed the promotion at the time he purchased the additional lines, and later learned of similar complaints by other consumers who did not receive their gift cards. He insists that he would not have purchased the lines without the offer.
Therefore, the class action alleges false advertising and deceptive business practices. The lawsuit alleges that T-Mobile induced customers to make purchases based on nonexistent promotions.
What is Ghrabeti v. T-Mobile USA Inc.?
In seeking a remedy, Ghrabeti is attempting to represent a class of California consumers who purchased lines or devices from T-Mobile based on the promotion or other financial incentives that did not materialize.
He is requesting a jury trial to seek restitution, equitable relief, and injunctive relief for himself and the proposed class.
Ghrabeti has alleged that T-Mobile regularly engages in a practice of advertising gift card-based promotions to increase sales, then fails to deliver on those promises.
“[T-Mobile] created the false impression—through its employees and marketing practices—that such promotions were active, valid, and would be honored upon purchase, despite having no intention or ability to fulfill them,” the court filing states.
The lawsuit would only affect California-based customers who purchased one or more phone lines or devices during the period.
Who is Representing Ghrabeti?
Ghrabeti is represented by Todd M. Friedman, Adrian R. Bacon and Meghan E. George of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman P.C.
Read the full article here
