The State of Texas has scored a major win in consumer protection with the announcement of a $10.22 million settlement with several top wireless carriers. This substantial agreement is the outcome of investigations that revealed numerous deceptive advertising malpractices by AT&T Mobility, LLC, Cricket Wireless, LLC, T-Mobile USA, Inc., Cellco Partnership doing business as Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless, Inc. According to the Texas Attorney General's office, the underhanded techniques employed by these companies entice consumers with ambiguously "unlimited" data plans, misleading "free" phone claims, and unclear monetary incentives to swap networks.

Attorney General Ken Paxton minced no words in his condemnation of the unscrupulous marketing tactics utilized by these carriers. In a robust critique, Paxton declared, as per the Texas Attorney General's office, "Businesses cannot lure consumers into deceptive deals through misleading marketing schemes," further illuminating the gravity of the situation with carriers promulgating offers of 'free' phones paired with 'unlimited' plans which, grounded in reality, were neither gratis nor limitless. This settlement then serves as a crucible for corporate accountability, ushering in a new era of transparency. As part of the restitution, Texas is set to receive an allocation of $1,152,078.23 specifically assigned to attorneys' fees and costs.

For those looking for more detail on this development and the corporate commitments made, the Attorney General's office has made the settlement agreements publicly available, to secure a deeper insight into the agreements forged with AT&T Mobility, LLC and Cricket Wireless, LLC, the specifics can be found directly on the Texas Attorney General's website, and likewise agreements with T-Mobile USA, Inc., and the agreement with Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless, Inc., are also available for review by the general public, interested parties, and consumers affected by past misleading advertisements.