CenturyLink Must Face Securities Suit for Overbilling Scheme

CenturyLink Inc. must face a would-be class action alleging it misled investors about sales practices such as “cramming” unasked-for services on customers’ bills.

The Louisiana-based communications firm’s investors provided detailed allegations about the cramming practice, its effect on revenue, and CenutryLink’s falsehoods, a U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota judge said July 30, refusing to dismiss the case.

CenturyLink allegedly overbilled as many as 3.5 million customers by adding services to their accounts without authorization, deceiving them about prices, and not disclosing hidden fees in service bundles. The company’s “unachievable” sales quotas encouraged employees to engage in cramming, ...