Skype sued for old money
Do you want your money back after 180 days?
Skype's long taken credits from accounts it deems abandoned. Seattle lawyer Roger M. Townsen
d filed suit Friday on behalf of all Skype users in Washington who lost money this way.
The plaintiffs say a Skype account should be treated like a merchant's gift certificate. In Washington state, all gift certificates are refundable by law (and balances are turned over to charity 24 months after being abandoned). So Skype should be giving back a Washingtonian's money instead of keeping it.
If Skype broke the law, then plaintiffs want triple damages, legal fees, and for Skype to stop the practice. "Our goal is to get a fair disposition" Townsend said to Skype Journal.
The claim says Skype has billing information good enough to identify and notify all Washington Skype users about the suit.
A similar suit in Germany ordered Skype to stop this in 2006.
So how could this affect Skype and Skype users?
The suit may not find a legal nexus. But Skype does business with Washingtonians daily.
Skype may win. It's not clear Washington's gift certificate laws apply to something that is neither a gift certificate nor a bank account. However there are enough similarities that Skype may be held to that standard.
Should Skype lose, while this class action is limited to one US state, suits in other populated states may follow. Other states have similar gift card consumer protection laws, but terms vary a lot from state to state.
I don't imagine the business impact would be severe. Skype has been driving customers to switch from Skype credit accounts to signing up for pay-as-you-go subscription plans for years.
Has Skype taken your money? How did it feel? Would you like it back?
tags: skype, security, law, terms, conditions
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Labels: business, life, news, pricing, regulation, security, skype, usa, voip
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9 Comments:
It's about time. Skype has been stealing money from customers in this way for far too long. Hopefully, someone will file a similar suit over money lost in hijacked accounts that are supposed to be under Skype's control, and over Skype's idiotic policies regarding taking customers money and then blocking their accounts without notice.
Until now Skype has had a pretty good scam going, because they deal in relatively small increments of money, typically $10-$20, and people generally aren't willing to go to court over that amount of money. But when you are on the receiving end, and you can take that much money from large numbers of people, it becomes quite lucrative. It would be very nice to see that ripoff stopped.
I also lost money to them. And I do't like there threats to steal my money just because I haven't used what I have already paid for within their arbitrary time limit.
I am in California. I hope something simular happens here.
Thanks
A far bigger problem is the ease with which Skype accounts are hijacked and their skype credits stolen along with access to PayPal and/or Credit card accounts linked to pay Skype subscriptions. Just Google "Skype account stolen / hijacked or hacked" to see what I mean. The Skype voice codecs are clearly brilliant - just wish they would pay more attention to preventing their systems from being compromised by identity theft.
I always make a call when I get the warning email but I just found that my mom's account, which I put money just got cleared out my skype yesterday. Why they think it is ok to take my mother's money is beyond me. I asked for it back the next day and they refused. I would be very happy to see this suit brought in California.
we really need a sort of worldwide class action capability so that these crooks, tucked up in Luxembourg, can be properly dealt with. I just lost my EUR 9.10 and my Mother a similar sum, but both of us are in the UK. Other services such as PAYG mobile make it absolutely clear that there is an expiration date - when you buy, every time you top up, every time you check the balance. With Skype, the app still erroneously shows a balance of 9.10. Like most people I never received any emails.
I have the same experience with Skype..I closed my account,'couse their took money out of it, without my authorization..and a lot!!!!
their are a garbage mobs ,their are a global garbage ...no one should trusth them ....
I have the same problem with Skype...their took money
from my accounts , and a LOT...I had to closed my cards..
This company is a global garbage , NO ONE SHOULD TRUSTH'M
I to was taken for money from skype. It makes me mad that someone can get into my acct and take money that i never gave permission for or signed up with them. I don't even know who they are and they can take money from me. This is unfair and it is a fraud and they are playing a scam game.
I want my money back it is not much but it is mine
Yep - me too. Three $10 charges in one day. And of course, no customer service number to call. Never gave Skype my account info.
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