Outage Refund Protection Act

Key Points

• This bill would require internet, phone, cable, and satellite companies with more than 5,000 customers to automatically credit your account if service goes out for 4 hours or more. You would not need to call or fight for a refund.
• The refund amount equals 1/30 of your monthly bill for each day your service is down for 4 or more hours. This applies across cable, satellite, internet, and phone services.
• If you cancel your service, any credits owed to you must be sent within 30 days as a check, prepaid debit card, or electronic transfer. You get to pick which method you prefer.
• Providers must keep recordings of customer service calls for at least one year and share them with you on request. They also cannot charge you a fee just to get a callback from a representative.
• The FTC would study whether returning equipment is too difficult for people with disabilities or those who do not drive, and could require companies to offer free alternative return options.
• Outages caused by pre-planned maintenance do not qualify for automatic refunds, as long as the provider told affected customers ahead of time that service would be unavailable.