Sprint Wins Verdict Over Early Termination Fees

Overland Park, KS (AHN) - A California jury ruled on Thursday that Sprint did not improperly charge early termination fees to customers who canceled service early.

The class action suit, originally filed in 2006, covered customers using Sprint service between July 1997 and March 2007.

"The jury verdict speaks for itself, we're pleased that upon hearing all the testimony and examining all the evidence, the jury recognized that Sprint makes a significant investment in its customers through reduced handset prices and discounted monthly rates," Sprint spokesman Matthew Sullivan said, according to Dow Jones Newswire.

Early termination fees have been debated by consumer advocacy groups for some time. They believe it is not fair to penalize customers for leaving. Most carriers argue that they subsidize a portion of the cell phone cost and use these fees to offset the expense.

Sprint charges customers $200 if they cancel service before their contract ends.