Texas Sues Vonage For Lack Of 911 Service

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced today that the state has filed a lawsuit against Internet telephone company Vonage for failing to disclose that traditional 911 emergency phone service is unavailable.

This is not just about bad customer service; it’s a matter of life and death," said Abbott in a statement. The Attorney General's office has cited a Houston woman's inability to contact a police dispatcher after two people were shot in her home.

Vonage, headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, is the nation's largest provider of Internet phone service, known as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The company has more than 400,000 lines in service and an estimated $50 million in annual revenues.

The lawsuit was filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks an injunction against the company's alleged misrepresentation of its 911 services as well as $20,000 for each violation of the Act.

posted by Consumer Help Web Editorial Team at 11:33 AM |