Google’s Project Fi cellular service has gotten better and better since its launch, but mistakes have certainly been made along the way. Right now, Google is facing a lawsuit from a user who says his bill was enormous because Google was charging for data he used over Wi-Fi.
The Register reported earlier this week that a Project Fi user located in California has filed a complaint, seeking a class action certification, against Google for a major billing error. The plaintiff alleges that Google tracked all data he used, not just what was done with mobile networks and charged accordingly for that.
He says that “Google bills users for data obtained through alternate connections even if Google is not providing access to that data service and in many cases the customers are paying the third parties who actually provide the service.”
Google says very clearly that it does not charge for data when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, but this plaintiff says that he was overcharged upwards of $200 for three months while using Fi.
Based on Fi’s former billing setup, that’s charging for around 20GB of extra data. The plaintiff further states that other Fi users have been affected similarly, citing Reddit and help forums as sources for those.
It’s unclear exactly how widespread this issue is, but the plaintiff says that Google is aware of the problem. If you’re on Project Fi, it’s probably not a bad idea to keep a close eye on your billing, just in case. That said, it certainly seems like this could be attributed to user error, or it could simply be a glitch in Google’s system.
The lawsuit is still underway, and it charges Google with unfair business practices, breach of contract, and false advertising all in violation of California law.
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