Appeals Court Backs Mci Billing Practice

MCI Communications Corp. can continue its practice of not disclosing on monthly bills that it charges customers in full-minute increments, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a class-action suit brought against MCI.

Customer Harriet Alicke of Florida brought the action against the nation’s second-largest long-distance company last year, alleging the company was deceiving customers by not divulging the rounding-up policy on monthly bills.

She did not challenge the reasonableness of MCI’s policy nor dispute that the company fully discloses this practice in filings to federal and state regulators.

The unanimous appeals court affirmed that Alicke “has not adequately alleged that MCI’s billing practice actually deceived her or is capable of deceiving any reasonable customer.”