Falcon Cable Told to Repay Customers

City Council members voted unanimously to require Falcon Cable to develop a repayment plan for reimbursing customers who were overcharged by the company for three years.

Councilwoman Linda Parks was absent.

According to audits by the city, Falcon overcharged customers $2.43 on their monthly cable bills from July 1994 to March 1997.

According to city records, Los Angeles-based Falcon charged customers $20 a month for its service when the amount should have been $17.57.

Falcon, which lists 3,435 subscribers in the city, denied the city’s findings, saying that it stands by the $20 subscriber fee. The company vowed to appeal the council’s decision to the Federal Communications Commission.

A decision could take months.

This is not the first time the city has taken action against Falcon Cable.

In August, the city levied a $12,300 fine against the company for failing to provide timely customer refunds, respond to hundreds of customer complaints and for spotty service. The company paid the fine in September.