The complaint alleges that Gateway untruthfully advertised that certain of its product packages included free internet access for the first year. The offer was deceptive and fraudulent, the complaint alleges, because Gateway did not reveal that thousands of people would be charged long-distance connection fees under Gateway's purported “free” internet access plan because Gateway did not provide local-access numbers. The complaint alleges that these customers were deprived of the “free” Internet access advertised and offered by Gateway, and subscribed at their own expense with an ISP, unwittingly paid long distance charges, or refrained from accessing the internet.
The lawsuit seeks to stop Gateway from continuing its allegedly deceptive practices and to order that it gives up its allegedly ill-gotten gains, in addition to the award of monetary compensation to class members for injuries suffered as a result of Gateway's alleged wrongdoing.