Opinion ID: 752071
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Negligent Misrepresentation and Deceptive Acts

Text: 84 As we held in Section III.B.1.a., supra, the appellants may not maintain any action for damages based on AT & T's rounding-up policy. We turn to whether appellants can establish a claim for injunctive relief based on negligent misrepresentation or deceptive acts. In order to establish their claim of negligent misrepresentation in a commercial context, appellants must demonstrate that AT & T failed to speak with care, that it owed the appellants a special duty of care when speaking, that AT & T was aware of the use to which the information would be put and supplied it for that purpose, that the appellants justifiably relied on the information, and that the appellant was damaged by his reliance. See Kimmell v. Schaefer, 89 N.Y.2d 257, 652 N.Y.S.2d 715, 718-19, 675 N.E.2d 450, 453-54 (1996); Mallis v. Bankers Trust Co., 615 F.2d 68, 82 (2d Cir.1980). 85 To state a claim under the New York deceptive acts statute, a plaintiff must allege a material deceptive act or practice directed to consumers that caused actual harm. See Oswego Laborers' Local 214 Pension Fund v. Marine Midland Bank, N.A., 85 N.Y.2d 20, 623 N.Y.S.2d 529, 532-33, 647 N.E.2d 741, 744-45 (1995); McGill v. General Motors Corp., 231 A.D.2d 449, 647 N.Y.S.2d 209, 210 (1996). An act is deceptive within the meaning of the New York statute only if it is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. Oswego, 623 N.Y.S.2d at 533, 647 N.E.2d at 745; Gershon, 626 N.Y.S.2d at 81. 86 The district court properly dismissed appellants' claims for negligent misrepresentation and deceptive acts. To succeed under either claim, appellants would have to show that they reasonably relied on any statements made by AT & T. However, as we have explained, a reasonable consumer may not rely on any statements by AT & T that contradict the terms of its filed tariff (whether caused by carelessness or by an intent to defraud), because consumers are conclusively presumed to know the legal tariffs filed with the FCC. See Maislin, 497 U.S. at 127-28, 110 S.Ct. at 2766-67. In addition, both claims require proof of damages. As the district court concluded, [appellants] have suffered no legally cognizable damages because they paid the tariff rate. 938 F.Supp. at 1172. Accord Porr, 660 N.Y.S.2d at 447 (any 'harm' allegedly suffered by the plaintiff is illusory, because he has merely paid the filed tariff rate that he was required to pay.) (internal citations omitted). 87 Finally, appellants claim that AT & T's failure to disclose its rounding-up policy on customer bills prevents appellants from altering their behavior to lower their long-distance telephone charges is without merit. In essence, appellants argue that AT & T has the duty to inform its customers that by speaking in whole minute increments they are getting the most value for their money. However, AT & T has no such duty under New York law. See Gershon, 626 N.Y.S.2d at 81 (under deceptive act statute, defendant car rental company has no duty to disclose alternative rental arrangements at lower rates other than those customer had inquired about).