Correspondent Mark Chace says Verizon and Sprint customers have a week to claim refunds for unauthorized charges on their bills. Both companies made settlements with the federal government over a process they called “cramming.” Cramming was their process for charging customers for text message subscriptions that were buried in their bills. Current and former subscribers who paid for those texts since July 1, 2010 must file a refund request no later than December 31st, but it may not be worth the effort: Verizon says refund amounts may be lower than expected depending on the total number of claims filed, and they may not send out refunds if the refund is $3.00 or less. Sprint said that current and former customers are eligible for a one-time refund of $7.00. Both companies are now required to get customer approval before charging for third-party messages.