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Electricity
Most consumers get their electric service from a local private or public utility company or from a cooperative. The electric utility industry is restructuring, however, and in several states consumers will be able to select an electric supplier. Ask your state utility commission for information about your own state. Ask:
Has our state restructured the electric industry?
What protection do I have against slamming (unauthorized switching of providers)?
Do you have consumer information to help me decide which service to purchase?
Do you license sellers of electricity?
Do you have a list of companies that can do business in our state?
Where do I complain about unfair marketing, sales, and service practices?
If you have a choice in electric suppliers, ask:
How much will it cost? How long can I depend on this rate?
Who do I call if I have a problem with service?
What is your experience in providing reliable service?
Can I have a sample of a bill I might receive if I purchase electricity from your company?
What are the terms and conditions of service?
Do you have a local customer service office?
Do you have a privacy protection policy?
Utilities
Natural Gas
Call your state utility commission (page 99) for a list of licensed suppliers. Ask companies:
Does your price include distribution and sales tax, and are there any other fees I will be charged that are not included in this price?
What are the terms and conditions of the agreement?
What information do I have to provide you to enroll me? Do you have a privacy policy?
Are there fees if I cancel my agreement before it is up? What are they?
What are the cancellation terms?
What is the length of the agreement, and what happens when it is over?
Do you have a local customer service office?
Utilities
Water
The majority of consumers rely on local utilities to produce a safe and ample supply of water. Your local water agency is responsible for sending you an annual Consumer Confidence Report that should list the source of your water, what contaminants may be in the water, and information on the safety levels of contaminants and their effects on health.
For more information call the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or visit EPA's web site at www.epa.gov/safewater.
Utilities
Telephone Services
Now you can choose your long-distance carrier as well as your local toll and/or local phone service if there is competition in your area. An increasing number of companies sell optional services such as voice mail, call waiting, caller ID, paging, and wireless service.
The National Consumers League maintains a web page to help you understand all of the charges on your phone bills and help you recognize fraud: www.nclnet.org/phonebill/index.html
Calling Plans and Other Services
Think first about how you use the telephone.
Where do you call most often?
What time of day or day of the week?
Do you want to get messages and if so, do you need voice mail or will an answering machine do?
Is it worth the cost for extra services like call waiting and caller ID?
Do you need a wireless phone or pager?
With these answers, you can compare services and prices. You may want a package deal from one company or services from different companies.
Find out how companies' services work,including whether there are minimum use, time-of-day or distance requirements, flat monthly fees, or special plans. For example, wireless service may be cheaper than regular local service if you don't make many calls.
Get the information in writing and don't be pressured into an immediate decision.
Make sure you're comparing similar plans and features to determine the best rates. The Telecommunications Research and Action Center, a nonprofit group, offers information about residential and small business long-distance rates, and wireless service. Contact TRAC at P.O. Box 27279, Washington, DC 20005 or visit its web site at www.trac.org.
Pre-paid Calling Cards
Many drug and grocery stores sell pre-paid calling cards, and they are sold online, too. Before buying one, know the:
per-minute rate;
connection fee;
maintenance fee; and
expiration date.
Don't be Slammed or Crammed
Slamming is the illegal act of switching your long distance, local toll or local telephone company without your permission. On your phone bill, you may find: - a different company name or
- phone charges that are much higher than normal.
Cramming is when companies add charges to your telephone bill for optional services you never agreed to such as voice mail or club memberships. You may not notice these monthly charges because they're relatively small $5 to $30 dollars and look like your regular phone charges.
To avoid being slammed or crammed:
Read fine print on contest entry forms and coupons.You could be agreeing to switch your phone service or buy optional services.
Watch out for impostors.Companies may falsely claim to be your regular phone company and offer some type of discount plan or bill consolidation. They may also say they're taking a survey or pretend to be a government agency!
Warn family members and employees.Be sure that only those authorized talks to a company about telephone service.
Beware of "negative option notices." You'll be switched or signed up for optional services unless you say no.
Look at your telephone bill carefully every month especially the pages that show the details.
Fraudulent companies may switch your phone service or add new services to your bill as a result of your calling a pay-per-call service.
Resolving Slamming or Cramming Problems
Under Federal Communications Commission rules, no telecommunications carrier can arrange to switch your service to its own without verifying that you agreed. If you've been slammed:
ask your local phone company to switch you back to your original company at no charge;
tell the original company you're switching back,and ask to be enrolled in your previous calling plan; and
contact the company that slammed you,whose name and number is on the bill, to exercise your rights regarding those charges.
Generally, consumers can't be held liable for services they never agreed to buy. If you've been crammed:
call the number that appears on the page where the charges are detailed;
tell your local phone company,which provides the billing service, that you are disputing the charges and that you plan to deduct them from your bill payment; and
if the service provider insists that the charges are valid,contact your local or state consumer protection agency or state public utilities department.
Your phone service cannot be shut off for refusal to pay for unauthorized services.For more information about FCC rules, call 1-888-225-5322 or go to its web site at www.fcc.govand click on Consumer Info.
Pay-Per Call Services
You can get everything from recorded sports scores to live psychic readings by calling 900 numbers that provide information or entertainment services.
These numbers are sometimes also used to conduct surveys or contests, or for charitable fundraising. The "information provider," the company or organization you're calling, sets its own price for the service, and usually bills you through your local telephone company.
Consumer Rights
The federal Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act requires advertisements for pay-per-call services to tell you:
the cost of the call.It may be a flat rate, a per-minute charge, or calculated on some other basis. The ad must also state the most you can be charged, if that can be determined, and any minimum or additional charges that you might have to pay;
the odds of winning or the factors that determine your chance of winning any sweepstakes, prizes or awards, and how you can enter any contest without calling the 900 number;
if it's a private company offering information about Federal programs and that the company is not endorsed, approved or authorized by the government; and
for services directed primarily to children under the age of 18,that they need their parents' consent to call the number.
The rules bar advertising pay-per-call services directed to children under age 12 unless they are for legitimate educational services.
If the charge for pay-per-call services will be more than $2, you should hear the following information when you dial the number:
The company or organization name and a description of services;
the cost of the call;
a notice that you can hang up without any charge within a certain time after a signal.You can't be charged for listening to the preamble; and
a warning to kids under 18 that they need their parents' consent to stay on the line.
Toll-Free Numbers and Pay-Per-Call
Generally, 800, 888, or 877 numbers are toll-free. However, charges for pay-per-call services through 800, 888, and 877 numbers are allowed if you:
sign a written contract that describes the service and how much it will cost, or;
agree verbally providing your credit card, charge account, debit or calling card number to pay for the charges.
It's illegal to be connected to a 900 number pay-per-call service through a toll-free number, or for a pay-per-call service to call you back collect after you dialed a number that you thought was toll-free. Both the FCC and the FTC have rules concerning pay-per-call numbers.
You have the right to dispute pay-per-call charges if:
you didn't make the call;
the amount you're billed is incorrect;
the services were misrepresented;
you are charged for calling a toll-free number without an agreement; or
a credit you're owed doesn't show up on the bill.
Pay-Per-Call Charges: Protect Yourself
Don't make the call if you don't know the cost.
Be wary of promises for free gifts or prizes.
Find out how free minutes really work.
Watch out for phony offers of financial assistance.
Don't stay on hold, you'll be charged for that time.
Don't respond to messages to call pay-per-call numbers. Fraudulent pay-per-call services may leave messages pretending to be calling about a family emergency, a prize or a debt.
If you use a pay-per-call service, look for new unauthorized monthly charges on your phone bill.
Your local and long-distance telephone service cannot be disconnected if you refuse to pay for disputed pay-per-call charges.
Act promptly you generally have 60 days to dispute the charges. If they appear on your phone bill, call the local or toll-free number that is listed on that page.
Note who you spoke to and what was said.
Follow up with a letter,keeping a copy that explains the problem and confirms your conversation.
Deduct the charges you are disputing and pay the rest of your bill by the due date. You should hear back from the company within 40 days and the problem should be resolved within 90 days.
If the charges appear on your credit card bill, follow the instructions on the bill for disputes.The information provider can pursue the matter through a collection agency or other legal means, including reporting the debt to a credit bureau. If you're contacted by a collection agency, explain in writing why you dispute the charges. You can also put a written explanation in your credit report.
You may have other rights according to state law. Check with your state or local consumer protection agency or state utilities department.
If the dispute concerns information services provided through a number that may not be covered by the pay-per-call rules, such as foreign phone numbers, find out if you have any protection under state law. You may have to work out a payment agreement with your long-distance company to avoid losing your service. To prevent 900 number calls or foreign calls from being made, you can request "blocking" from your local phone company for free or for a reasonable charge.
Foreign Phone Numbers
Information and entertainment services can get around pay-per-call rules by using foreign phone numbers.Most foreign phone numbers require dialing 011 first, but some are dialed just like long-distance numbers in this country, beginning with 1 and then a three-digit area code such as 809 (the Dominican Republic) or 758 (St. Lucia). If you don't know if a number is domestic or foreign, call the operator |
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