Understanding Your Phone BillBackground
Consumer confusion over telephone bills has significantly contributed to
growth of slamming (changing a consumer’s telephone provider without his/her permission), cramming (adding charges to a consumer’s bill for services he/she did not authorize), and other types of telecommunications fraud. To help consumers detect fraud, FCC has asked phone companies to simplify their bills so that their customers can easily understand what they are paying for and how much they are paying.
The following FCC rules to which wireline companies must adhere ensure that consumers are given essential information they need to protect themselves from telecommunications fraud and to make informed choices in today’s competitive telecommunications marketplace. These rules state that a telephone company’s bill must:
Be clearly organized;
Identify service provider associated with each charge;
Highlight new service providers and indicate date provider change was made;
Contain full and non-misleading descriptions of charges;
Identify those charges for which failure to pay will not result in disconnection of customer’s basic local service; and
Provide a toll-free number for customers to call in order to lodge a complaint or obtain information. If customer does not receive a paper telephone bill but instead accesses that bill only by e-mail or over Internet, telephone company may provide customer with an e-mail address or Web site for inquiring about charges.
The FCC has also determined that telephone companies should use standardized labels on bills when referring to certain line item charges relating to federal regulatory action, such as local number.
How to Protect Yourself and Save Money
Carefully review your telephone bill every month.
Treat your telephone service just like any other major consumer purchase. You should review your monthly telephone bills just as closely as you review your monthly credit card and bank statements.
