Background
Many consumers find the offers they receive
for new telephone service – especially long distance service –
confusing. Here is a guide to some common terms used to describe
the different types of telephone service.
Types of Service
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Local Exchange Service
Local exchange service provides calling within your exchange. An
exchange is a specified area which usually encompasses a city,
town, or village and its environs.
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Local Toll (intraLATA) Service
Local toll service (also called intraLATA, local long distance,
or regional toll service) provides calling within a geographic
area known as a Local Access and Transport Area (LATA).
Per-minute toll charges usually apply to these calls. LATAs were
formed in 1984 when the former Bell System was broken up into
Bell Operating Companies, which handled local exchange and local
toll services, and AT&T, which handled interLATA long distance
service in competition with other long distance providers.
Today, these companies (or the companies they have become)
handle all types of calls, but LATAs still define local toll
calling areas.
Local toll calls may be made within your area code or to a
different area code across town, in the next county, or, in some
cases, an adjoining state. You must dial “1” before making a
local toll call, even if the area code is the same as yours.
Today these calls can be carried by your local exchange
telephone company or your long distance company.
Some local telephone companies offer an optional bundle of local
exchange and local toll service for a single monthly fee.
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Expanded Local Exchange Service
Expanded local exchange service extends a local exchange calling
area and eliminates local toll costs; however, you may see
expanded local exchange service as a surcharge on your telephone
bill.
Because local exchange service, local toll
service, and expanded local exchange service usually involve calls
within a state, they are usually regulated by your state public
service commission. If you have a problem regarding these
services, you can find contact information for your state public
service commission at
www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm. You may also contact your state
consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, or state
Attorney General’s office to learn about the protections and
remedies available to you as a consumer of intrastate telephone
service. You can find contact information for these organizations
in the blue pages or government section of your local telephone
directory.
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Long Distance Toll (interLATA) Service
Long distance toll (interLATA) service includes all calls
outside the local exchange and local toll service areas, calls
that originate in one LATA and terminate in another, and
international calls. Long distance toll calls can be between two
LATAs in the same state, such as a call from San Diego to San
Francisco, or between LATAs in different states. Long distance
toll service includes international service, except in Hawaii,
where international service is separate from long distance
service. When purchasing long distance toll service, remember to
specifically ask whether international calls are included in
monthly long distance calling plans.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
The FCC regulates long distance toll service
between states and international service. If you have a problem
with your long distance toll or international service, first try
to resolve it with the provider. If you are unable to resolve it
directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no
charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using
an on-line complaint form found at
esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your
complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications
Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the information
the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the
on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form,
you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the
particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not
use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum,
should indicate:
-
your name, address, e-mail address, and
phone number where you can be reached;
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the telephone and account numbers that are
the subject of your complaint;
-
the names and phone numbers of any
companies involved with your complaint;
-
the amount of any disputed charges, whether
you paid them, whether you received a refund or adjustment to
your bill, the amount of any adjustment or refund you have
received, an explanation if the disputed charges are related to
services in addition to residence or business telephone
services; and
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any additional details or information
relevant to your complaint.
Equal Access and Slamming
Equal access allows telephone subscribers to
choose a preferred telephone company or companies to handle their
local toll and long-distance toll (including international) calls
from their traditional, wireline telephones. Where equal access is
available, subscribers may choose separate preferred telephone
companies for each of these services or one preferred telephone
company for both of them. Subscribers can place local toll and
long distance toll calls using their preferred telephone company
or companies by dialing 1 (or 011 for international calls) plus
the appropriate code and telephone number. Subscribers can place
calls using other telephone companies by dialing a 1010XXX access
code. Subscribers can change their preferred telephone company or
companies at any time, but may be charged for doing so.
Wireless telephone companies are not required
to provide equal access, and generally choose a preferred
telephone company for their subscribers. If wireless companies
allow use of “dial-around” 1010XXX access codes, they can choose
to charge their customers a fee for doing so.
The FCC has adopted detailed “slamming” rules
to prevent telephone companies from switching subscribers from one
preferred telephone company to another without authorization. To
learn more about the FCC’s slamming rules, go to
www.fcc.gov/slamming.
If you have been slammed, first try to
resolve your problem with the telephone company that slammed you.
Then call your preferred telephone company and tell it that you
want to be reinstated to the same service you had before the slam.
You can also file a complaint. Depending on
where you live, you will either file with your state or with the
FCC. You can find a list of states that accept slamming complaints
at www.fcc.gov/slamming.
If your state accepts slamming complaints,
your state public service commission or Attorney General’s office
can advise you on the appropriate filing procedures.
If your state does not handle slamming
complaints, you may file a complaint with the FCC. You can file
your complaint using the on-line complaint form found at
esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm; e-mailing
slamming@fcc.gov; faxing
202-418-0035; or writing to:
Federal Communications
Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
ATTN SLAM TEAM, Room CY-A257
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
What to Include in Your Slamming Complaint
The best way to provide all the information
needed for the FCC to process your slamming complaint is to
complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the
on-line complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions
that will take you to the particular section of the form you need
to complete. If you file your complaint using the on-line form
or by sending an e-mail, you must attach an electronic copy
of any bill you are complaining about to the on-line form or the
e-mail.
If you do not use the on-line complaint form,
your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:
-
your name, address, and daytime phone
number;
-
the phone number that was allegedly
slammed;
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the name of the phone company that you are
complaining about;
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the name of your preferred or authorized
local phone company;
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the name of your preferred or authorized
long distance (including international) phone company;
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the amount of the charges you dispute and
whether you paid them; and
-
a brief statement of facts.
REMEMBER: You MUST include a copy of any
bill you are complaining about. Please indicate on the copy of
any bill the name of the unauthorized phone company and the
disputed charges.
If you have questions about filing your
slamming complaint, you can contact the FCC’s Consumer Center
using the contact information provided for filing a complaint
about problems with your long distance toll or international
service.
For More Information
For information about other
telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer
Center using the information provided for filing a
complaint. |
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