Long Distance

Long Distance Consumer Rights

As a consumer you have several rights set out by the FCC.

1. The right to avoid slamming.

As a consumer you have several rights set out by the FCC.

2. The right to change to another carrier.

You are not obliged to remain with any carrier or sign long term contracts. However, you may be charged a PIC Switching Fee for a change in service or for canceling your existing service.

3. The right to complain and dispute charges.

If you are billed for 900 number calls that you did not authorize or extra services such as voice mail or call forwarding that you did not approve (known as "cramming"), it is your federal right to demand the charges be removed. In a dispute with your phone company, you may deduct the charges in question while the matter is being investigated. The phone company is not allowed to disconnect your phone service during the dispute or in retaliation.

4. The right to get a refund.

If your telephone company is switched without your authorization, call your local telephone company and your original carrier to be switched back immediately at no charge. You should also receive a refund if you were charged a switching fee or billed at higher rates than your own carrier's rates.

Best Long Distance Rate: Information About What Your Telephone Company Knows About You

5. Protection of your personal information.

Your local, long distance, and cellular telephone company knows what numbers you call, how often you call them, how much you pay to call them, what services you subscribe to, how you use those services, and other personal and sensitive information about your telephone usage. This information is called Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). By law, telephone companies have a duty to protect this information.

6. Ability to opt-out of marketing and third-party offers

A telephone company must obtain customer approval to use, or to share with its affiliates or third parties, CPNI to market to the customer services and products that the customer does not already receive from that company or third parties. In some cases the customer is invited to opt-in for such marketing bulletins; in others, the company forces the customer to be proactive and opt out.

To control your personal information:

Read your telephone bill and any other notices you receive from your telephone company.

Determine if your company is using the opt-in or opt-out method.

Decide if you want your telephone company to use, or to share with its affiliates, your CPNI to market to you services and products that you do not already receive from your telephone company.

Make your choice clear to your telephone company.

Remember: These rules apply to all telephone companies: local, long distance and cellular. You will have to make your decision known to each company about how you want it to use your CPNI.