Watch Out for Slamming

Slamming used to be limited to long distance service. But as competition expands to local toll & local service, slamming is expanding as well.  And Slamming is the illegal act of having the telephone company changed without one permission is on the rise. Most consumers & small businesses that are slammed do not realize it until they get their next telephone bill.

If one gets a call about telephone service, be careful about his answer. Ask questions before he agrees to change his long distance, local toll, or local service company. Tell the caller to send his written material about the offer & an authorization form so he can check out the details.

Many offers are disguised as surveys or include incentives like bonus checks, free minutes, raffle entries & other contests. If one gets an offer in the mail, make sure one reads all the material before returning the authorization form.

Slamming frequently occurs when a company calls & offers to consolidate all of his telephone services on one bill. But most consumers & small businesses already get one bill from their local telephone company.

Protect From Slamming

If one is slammed, know his rights. One has the right to get his service switched back at no charge & be rebelled by the company that slammed him at the rates that his original carrier would have charged for the calls.

Follow these steps:

- Call the local telephone company, explain that he has been slammed, & ask to be switched back to his original carrier with no "change charges."

- Call the company that slammed him & demand to be rebelled at the rates his original carrier would have charged.

- Call his original carrier, explain that he has been slammed & tell them that he wants to switch back be re-enrolled in any special calling plan that he had previously selected.

Notify local law enforcement & consumer protection authorities by writing a letter describing the problem & enclosing a copy of his bill and for more protection against slamming, call his local telephone company & ask them not to change his long distance or local toll company unless they receive a written or verbal authorization from him. There is no charge for this service.

1-800, 1-888, 1-900 and 976 Calls

Calls to 800 and 888 numbers are free, but one can be charged for information or entertainment services provided through such numbers, if he agrees in advance. Consumers can access a variety of services by dialing 1-800, 1-888, 1-900, and 976 numbers, including sports scores, betting services, psychic hotlines, weather forecasts, dating services & more. But there may be high, per-minute charges or flat fees for using these services.

Some service providers have tricked customers into calling by leaving them urgent voice mails, pages, even e-mails, about a prize or family emergency, and urging them to call a 1-900 or 800 number where they are solicited or charged for services or get a recorded message. These telephone calls can cost a lot & the prizes, if there are any, are usually worthless.

Warning:

Be careful when responding to pages, voice mails, e-mails or postcards urging him to call an unfamiliar number about a family or business emergency or a prize. Be especially cautious if the call back number is in an unfamiliar area code - it may turn out to be an international number in the abroad.

Protect From Unwanted Charges

To prevent 1-900 or 976 number calling charges, get 1-900 and 976 call blocking from his local telephone company. The service is free.

If one decides to use a 1-900 or 976 service, be sure he knows the cost of the call & the nature of the service. Federal regulations require 1-900 & 976 service providers to disclose this information upfront.

Be careful when calling an 800 number. He may be asked to provide a credit card number or enter into a subscription agreement under which services are billed to his telephone account. Do not do so unless he is certain his want the services & know the costs. And definitely set clear rules in his home for the use of 1-900, 976 or other services. Make sure his children, the baby sitter & others in his home understand the rules.

Beware of requests to dial activation numbers that will link him to 1-900 or international numbers.