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Background
Due to complaints of widespread abuse
involving calls to 900 numbers, or “pay-per-call” services, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) first adopted rules to
govern such services in 1991. The FCC later strengthened the
rules relating to pay-per-call services, and adopted rules
governing information services provided using 800 numbers and
other toll-free numbers.
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What Is Pay-Per-Call Service?
Pay-per-call service, offered only
using a 900 number, is any service:
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providing audio information or
entertainment;
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providing access to simultaneous
voice conversation;
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including the provision of a
product, where charges are assessed on the basis of
completion of the call; or
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for which the caller pays a
per-call or per-time charge greater than the charge for
the transmission of the call.
Other information services that may be
offered through numbers other than 900 numbers (for example
through an 800 or other toll-free number) include certain
directory services, or services for which users are assessed
charges only after entering a prior payment or subscription
arrangement. It is important to note that, given these
definitions, not all 800 calls are toll-free calls. |
Phone Calls to Toll-Free Numbers
Calls placed using 800 and other prefixes like 888, 877, and
866 are widely understood to be toll-free. Such calls, however,
can sometimes be connected to a service that will charge you for
accessing information. If you dial an 800, 888, 877, or 866
number, the information service provider receiving your call
cannot connect you automatically to a 900 number service and
cannot call you back collect. You can only be charged after
calling an 800 number for information if:
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you have entered into a written agreement with the
company offering the 800 number information services that
includes:
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the amount you will be charged for each call;
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the information service provider’s name, business
address, and phone number; and
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a unique PIN or other security device to prevent
unauthorized charges to your account.
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you are charged for the information through a credit,
prepaid, debit, charge, or calling card. Before you can be
charged for a call to an 800 number, the service provider must
provide an introductory message telling you:
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that there is a charge for the call;
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the service provider’s total cost per minute and any other
fees;
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that charges will be billed on a credit, prepaid, debit,
charge, or calling card, and asking for your credit card number;
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that charges for the call will begin at the end of the
introductory message; and
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that you can hang up during the introductory message or at
the end of the introductory message and will not be charged for
the call.
No written agreement is required for calls to 800 numbers
that charge for using devices to provide telecommunications
services to persons with hearing or speech disabilities.
Similarly, no written agreement is required for directory
services provided by a telephone company, or for the purchase of
goods or services that do not qualify as information services.
Your Telephone Bill
Charges for 900 pay-per-call and 800 number
information services should be displayed in a section of your
telephone bill that is clearly separate from your local and long
distance telephone charges. For each call made to a pay-per-call
service, information regarding the type of service, the amount
of the charge, the date and time of day, and length of the call
must be indicated. Information service providers must notify
their customers at least one billing cycle prior to making any
changes in their charges or terms of service.
Your telephone company cannot disconnect
your local or long distance service for nonpayment of disputed
900 or 800 number charges. Your telephone company can, however,
block you from making calls to 900 numbers if you do not pay
legitimate 900 number charges.
Blocking 900 Numbers
In most areas, you can ask your local
telephone company to block 900 number dialing from your phone
and the company must do so at no charge. You must ask within 60
days of beginning new telephone service. The company can charge
a reasonable one-time fee if you ask for blocking outside the
60-day period. If you decide to remove the 900 number dialing
block, your request to your local telephone company must be in
writing.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a complaint regarding a 900 or
800 number service, first try to resolve it with the company
providing or billing you for the service. If you can’t 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 the
on-line complaint Form 2000B found on the FCC Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html.
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 2000B. If you do not use the on-line
complaint Form 2000B, your complaint, at a minimum, should
indicate:
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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;
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the names and phone numbers of any
companies involved with your complaint;
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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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the details of your complaint and any
additional relevant information.
Filing a Complaint
with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FCC can process your
complaint about information service providers that are also
telephone companies subject to its jurisdiction. Many
information service providers, however, are not telephone
companies. If you have a complaint about an information
service provider that you know is not a telephone company,
you can file it with the Federal Trade Commission.
You can file a complaint with the FTC online at
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01.
You can also submit a complaint by calling the FTC toll-free at
1-877-382-4357 (voice) or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY). Finally, you can
mail your complaint to:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580.
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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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