Q. I do not recognize a company listed on my bill. Who are they, and why are they billing me?

A. Your bill must include the name and toll-free telephone number of any company that has charged you for its services, along with the charges for those services. If you don't recognize the company or have questions about the services for which you've been billed, call the company to ask for more information about the services.

Some service providers do not bill their customers directly, so they must contract with local companies to bill for them. These service providers send us your usage data electronically, and we use that information to bill on their behalf. Increasingly, telemarketers and scam artists use customers' phone numbers to post unauthorized and fraudulent charges in the data sent to us for billing. These charges can be for many things, but the result is that the charges are included in the billing data. We have no way to monitor its accuracy. The billing rules are intended to make sure that the format of your bill helps you more easily identify any unauthorized or fraudulent charges.

Q. Why are the charges from each company listed separately on my bill?

The Truth In Billing (TIB) rules explained below require that we organize your bill so that charges from each company billing you for service appear separately. For example, if you have chosen one long-distance company for your in-region (intraLATA) long-distance calls and another for your out-of-region and state-to-state (interLATA) calls, your bill will list the calls with each company separately.

Q. A company has listed charges on my bill for telephone-related services that I do not understand, and the description is unclear. How can I get them explained?

A. You may find charges on your bill that are not from your local company. The name and toll-free number of the company charging you for telephone-related services is listed in the section where those charges appear. You should call that company and ask for an explanation. You can also dispute the charges and request that the company remove them from your bill. As your local company, we remind you that as part of our service commitment, our business office is always available if you have questions about your bill. If you have any difficulty in contacting the service providers listed on your bill, or if you're not satisfied with the response they give you, we will help you resolve the problem.

Q. There is a statement on my bill that says, "This company did not bill you for services in the previous billing cycle." What does that mean?

In its rules, the FCC ordered that customers be notified of a "new" service provider any time a bill includes charges from a company that did not bill the customer for services in the previous billing cycle. However, such notification applies only to "subscribed" services; i.e., when a service provider has a continuing relationship with a customer and likely places regular or periodic charges on your bill. For example, long-distance surcharges, voice mail, Internet access, and other services that continue until you terminate them, are subject to the notification rule. On the other hand, services billed on a per-transaction basis, such as directory assistance, dial-around (10-10) toll calls, and other "non-recurring" pay-per-call services, are not subject to the notification requirements.

Q. If I want to dispute a charge that appears on my bill - and don't pay the charge while I'm disputing it - how will I know if my local service will be disrupted?

A. We identify all charges on your bill that, if not paid, could result in the disconnection of your basic local service; such services are listed as "deniable" charges. Our (STATE PUC) designates the individual charges we must classify as "deniable," and those charges are identified on your bill. Non-payment of other, "non-deniable" charges can result in the termination of that specific service, but will not lead to the disconnection of basic local service. If you don't recognize the charges, you should call the toll-free number listed on the bill within 60 days to ensure there is no interruption of the service in question.

Q. I am confused about some of the toll-free numbers listed on my bill. Is the actual service provider always the appropriate party for me to contact ?

A. Some service providers bill you directly. Others use third parties, known as "billing agents" or "aggregators," to bill for them. Thus, the actual service provider is not always the appropriate party to contact if you have questions or problems. In fact, some service providers have contracted with third-party billing agents or aggregators just to handle inquiry and dispute resolution of the charges placed on your bill.

The rules require that the toll-free number listed on your bill as the "inquiry contact" - regardless of whether it's for the actual provider, a billing agent, or an aggregator - must connect you to someone who has "sufficient knowledge and authority" to resolve account inquiries and requests for adjustment. The FCC allows the use of inquiry contacts because of consumer concerns about the complexity of their bills and because of increased fraud and abuse. Inquiry contacts are intended to help consumers become more educated about their bills and the billing process.

Q. Are service providers required to list their business address? How can I contact a provider if I'm not satisfied with the resolution reached on the phone?

A. Service providers are not required to include their business address on each telephone bill for the receipt of consumer inquiries and complaints. However, they are required to make their business address available to consumers on request through their toll-free number.

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Truth in Billing
Understanding Your Bill

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a number of requirements and standards that community based telecom providers, other local telephone companies, and most telecom companies must follow when billing their customers. These rules are commonly referred to as "Truth in Billing" (TIB). The FCC established these TIB rules to help consumers better understand how they are billed for telecom services and to combat the rising incidence of slamming, cramming, and other telephone fraud and abuse.

In summary, the rules are designed to ensure that your bill is clearly organized and that you can identify the provider associated with each charge. In addition, your bill must include a clear description of all charges and list a toll-free number for you to call for further explanation.