Post by PickyChicky on Aug 3, 2014 3:33:15 GMT -6
I've personally witnessed AT&T cramming charges on my phone bill where they were charging me a percentage on a zero balance. You might be saying to yourself, "Anything times zero equals zero, right?" Well, not according to AT&T and their attempt to charge me a percentage-based "service fee" on my unlimited long distance charges, which amounted to zero, obviously.
So, I contacted my SAG and my next bill no longer had that charge -- at least not in the same place they previously had it. They just renamed it to something else and moved it to a different section. It was for the exact same dollar amount when the percentage didn't apply to the amount of the section they put it in. If they would have applied the percentage to the amount of its new section, it would have amounted to more, but that's beside the point.
It's just like my SAG said, they're just cramming people's telephone bills. So, I contacted him again, showing him what they did. My very next bill no longer showed the charge anywhere and I compared all past bills to make sure they just didn't hide it somewhere else.
Well, it's things like these that the FCC is FINALLY cracking down on, especially since the problem has been compounded by the number of services people can buy using their cell phones (ie, ringtones, apps, etc.). Most people don't pay very close attention to their bills, but it's funny how the bill usually fluctuates up and down a few dollars for what's supposed to be a set rate.
While you might not think a couple/few dollars is that big of a deal, it adds up when they're doing it month after month. Plus, when you consider how many thousands of customers they're doing this to, it's become a huge money-maker for them. Mind you, this involves all phone service providers; some are worse than others and apparently T-Mobile tops the FCC's list of offenders as they work to make an example out of them.
So, everyone should be paying closer attention to their phone bills -- go over them with a fine-toothed comb -- most especially your cell phone bills, but don't think it doesn't happen on your landline bill because that's where I found AT&T's attempt at bill cramming back in 2007 or 2008. For more info on what to look for and what action the FCC is taking, check out the following article and the FCC's own informational page:
FCC Guide: Cramming - Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges Placed on Your Telephone Bill
NBC News: FCC Proposes Crackdown on Phone-Bill Cramming
So, I contacted my SAG and my next bill no longer had that charge -- at least not in the same place they previously had it. They just renamed it to something else and moved it to a different section. It was for the exact same dollar amount when the percentage didn't apply to the amount of the section they put it in. If they would have applied the percentage to the amount of its new section, it would have amounted to more, but that's beside the point.
It's just like my SAG said, they're just cramming people's telephone bills. So, I contacted him again, showing him what they did. My very next bill no longer showed the charge anywhere and I compared all past bills to make sure they just didn't hide it somewhere else.
Well, it's things like these that the FCC is FINALLY cracking down on, especially since the problem has been compounded by the number of services people can buy using their cell phones (ie, ringtones, apps, etc.). Most people don't pay very close attention to their bills, but it's funny how the bill usually fluctuates up and down a few dollars for what's supposed to be a set rate.
While you might not think a couple/few dollars is that big of a deal, it adds up when they're doing it month after month. Plus, when you consider how many thousands of customers they're doing this to, it's become a huge money-maker for them. Mind you, this involves all phone service providers; some are worse than others and apparently T-Mobile tops the FCC's list of offenders as they work to make an example out of them.
So, everyone should be paying closer attention to their phone bills -- go over them with a fine-toothed comb -- most especially your cell phone bills, but don't think it doesn't happen on your landline bill because that's where I found AT&T's attempt at bill cramming back in 2007 or 2008. For more info on what to look for and what action the FCC is taking, check out the following article and the FCC's own informational page:
FCC Guide: Cramming - Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges Placed on Your Telephone Bill
NBC News: FCC Proposes Crackdown on Phone-Bill Cramming
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