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LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION

Unauthorized Telephone Service Charges: Cramming

Have you closely examined your telephone bill and found that you've been charged for services which you never made or authorized? You are not alone. You've been "crammed."

"Cramming" is the practice of including unauthorized charges or misleading charges on a customer's telephone bill. Cramming is usually effective because the charges are usually small enough, sometimes only a few dollars each, to "fly below the radar" of most customers' scrutiny.

Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warn consumers against phone cramming. The FCC has rules that require telephone companies to make their phone bills more customer-friendly to reduce instances of cramming and other types of telecommunications fraud.

Telephone Cramming Scams

Some charges are additional fees or unauthorized services billed by your phone service provider. These fees are getting harder to detect as many phone service providers now bundle other services into one bill, like internet service, cell phone service, etc.

Some fees may not be initiated by your phone service provider but instead by a third-party biller such as 800-numbers, "free" dating services, psychic hotlines, or contest promotions. These fraudulent marketing companies take advantage of consumers by offering "free" calls or promotions and secretly recording your number and billing you for unknown services.

To make matters worse, phone customers who actually question these charges and dispute them are frequently stonewalled by telephone company representatives.

These activities fall under telecommunications fraud, please let us know if you have been a victim. Professionals advise that all consumers carefully review their local, long distance telephone or cell phone bills for unauthorized or unknown charges.

Register Your Telephone Cramming Complaint

If you:
(1) were unfairly charged for services that you did not make or authorize
(2) inadvertently paid for these unauthorized charges and
(3) are ready to do something about it,
please click the link below to submit your complaint. California residents are especially invited to respond.

Published on Jan-20-06


READER COMMENTS

Posted by

on
My husband an 15 year employee with General Motors, had a employee discount program with AOL where internet service was 3.00 per month.

We contacted the program coordinator at GM and then AOL. We were told to go ahead and use the free service that came with our new computer and cancel before the 6 month trial and then go ahead and set up the GM program with the GM software.

Which we did. after 5 years of fighting and being promised that I would be properly billed it never happened I payed 23.90 for 4 years and 25.95 for a year. Even after I begged them to cancel my service if they went any higher. They ignored me and kept billing my charge card I request numerous times for my refund and never got it. Until I finally switched internet providers then they begged me to stay and offered me a five dollar a month program.

Posted by

on
From March 2007 thru May 2007 the total charges are $167.85. When I called customer service they could only refund me back to March 31st of $139.89.
I would like to review my billings more closely from the beginning of service to see what else I paid for in error. I spoke with 3 customer service personnel that could not resolve the problem. I am starting to believe this practice is by design creating a huge wealth for AT& T.

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