Phone Slamming on Long Distance Calling Plans
Surprise! You open your phone bill only to discover it comes from a different long distance phone company. It’s not the one you picked. If this happens to you, you may have been “slammed.”
Slamming happens when a company switches your local, regional toll or long distance telephone service without your OK. Slamming is illegal. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules protect your right to choose and stay with the long distance service you want. To protect yourself, find out what to do if you’re slammed, and how to keep it from happening.
What to do if you’re slammed
Start by contacting your authorized (local or long distance) telephone company to say you want to reconnect with your original service. You do not have to pay any charges for this switch.
Note: Your telephone bill probably lists the company’s online address, but you can also call.
If you haven’t yet paid your bill, by law you don’t have to pay the charges you made during the 30 days after you were switched without your consent.
If you didn’t notice right away that you were switched and had already paid your phone bill, the company that slammed you has to return 150 percent of your payment. For example, if you paid $100 to the slamming company, it has to pay this amount to your authorized company plus $50 to you.
If you have any problems along the way, contact the FCC or your state’s public service commission. Many states collect slamming complaints. The FCC collects complaints from residents of the remaining states.
How to avoid slamming
- Ask your local phone company to "freeze" your
existing long distance company. The freeze warns the local
company not to change you to another long distance company
without first getting in touch with you. This is called a PIC
freeze.
- If you get a letter or postcard "verifying" that
you switched services—and you haven't, tell that
company you did not authorize the change. Then, call your
authorized telephone company to confirm that you still are with
the phone company you picked.
- You can check to see what long distance company you have by
calling 700-555-4141. Dial from the line you want to check.
- Review your phone bills carefully every month. If you see any
unfamiliar services or charges that you cannot identify, call
your local phone company.
Watch what you enter! Read the fine print on coupons and contest-entry forms. Without realizing it, you could agree to switch your phone service. If the fine print worries you, don’t use the coupons or enter the contest.
If a telemarketer calls you about switching your local or long distance service, tell the caller you are not interested in switching service. Before a company can switch you, it has to have you sign and date what’s called a “Letter of Agency.” This means you intend to choose a new company, name the new company and know that you may have a switching charge to pay.
AARP Resources
Saving Money on Your Telephone Bills
Compare plans to save money.
Phone Slamming on Long Distance Calling Plans
What to do if your phone bill has unauthorized charges.
Additional Resources
Federal
Communications Commission Fact Sheet
Your rights if you’re slammed.
Filing a
complaint with the FCC
Filing a complaint is easy.
