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The FCC recently sought comment concerning what actions need to be taken to ensure consumers of wireless, broadband, and video services are well informed about: the costs associated with the services; the contracts consumers must enter into; the charges for which consumers are billed; and the methods for resolving billing issues.
Imagine you are small business and you get a bill from your local phone company company for $1000. You are shocked because your monthly bill is usually closer to $100 per month. The company claims that your higher bill is for the international calls that you made from your fax machine. "Hold on", you think. "I didn't make any international calls from my fax machine or from ANY phone. I didn't make any international calls at all!"
You protest but the phone company says that even though you didn't make the calls, someone was able to hack into your phone system and make the calls. "But wait", you exclaim, "I don't have a phone system. I don't have a PBX. I just have two phone lines provided by you".
"Ah, but you didn't take precautions to protect your phones from being hacked," responds the phone company.
"What precautions!", you reply. "I put international call blocking on my phone service".
An impossible scenario? Apparently not accordingly to Telepacific/MPower. It did almost exactly this to a San Diego-based flower shop. Read our complaint about this shocking practice.
The CPUC is considering revising the rules regarding reporting of unauthorized charges for telecommunications services. Learn about the proposed changes as well as UCAN's position and legal filings on the issue.
UCAN has filed a federal class action complaint against Sprint Nextel (aka Sprint Solutions) for illegally billing customers taxes, fees, and text message charges on data services plans. You can read the complaint here.
AT&T's practice of enabling international roaming without customer notification violates the CA Public Utilities Code, which is intended to protect consumers from "cramming" of unauthorized charges. AT&T customers are also being charged for calls that were never placed. UCAN asserts that these customers never sought nor authorized international roaming as a service provided in connection with their cellular phone service.
California Lifeline, formerly known as Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS), provides discounted basic residential (landline) telephone service to low-income households.
UCAN's complaint, filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, details how MCI added surcharges to the bills of local phone customers in violation of California law. MCI's new long-distance "Basic Monthly Fee" is being imposed on those customers who use MCI's local phone service...but don't use MCI long-distance.
Of all the new features and capabilities of today's cell phones, UCAN receives the most complaints about ringtones and text messages. Our issue center contains all sorts of valuable information from consumer guides and updates to lawsuits and settlements against major cell phone providers. Come inside and see for yourself!
UCAN established that Cingular Wireless engaged in illegal marketing and customer service practices from 2000-2002 and filed a suit in July 2002. The case dragged on for years, but in was worth the wait. In 2006, a CA Court of Appeals judge ruled against Cingular and upheld a CPUC decision to hit Cingular with a large fine for its unconscionable actions. Get all the details inside our issue center.
From SDG&E to SBC, get the real story on undergrounding in San Diego inside this issue center.
Wireless phone companies have long used special "fees" and "surcharges" to boost their bottom lines -- a tactic that now has infected the airline, hotel, car rental and other increasingly consolidated retail service markets. However, the wireless retailers have recently begun to shamelessly exploit the nickel-and-diming tactic with a new round of inflated fees. It is explained in full by Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus, who relied upon UCAN's analyses in a recent July 18th column.
Our resident Telecom "Doctor," Phil Wells, explains how with "tethering" you can hook up your cell phone to your laptop while travelling and use it as a modem. But be prepared ... you could be in for an adventure.
In February 2009, UCAN's Executive Director joined many frustrated AT&T victims when he asked them to terminate two phone lines be closed because of poor service. Michael wrote three letters to AT&T but got no response. In June, he wrote to the company's executive offices promising legal action relating to the company's lack of responsiveness to customers. It worked like a charm ... sort of. READ MICHAEL's CORRESPONDENCE or better yet, file a COMPLAINT HERE.
Carriers charge a "bundle" to use tethering and the Samsung Omnia fails miserably at it, for some of us
This $30 gadget lets you make - and answer - mobile phone calls from most old-fashioned landline and wireless phones.
In the past two years the cost of directory assistance has skyrocketed. Telephone companies are charging their customers unreasonable fees. Thankfully, there are some real alternatives available that should ensure consumers never pay for directory assistance again.
Fierce Wireless, one of the industry's leading electronic news monitoring sources, stated today in an article by Sue Marek, that Apple's IPhone didn't measure up to what it advertised and represented to consumers. The main issues in the lawsuit included the fact that the connectivity speed for data, Internet & like functions were allegedly much slower than advertised and that there was erratic connection in general. Read More.
UCAN found a good CBS5.com story from the San Francisco area about the new AT&T long "legaleze"-type contracts recently sent to AT&T residential service customers. Read More. What does it mean? It means that after January 1, 2009, AT&T can raise your rates as high as it wants and whenever it chooses to do so.
UCAN is reading the new AT&T contract to provide you with a breakdown of its contents well before the deadline of October 1, 2008. Watch for UCAN's breakdown of the "gotcha" areas--coming soon. UCAN also measured the length of the AT&T fold-out service agreement and it is close to 1 yard long. There is two-sided separate slip of paper that comes with the AT&T written service agreement. Read it here.
Power Net Global (PNG) has changed. UCAN is no longer including the option of using Power Net Global (PNG). In 2002, UCAN did a consumer guide and a newsletter showing PNG as a great option for long distance phone service because not only did UCAN members get installation fees waived, but there were NO monthly fees for customers using this service. The company now charges minimum monthly usage fees and a .99 cent monthly fee. To top things off, PNG recently started rounding up each call to the nearest minute instead of the six-second increcements it use to use. The bottom line is that there are better deals out there for consumers!
Utility Consumers' Action Network
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UCAN's affiliate New Media Rights is hosting a discussion forum on the future of media and journalism in San Diego. Join in on the discussion now!
How to protect your own blog or website from liability for user generated content
Is Youtube putting advertisements on user videos without permission?
Essential free and open software toolkit for consumers
How to find free music, images, and video you can use or remix in your own creative works
How to Listen to Music on the Internet for Free...Legally
How to make a Podcast... for free
Visit NewMediaRights.org
Get personal assistance with your consumer complaint about a company by using our Online Complaint Forms. Or, call the Fraud Squad Hotline at (619) 696-6966!
Want to bring the hammer down on annoying telemarketers? Stop Telemarketers Now and get your number off telemarketing lists. And for the telemarketers that just won't take no for an answer; we'll show you how to take them to court and hurt em where it counts...in the pocketbook.
Don't buy a cell phone without our Mobile Phone Plan Checker!
Register to get it FREE right now!
What are you packin? Is it anything like UCAN's new and improved Consumer Complaint Directory? If not, you should really pick up a copy. This thing is chock-full of hard-hitting consumer punch.
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