Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Don't Be "Crammed."
When monthly charges pop up on your telephone bill for optional
services that you never authorized such as voice mail, paging, a personal 800 numbers or club
membership, it's called "cramming." Like slamming, it can happen by filling out a contest entry
form, failing to respond to a negative option sales pitch, or calling a 900 number. Or the
crammer may simply pick your phone number out of the blue and place charges on your bill through
your local telephone company, claiming that you agreed to purchase the services. Look at your
bill closely every month. Charges for optional services should be itemized and show the name of
the company providing them and its toll-free number. If you did not authorize the services,
call that number and insist that they be canceled and the charges removed from your bill. If
the "crammer" agrees, let your local telephone company know. If it refuses or you can't get
through, notify your local carrier that you're disputing the charges. Be sure to pay your bill
on time, subtracting the disputed amount and any taxes or fees associated with it. Your phone
service should not be disconnected, but be aware that the "crammer" can refer the matter to a
collection agency.
If you have any questions, or would like to report an incident, please call NCL's National
Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060 or use on of our
online forms.
For more information, also try reading the
National Consumers League's new
"Consumer Guide to
Telephone Service".
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