TRACNotes
Vol. 1 # 3 --
December 5, 2003
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With the year rapidly drawing to a close, the minds of many are turning to holiday planning and thoughts of the year to come. Keep in mind, however, that many carriers change their rates at the end of the year. Remember to keep a close eye on your telecommunications bills (and TRACNotes!) to avoid having to write a hefty check at the end of the month. TRACNotes is distributed to TRAC members and those who have signed up on the TRAC website "Newscenter." If you do not want to receive TRACNotes, simply click here and let us know(i). You won't receive these in the future. We hope you choose to remain a part of our network, and that you find TRACNotes helpful. Our goal is to provide you useful information about what is happening in the telecommunications marketplace for consumers and to keep you up to date on TRAC's policy advocacy. If you like what you see, please consider becoming a member of TRAC by clicking here(ii).
BUCK$ WATCH
Choosing Online Billing and Customer Service Can Save You Money - With telecommunications carriers looking to save costs in any way possible, consumers are being encouraged to switch from a paper bill to online billing or to agree to use online customer service (via e-mail or online chat) only. Choosing one of these options can often reduce your monthly service charge substantially. Using online customer service in particular, allows you to easily keep a written record of your communications with your carrier. You also won't have to sit on hold while waiting for a customer service representative. OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
AT&T Raising Rates for Basic Rate Plan Subscribers January 1 - AT&T will be imposing a $3.95 monthly recurring charge to all Basic Rate Plan subscribers beginning January 1, 2004. This plan is applied to all AT&T long distance subscribers who have not specifically chosen another state-to-state long distance calling plan. This increase is troubling for older AT&T subscribers in particular since many older Americans never changed their long distance service after AT&T's breakup in 1984. This rate increase appears to be an effort by AT&T to increase their revenue from an "underperforming" customer segment. Additionally, the January 1 rate change will lower the rate for weekend calling to 5ยข per minute. Click here(iii) for full details of the revised Basic Rate Plan.
TELL IT LIKE IT IS
Wireless Number Portability Survey - With almost two weeks gone by since the FCC's new rules on wireless local number portability (LNP) took effect, thousands of consumers have taken advantage of the change to switch their wireless carrier. We'd like to hear from consumers about their porting experiences, both good and bad. Has your new wireless company been able to switch your service without major delays? If you ported your landline phone to a wireless phone, have you experienced any problems since you "cut the cord?" E-mail your stories to trac@trac.org.
SCAM WATCH
Insecure Voice Mail Passwords Could Cost More Than You Think - A new scam is targeting voice mailboxes with default or common passwords and it could cost you or your company big time. Phone hackers break into voice mail systems by targeting mailboxes with easy or default passwords like "1234" and "0000." Once the hacker gains access to a voice mailbox, they can use it to make international or toll calls which can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Click here(iv) for the FCC's alert on this scam, and for information on how to avoid it.
TRAC IN THE NEWS
Spam Threatening the Internet - TRAC continues to support the fight against spam e-mail. "I believe the potential of this medium is at stake," said TRAC Chairman Sam Simon in a recent PC World article. The article deals with the concerns of many in the telecommunications industry about the potential effects of the federal Can Spam Act. In addition to TRAC, support for the Act comes from a broad range of consumer groups including the National Consumers League and Consumer Action. The full article is available online by clicking here (v).
INTERESTING LINKS
New York Times Urges Consumers to Check Their Phone Bills - A recent story in the New York Times Circuits section cautions consumers to keep a close eye on their phone bills to ensure that they are not being overcharged by their telecommunications providers(vi) . Specifically, one should be sure to know what portion of their wireless minutes are considered "standard" and which are considered "promotional" as these "extras" are often omitted from monthly bills, resulting in costly overage charges. Click here(vii) to access the article (subscription required).
FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.org
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/resources/state.shtml
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©2003 Telecommunications Research and Action Center. TRAC grants unlimited rights to reproduce TRACNotes or any information contained in it provided attribution is given as follows: "Source:Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org" Endnotes
