BUCKS WATCH
MCI Long Distance Rate and Fee Increases to Affect Most Subscribers - MCI long distance subscribers will soon be seeing higher phone bills thanks to several changes that are set to take effect on October 1, 2004. Residential subscribers who have a second stand alone long distance line on their account will be hit with a $2.00 "additional line fee." Additionally, all MCI long distance subscribers will see their property tax surcharge increase from 1.4% to 2.3% of total interstate and international charges. For subscribers to the MCI's $9.99 per month Nationwide 200 Plus plan, for example, this will mean an increase of at least 9¢ per month on their bill. Finally, subscribers to MCI's Basic Dial One long distance plan will see their per-minute rate increase from 30¢ to 35¢ for all calls made between 7:00 pm and 6:59 am. These increases come on the heels of an increase in the company's carrier cost recovery charge which took effect September 1, 2004. This is also the second time in the past six months that MCI has raised the cost of the Basic Dial One plan (a $3.95 monthly recurring charge was introduced on July 1). For more information on these rate and fee increases, click here(i).
Tips to Avoid Being Burned By Pre-Paid Calling Cards - Pre-paid calling cards are a popular way to make long distance phone calls. However, consumers - especially in low-income neighborhoods - are often the victims of misleading calling card information. At a minimum, the company offering the pre-paid card should disclose the full name of the provider, the toll-free customer service number, a local toll-free access number for a retailer and a refund policy either on the card itself or the card's packaging. The card's packaging material should also disclose the value of the card in minutes or the domestic rate per minute of the card, and all applicable rates, surcharges and fees for international and domestic calls. If a pre-paid card is missing any of this information, buyers should probably consider purchasing a different card. Consumers should call the 1-800 number on the card before purchasing it to verify that the number is valid and to find out about any additional rates, charges, expiration dates, and billing increments. Once a particular card is decided upon, consumers should buy the least expensive card offered by that carrier. While lower-value cards tend to be more expensive on a per-minute basis than the higher-value cards, this "trial run" will help new customers avoid getting burned by an unscrupulous carrier. Consumers should also be sure to ask friends and family members about cards they have used. For more information on buying and using pre-paid calling cards, click here(ii).
WIRELESS WATCH
Have You "Cut the Cord"? Send Us Your Experience! - With wireless phones increasingly offering most of the features available on wireline phones in addition to nationwide long distance calling with no additional charge, many consumers are choosing to "cut the cord" with their traditional long distance carrier, local service provider, or both. If you have done so, we want to hear about your experience now that you are completely wireless. Are you saving money on your monthly phone bills? Have you had a moment when you wished that you still had traditional wired telephone service since you "cut the cord"? E-mail your stories to trac@trac.org. If we print your experience in TRACNotes we'll send you a free copy of the TeleTips Consumer Guide to Wireless Service and the new TeleTips Consumer Guide to Telephone Service Over the Internet. Both publications are available for purchase on TRAC's website by clicking here(iii).
SCAM WATCH
Can You Recognize the Phishing Scam? - Phishing (also known as spoofing or carding) continues to be one of the most common means of propagating fraud on the Internet. Phishing involves sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. E-mail security firm MailFrontier is hosting a Phishing IQ Test to see if users can spot the frauds from the legitimate e-mails. Test you phishing IQ by clicking here(iv). Consumers who suspect that an e-mail they received may be a phishing attack may want to check the phishing archive at the Anti-Phishing Working Group by clicking here(v). For more information on phishing and how to avoid it, click here(vi).
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
What do you think? Got a tip you want to share? Nominate your "Scam of the Week" and your "Tip of the Week" - If we select your submission, we'll give you a one-year free membership in TRAC and acknowledge your contribution by name in TRACNotes. Send an e-mail to trac@trac.org to submit your ideas!
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(vii). 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(viii).
©2004 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"
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