BUCKS WATCH
Free Phone Bill Reduction Clinics for Illinois Consumers - Telecommunications consumers in Illinois should be sure not to miss the Illinois Citizen Utility Board (CUB) “Phone Bill Diet Tour” when it rolls in to town this summer. The tour is designed to help consumers trim “overweight” phone bills of costly, unnecessary services through free clinics that are open to the public. “Many consumers are paying needlessly high bills because they are signed up for special phone features they don’t want or need and plans that don’t fit their calling patterns,” said David Kolata, executive director of CUB. “CUB’s clinics give consumers the tools they need to navigate this jungle we call the phone market.” At the clinic, consumers will learn CUB’s “Rules to Live By in the Phone Market,” which are tips to help them save money. Participants should bring their phone bills so CUB experts can explain all the confusing jargon and show how to reduce calling costs. For consumers who cannot attend one of CUB’s clinics, the organization suggests the following “6 Simple Rules” for choosing a landline telephone plan:
- Beware of flat-rate plans that often charge for services you’ll never use. Plus, people typically need to make 300 or more calls a month to take advantage of the flat rate.
- Shop around for cheap local toll plans. Calls to people 15 to 40 miles from your home can be the most expensive you make. Look for a plan that offers discounts for such calls.
- Bigger isn’t always better. Look beyond the most recognizable companies to see what small, local, lesser-known providers may offer.
- The best long distance may be no long distance. Prepaid calling cards can be cheaper if you don’t make many long distance calls, or if you were calling someone with a cell phone, in which case you wouldn’t be charged.
- Do you need inside wire maintenance insurance? Probably not. The average home has a problem with telephone wiring once every 30 to 40 years.
- Avoid dialing 411 and other information hotlines that charge. Instead, call 1-800-FREE-411, 1-800-411-METRO or 1-800-411-SAVE when looking for someone’s number. Those lines don’t charge.
Upcoming dates and venues for the “Phone Bill Diet Tour” are as follow:
Elmhurst Phone Bill Clinic
Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m.
Elmhurst Public Library
125 S. Prospect Avenue
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Arlington Heights Phone Bill Clinic
Tuesday, August 22, 10 a.m.
500 N. Dunton Avenue
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Chicago Phone Bill Clinic
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m.
Mather’s—More Than a Café
3235 N. Central Avenue
Chicago, IL 60634
CUB will also be at the following Senior Fairs this summer:
Carpentersville Senior Fair
Saturday, July 22, 9am-noon
Dundee Township Senior Center
665 Barrington Ave.
Carpentersville, IL 60110
Hoffman Estates Senior Fair
Monday, July 31
Stonegate Center
2401 W. Higgins Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60195
Park Ridge Senior Fair
Wednesday, Aug. 23
Park Ridge Community Center
1515 W. Touhy Ave.
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Naperville Senior Fair
Thursday, Aug. 24
Naperville Municipal Building
400 S. Eagle St.
Naperville, IL 60566
For more information on the CUB clinics, click here. TRAC offers a number of charts and consumer guides that can help consumers save money on their local, long distance, and wireless phone bills. For information on how you can buy TRAC’s popular TeleTips Residential Long Distance Comparison Chart or any other TRAC chart or consumer guide, click here.
TRAC AND YOU
Parker Event Profile: Katherine Grincewich – TRAC and the Office of Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.) of the United Church of Christ are proud to announce that the recipient of the 2006 Everett C. Parker Award will be Katherine Grincewich, Associate General Counsel of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The award is given in recognition of an individual whose work embodies the principles and values of the public interest in telecommunications. Since 1983, Grincewich has represented the USCCB before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress in the areas of intellectual property, telecommunications, and corporate law. She has worked tirelessly to protect the public’s right to disseminate and receive information from diverse sources on radio, television, cable television, satellite and the Internet. Over the course of her distinguished career, Grincewich has been the co-recipient of the Best Section Community Outreach Project and has been a leading member of the D.C. Bar Association, the Arts, Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the D.C. Bar and the Federal Communications Bar Association. “The fruits of Katherine Grincewich’s dedication to the public interest in telecommunications embody the legacy that Dr. Parker helped create,” said TRAC founder and Chairman Sam Simon. “We are extremely honored to be able to recognize her outstanding achievements with the award that bears his name.” For more information on Katherine Grincewich’s work with the USCCB, click here. For more information on the 2006 Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and Awards Luncheon, including ticket information, click here or visit www.trac.org/events.
(Note: This is the third article in a short series of profiles of the speaker and honorees that will be appearing at the Everett C. Parker Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture and Awards Luncheon that TRAC and OC, Inc. are organizing on September 12, 2006 in Washington, DC.)
WIRELESS WATCH
Ex-AT&T Wireless Subscribers May Have Legal Recourse For Bad Service – The California-based nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) has filed a lawsuit against Cingular alleging that the company breached the contracts of more than 20 million ex-AT&T Wireless subscribers. FTCR, which is seeking class-action status for its suit, is claiming that Cingular purposely failed to maintain the AT&T Wireless cellular network after its $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless in 2004, resulting in degraded service for former AT&T Wireless subscribers. According to the terms of the lawsuit, this action forced many AT&T Wireless customers to move to Cingular's cell network. That meant buying new phone equipment, moving to higher cost plans, and, in some cases, incurring an $18 "transfer" or "upgrade fee." Some customers who tried to go to another company were hit with "early termination fees" of $175. Others who didn't want to pay or couldn't afford the fees were stuck with riding out their contract with AT&T Wireless while suffering poor to no reception, says FTCR. Former AT&T Wireless subscribers who are interested in receiving updates from FTCR about the progress of the lawsuit can sign up by clicking here. Former AT&T Wireless subscribers who are still on the Cingular network and who feel that they have received sub-par service may want to call Cingular customer service. While Cingular has not fared well in recent wireless industry customer service surveys, the company is trying to improve itself in this area and may be willing to work with dissatisfied subscribers to improve their service. For additional information on the FTCR’s lawsuit against Cingular, click here or read FTCR’s press release here.
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
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