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Comments on news posted 2008-01-10 10:16:18: AT&T is adding a 2% "line inspection fee" to customer bills in Oklahoma, reports the Oklahoman. AT&T says Oklahoma was the last of the old five Southwestern Bell Telephone states to begin passing this through to customers. ..
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Alakar
Facts do not cease to exist when ignored
join:2001-03-23
Milwaukee, WI
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| What are you VOIP'rs gonna do... when the fee's start showing up on your bill?
»commerce.senate.gov/public/index···ear=2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Vice Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today introduced the Universal Service for Americans Act (USA). The bill (S. 101) will update the nation’s universal service laws.
»commerce.senate.gov/public/_file···ysec.pdf
Section 101. Stabilization of universal service funding.
Subsection (a) would amend section 254(d) of the Communications Act to expand the
base of support for the universal service program.
New 254(d)(1)(A) would require communications service providers (providers of telecommunications, broadband service and IPenabled voice service) to contribute to universal service.
In case you guys didn't know, fee's like this get broken out because the ILEC's and to a lesser extent the CLEC's have to get government approval (FCC or PUC) for most rate increases, depending on the service. You want to complain? Complain to your congress critters that put this twisted system into existence.
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"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom; it is the arguments of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." William Pitt the Younger | |
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Corona
It's cool, I'm takin it back
Premium
join:2000-03-14
Aubrey, TX
| Re: What are you VOIP'rs gonna do... said by Alakar  :...In case you guys didn't know, fee's like this get broken out because the ILEC's and to a lesser extent the CLEC's have to get government approval (FCC or PUC) for most rate increases, depending on the service. You want to complain? Complain to your congress critters that put this twisted system into existence. NOBODY is going to understand that. | |
| 
linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium
join:2002-12-03
United State
 ·CenturyLink
| What did customers expect? Fifty years ago, Ma Bell was indicted for anti-competitive practices (monopoly) under the Sherman Act and lost. Bell was broken up into two separate units: 5 baby bells and long distance. Bell has slowly but surely put all the pieces back together, and when it did it restructured under the name AT&T. The only thing different between then and now is the lousy service and "customer is always wrong" philosophy." I haven't used Bell twisted copper in years. When I moved I make sure Bell wasn't the local telco.
FCC has no power to enforce ordinances, regulations or federal law FCC rulings are suggestions that can't hold water unless Congress acts. Ma Bell ignores court rulings and customers alike, They are the equal opportunity "me-first-screw-you-" corporate leader of the 21st century. If you need a land line and you're stuck with Bell you aren't alone. Eventually every telco will use the same tactic to nick you, too.
I lived in OK for a number of years. You have to understand the lack of testosterone in the OKC sandbox to understand why Bell gets what it want.
Back in the early 90's Bell was told it had to allow competition and share lines for local service. It still hasn't.
Don't look for relief very soon.
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Mac: No windows, No gates, Apple inside | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
 ·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
1 edit | B and S. It's called "We no longer are regulated" .... at&t bought their way out from under a lot of regulation by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission a few years ago with a bribe er payoff er wait, donation to Oklahoma education funding. Since they are now mostly deregulated, they have been jacking up prices on many popular services. This is just the latest ripoff fee. They've been jacking up prices on things like call-waiting, Caller ID, long distance etc packages and adding to all manner of fees, (for example fees for NOT using a service), various charges, and so on. This is just getting news because it's a brand NEW fee they've created. The Corporation Commission only has limited powers to stop this kind of stuff, and they approved it anyway. (Lobbying works again!)
Sometimes I hate being right.
Deregulation of a telecom giant = removal of cash from your wallet. Period.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) | |
| djweis
join:2006-04-02
West Des Moines, IA
| Barking up the wrong tree
Instead of complaining that it's going to be on your bill, complain to the state and local governments for charging this fee in the first place. Maintaining the ROW is a responsibility of the government. It would be more equitable to charge a ROW permit fee during installation for the inspection than a perpetual fee for something that remains relatively static over time. | |
| wildcat man
join:2007-11-03
Kansas City, MO
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| you ain't seen nothing yet On top of the caller ID charges ($8/ month in MO) and the other fees at&t tries so hard to get away with, a new special charge will soon appear on my bill:
Special Charge for the Retirement of Ed Whitacre
This fee, simply known as the SCREW charge, exemplifies the entitlement mentality of at&t. They still like to refer to their customers as ratepayers, right?
Well, I'll take my business to Time Warner Cable for local service and my mobile phone for the occasional long distance minute. No Subcriber Line Charges with Time Warner. And no SCREW charge. | |
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AnonProxy
Proxy of Anon
Premium
join:2001-05-12
ß
| Here's why... Typically all these costs are already built into your bill, you just don't see it. But in this case, what they are doing is booking costs as a line item, so they do not go against earned income.
It's a now "accepted" way of making sure all the money you take in isn't considered against net profits. | |
| | chuckkk
join:2001-11-10
Warner Robins, GA
·Cox HSI
| AT&T, etc. I have a fairly simple reaction to these odd charges when the phone company adds them in.
Since a wire-line is needed, for several reasons, just discontinuing service is not an option.
However, there are usually services, such as call waiting, that are optional. And the charge for these services is usually far more than the oddball service fees that they keep coming up with. Dropping optional services causes the loss of more revenue than the fees gain.
If you do this you can always explain that each time the phone company adds what you consider to be unfair fees or charges, you will drop optional services, such that they will have a loss rather than a gain. | |
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