Telecommunication Act has unleashed AT&T and other carriers.

To: Congresswomen Lois Capps
US Rep. Lois Capps gov Santa Barbara fax 202-225-5632 730-9153
lois.capps@mail.house.gov

On February 24, three months after the fact, I received my AT&T long distance phone bill for calls made in December. On it are charges of eighty cents, for five minutes, for long distance calls. The total for long distance charges, with monthly accrued taxes and fees, is $18.20 or $3.64 per minute.

A gentleman at AT&T explained the charges to me and that did nothing to quench my rage.

Even if the charges were legally justifiable, there is no excuse for a billing three months after the fact, except that of deceitful practice. By withholding billing for three months, they have denied me the opportunity to recognize their excessive charges and thus cancel service earlier in that term. Such deceptive practice is sometimes seen in other sectors of the business world and is universally recognized as unethical and immoral.

The phone service providers know that our phones are a necessity and that they have a 'captive audience'. Nobody wants his phone disconnected so we are forced to pay WHATEVER they charge, under threat of disconnection.

Further, I am insulted and outraged at the blatancy with which AT&T and others engage in such tactics. I am also, again, disappointed in my government's apparent duplicity in allowing, by way of legislation, such activity.

We the people have entrusted you, our elected representatives, to protect us from the above stated, and all other such abuses.

I am asking you to have the FCC, PUC and all involved agencies put the phone companies on notice that they must STOP their deceptive practices of:
1) Advertising pennys per minute when the charges can be dollars per minute.
2) Billing customers other than on a monthly basis.
3) Making the phone bill so confusing that very few people even attempt to understand it.
4) Making the terms of service so intricate and convoluted that only an attorney with special training can interpret any true meaning.

Additionally, phone service providers should:
1) Give fair warning, in all advertising, that charges may exceed the advertised rate by a large margin.
2) Setup a common toll-free number and website where consumers can obtain an estimate of costs, including ALL taxes and fees, for any considered phone call.

Thank you for your kind attention.
John F. Baker, jayfbee@aol.com