TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Net Telephone Fees Have Users Fuming

Re: Net Telephone Fees Have Users Fuming

Tony P. (kd1s@nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net)
Fri, 28 Jan 2005 18:15:40 -0500

In article <telecom24.41.12@telecom-digest.org>,
JakeSmith@DELETE3579.com says:

> Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld on request wrote in
> news:telecom24.38.3@telecom-digest.org:

>> At 04:45 PM 1/26/2005 -0500, Scott V wrote:

>>> Isn't this just someone bitching because they didn't remember to
>>> include taxes?

>> That's just the problem, these aren't taxes -- at least not any that
>> these companies are required to add to their bills. Every company has

>> What boggles my mind is that companies in the telecommunications
>> industry seem to get away with something that would not be allowed
>> almost any other industry, and that is quoting one price to a

> Have you had your car fixed or re-tired lately?

> I got hit with a 8% "environmental and shop cost" recovery fee the
> last time I had some work done at national tire chain store.

> This was added after the fact. Not really made clear during the quote
> phase. They said I should have asked.

> I felt so violated, I almost made them take the tires off, and re-
> misalign the car. I called around, and all similar businesses in my
> area are doing the same thing.

> This whole "fee thing" seems to be pervading our society. I do not
> know if some of you remember how gasoline was priced is some places:

> I was in Indiana one time when the price was xx.9 cents per
> gallon. This seemed cheap (about 10 cents below home prices), then I
> found out why. They did not add the state gas tax nor the state sales
> tax. It took congress to pass a law that the posted price is the FINAL
> out of pocket price.

> I do not mind having the total final complete cost broken down for me
> in plain English, BEFORE purchase. What I hate is one advertized
> price, then pages of fine print describing various "cost recoveries"
> which should be part of doing business. The price charged IS the cost
> recovery and profit.

> Looks like we need a new law. Where is the FTC? Where is the FCC?

The FTS is useless and the FCC is run by business lapdogs. We don't
stand a chance.

In article <telecom24.41.11@telecom-digest.org>, ihatespam@crazyhat.net
says:

> In message <telecom24.40.5@telecom-digest.org> Wolfgang S. Rupprecht
> <wolfgang+gnus20050127T210539@dailyplanet> wrote:

>>> What boggles my mind is that companies in the telecommunications
>>> industry seem to get away with something that would not be allowed
>>> almost any other industry, and that is quoting one price to a
>>> customer, then actually charging a higher one. And again, I emphasize
>>> that these fees are not taxes that the government requires these
>>> companies to collect from end users. They are just an arbitrary fee
>>> that these companies decide to add on, so they can keep their
>>> advertised price artificially low in relation to their
>>> competitors. But this makes it very difficult for potential customers
>>> to fairly compare the actual monthly rate they will pay from any
>>> provider under consideration.

>> I never did understand how that didn't violate fraud laws either.
>> After all, they are quoting one price and charging another. How would
>> that be substantively different from a user of theirs paying a check
>> for the full amount minus their own Federal, State, Social Security
>> taxes on the tendered monies?

> It's all documented in the terms of service.

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And naturally, everyone always reads
> those several pages of fine print and understands them all. PAT]

The most eye opening experience I ever had was when we decided to select
Genuity/Verizon to provide our IP services to the AG's office.

When Verizon sent the contract it's first stop was the civil division.
They shredded it to pieces and Verizon accepted EVERY change that the
division had indicated they wanted made.

Next stop was budget -- and the price magically reduced itself to < $400
a month for 1.54Mbps service over SDSL/T1.

It helps to interrogate the service reps -- you find out all sorts of
interesting tidbits when you do so.

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