Albany Mutual Telephone

What is cramming?

Telephone numbers have become more like account numbers. Long-distance companies and other service providers that do not bill customers themselves contract with local companies to bill for them. These companies send the billing data to us electronically, and we use it to bill customers on their behalf.

More and more, telemarketers, con artists, and other criminals are using phone numbers for cramming, the unauthorized, deceptive, and fraudulent posting of charges in the billing information sent to local companies.

In essence, cramming refers to charges you find on your bill for services you did not authorize, order, or receive. Because we do not have the authority to screen the data, we rely strictly on the information sent to us.

The charges commonly found in cramming abuse can be for many things; e.g., voice mail, personal 800 numbers, 900 services, sweepstakes, and other marketing offers. In addition, you may find charges listed for legitimate services, but ones you did not order or authorize, as well as for “fees,” “memberships,” “usage,” or other services described only in general terms – or not at all. Cramming charges are often difficult to identify and can be detected only if you carefully review your bill each month.

Back to Top

I have found charges on my bill for services I did not order or authorize. How do I get these charges removed from my bill?

If there is a charge on your bill that is unauthorized or fraudulent, you don’t have to pay it. But you do have to notice it!

If you find a charge on your bill for something you didn’t authorize, call the company that charged you. Ask for an explanation of the charge and request adjustments or refunds for incorrect or unauthorized items. Since company information can often be hard to get, you can also call us. We have procedures in place to help you respond to incorrect charges listed on your bills.

Back to Top

Are there rules in place to protect me against cramming and fraud?

Yes, to combat cramming abuse, the FCC has issued rules known as “Truth-in-Billing” guidelines (see Q-1-7) to help customers become more diligent and responsible in reviewing their bills. The rules require service providers to clearly organize their bills and to comply with the following requirements:

• The bill must clearly identify the name of the service provider associated with each charge
• When two or more service providers appear on the same bill, the charges must be separated by company, and bills must include clear and conspicuous notification of any new service providers.
• Charges listed on the bill must be accompanied by a brief, non-misleading, plain-language description of the services rendered. The description must be sufficiently clear in presentation and specific enough to enable customers to accurately assess that the billed services correspond to those they requested and received, and that the charges assessed are consistent with customers’ understanding of the quoted rates.
• The bill must contain clear and conspicuous disclosure of any information that customers need to make inquiries about, or contest, the charges. A toll-free number must be displayed for customers to inquire or dispute any charge.

Back to Top