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What You Should
Know About 900 Number Calls. |
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Before making
a 900 number call, you need to know how much the call will cost, what you will get for
your money, and what will happen if you have a billing dispute.
The Federal Trade Commission's 900 Number Rule took the guesswork out of these calls by
requiring certain information in ads and preambles for 900 number services. You also have
protections under the Federal Communication Commission's own 900 Number Rule that governs
the practices of telephone companies. |
900 Number Ads
All print, radio, and television advertisements for 900 number services must include:
- the total cost
of the call if there's a flat fee;
- the per-minute
rate if the call is charged by the minute, as well as any minimum charge. If the length of
the program is known in advance, the ad also must state the total cost of the complete
program;
- the range of
fees if there are different rates for different options. The ad also must state the
initial cost of the call and any minimum charges;
- the cost of any
other 900 number to which you may be transferred; and
- any other fees
the service might charge.
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information can't be hidden in small print: The cost of the call must be next to the 900
number and printed in a size that's at least half the size of the 900 number. In a
television ad, an audio cost disclosure must also be made. |
Exceptions to the Rule
The 900 Number Rule does not apply if you have a pre-existing contractual agreement with
an information service. Be very careful about entering such an arrangement. If you do,
your calls to the service - and resulting bills - will not be subject to the Rule's
requirements.
The Rule also excludes calls charged to a credit card. However, the bills for such calls
would be covered by the dispute resolution procedures of the Fair Credit Billing Act. |
Billing Errors and Disputes
The 900 Number Rule has procedures for resolving billing disputes. Always check your
telephone bill for 900 number charges. For each 900 call, your statement should include
the date, time, and, for services that have per-minute rates, the length of the call.
These charges must appear separately from local and long distance charges. Your statement
also must include a local or toll-free number for questions about your pay-per-call
charges.
Under FCC regulations, the phone company cannot disconnect your regular local or
long-distance service if you don't pay a 900 number charge. However, you could be blocked
from making future calls to 900 numbers if you don't pay legitimate 900 number charges.
If you find an error on your bill, follow the instructions on your statement. They will
tell you who to call or write to dispute the charge. In most cases, it will be your local
or long-distance telephone company, but it could be the 900 number company or an
independent firm that provides billing services for that company.
You must notify the company listed on your bill within 60 days from the date the first
statement containing the error was sent. The company must acknowledge your notice in
writing within 40 days unless it has resolved the dispute by that time. Within two billing
cycles, but no longer than 90 days, the company must:
- correct the
billing error and notify you of the correction, or
- investigate the
matter and either correct the error or explain the reason for not doing so.
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A company
cannot charge you to investigate or respond to a billing dispute. No one can try to
collect the disputed charge from you - or report it to a credit bureau - until the company
handling the dispute either has corrected the error or explained its reason for not doing
so. Companies that don't comply with these rules lose their right to collect up to $50 of
each disputed charge.
However, even if the 900 number charge is removed from your bill, the service provider
might pursue the charge some other way, such as through a collection agency. If so, you
have additional rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. |
Sweepstakes and Federal Programs
The Rule also covers 900 number services that promote sweepstakes or offer information
about government programs. For example, some services offer the chance to enter a
sweepstakes and win a prize simply by dialing a 900 number and, in some cases, entering a
code. The Rule requires ads for sweepstakes to state the odds of winning or how odds will
be calculated.
In addition, the ad or preamble must tell you there's a free way to enter
the sweepstakes, how to enter, or how to get that information. You shouldn't have to call
- and incur a charge - to enter. This provision doesn't apply to contests in which you
have to demonstrate a skill, such as answer a question correctly.
Other 900 numbers provide information about federal programs even though they're not
affiliated with a government agency. This could mislead some consumers. Under the Rule,
the ad and preamble must state that such services are not authorized, endorsed, or
approved by a federal agency. |
Children
The Rule essentially prohibits companies from promoting 900 numbers to young children.
Some companies have promoted 900 numbers to children, encouraging them to pick up the
phone to talk to a cartoon character. Under the FTC 900 Number Rule, companies are
prohibited from advertising or offering pay-per-call services to children under age 12,
unless the services are truly educational in nature.
If ads are directed to young people under age 18, they must state that parental permission
is required to make the call. Preambles for all 900 number services must contain that
statement. |
Toll-Free Numbers
The Rule generally prohibits:
- using 800, 888,
or other toll-free numbers for pay-per-call services, unless you have a pre-existing
agreement with the company or you charge the call to a credit card;
- connecting you
directly from an 800, 888, or other toll-free number to a 900 number; and
- a collect call
back if you have dialed an 800, 888, or other toll-free number.
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FCC Rules on Collect Calls
Under FCC regulations, pay-per-call services can't make collect calls to you if the charge
would be more than - or in addition to - the regular long distance charge for the call.
Services that don't impose this additional charge can call collect. However, you can't be
charged for the call unless you have clearly indicated that you'll accept the charge. |
Tips for Avoiding 900 Number Problems
Scams involving 900 numbers are constantly changing. To help protect yourself:
- Deal
only with reputable companies.
Some companies or organizations sponsor 900 number services for opinion surveys,
information, entertainment or other services. Before you call a 900 number, be sure you
understand the cost of the call and the nature of the information or service you'll
receive.
- Think
twice before calling a 900 number for a "free"gift.
Television ads, postcards and telemarketers may urge you to call a 900 number to get a
"free" prize. But you pay for the so-called free gift by making the 900 number
call. The provider of the service usually makes money on a per-minute basis, so there's an
incentive to keep you on the line.
- Don't
confuse 900 numbers with 800 or 888 numbers.
You pay for a 900 number call. The company pays for most 800, 888, or other toll-free
number calls.
- Talk
with your children.
Make sure they understand they shouldn't call 900 numbers without your permission. You can
have the phone company block 900 number calls from your phone. The FCC requires local
phone companies to make blocking available - where technically feasible - for a
"reasonable" fee. However, any subscriber with a new number can request free
blocking within 60 days after service begins.
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For More Information
If you have questions or complaints about a 900 number service, contact: Correspondence
Branch, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. While the FTC doesn't resolve
individual disputes, complaints about 900 number scams help the FTC in its law enforcement
efforts.
You also may contact the National Fraud Information Center (NFIC), a project of the
National Consumers League, at 1-800-876-7060, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday, or at
http://www.fraud.org on the Internet.
NFIC is a nonprofit organization that operates a consumer hotline to provide services and
help for consumers who may want to file complaints. NFIC also sends appropriate
information to the Federal Trade Commission/National Association of Attorneys General
Fraud Database.
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