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Comments on news posted 2004-10-05 15:14:17: Critics have long complained that telco's have become masters of obscurity, skillfully crafting inflated fees and other bogus charges to ramp up the cost of simple copper. ..

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zlm44mut4b
join:2003-07-28
Plano, TX

zlm44mut4b

Member

Stop Already!

Do all these companies not see that by gouging their customers they are the ones who will eventually lose! Obviously that isn't the case now, but when there is a new way to provide internet service which is vastly cheaper and feasible to use. Cable internet probably costs about $10 MAX to maintain each month, however I am charged $55 for it.

* sigh * there is no point in arguing because nothing will change until someone comes and knocks each of these evil corporations of their throne. We need a broadband revolution ... the telephoney revolution is already here and headstrong with the popularity of VoIP!
bigpapae35
join:2002-10-25
New York, NY

bigpapae35

Member

Re: Stop Already!

Amen, God knows it felt soo good cancelling my 3-line verizon account at $45 per line (includin taxes)to go with voicepulse at $15 per line and taxes only amount to 1.50 per line. Thank god I will never deal with the bells again!!!! They took enough of my money every year. I am somewhat ok with payin 45/month for cable, I am sure the cost will go down in two years, or at least the speeds should double by then.
zlm44mut4b
join:2003-07-28
Plano, TX

zlm44mut4b

Member

Re: Stop Already!

many people dont want the speed (i do)... a lot of people just want the prices to go down... significantly
version3D
Infidels Won
join:2004-07-24
Deep River, CT

version3D

Member

Re: Stop Already!

I would refuse to pay these superfluous fees and send them money only for the valid service charges. Then, I'd figure out how long it took me to weed through their b/s charges and then send them a bill for my time.
OneHeart
join:2002-02-20

OneHeart to zlm44mut4b

Member

to zlm44mut4b
On my phone bill:

FCC Charge for Network Access - $6.50
A charge to recover costs associated with connecting to a telecommunications service provider's interstate network.


Roundboy
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Drexel Hill, PA

Roundboy

Premium Member

well

We are all outraged..

but what are you going to do? You aren't going to cancel your phone or cable or net service are you?

The ones that can afford to are a minority to the companies.. and probably weren't 'money makers' to them anyway.

Any boycot will work as well as the 'gas outs' attempted every year.
zlm44mut4b
join:2003-07-28
Plano, TX

1 edit

zlm44mut4b

Member

Re: well

Hmm... a boycott... that sounds like fun! LOL everyone on BBB should cancel their broadband service... I can just imagine the doctors at each hospital. "Another patient with broadband withdrawal syndrome!?"

Wills9
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL

Wills9

Member

Re: well

That's the thing. This won't change a thing unless they are really taken to task.

So quit the hidden fees you say? Ok, I'll just simply drop them and then add them to the normal upfront fee and by raising my rates on something your not going to do without I, in the end lose nothing.

That's all this is going to accomplish. They're so used to screwing us that the will not stop doing it.

SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX

SRFireside

Member

Re: well

said by Wills9:
Ok, I'll just simply drop them and then add them to the normal upfront fee and by raising my rates on something your not going to do without I, in the end lose nothing.

That's all this is going to accomplish. They're so used to screwing us that the will not stop doing it.

AT least then when you ask how much the service will cost you will get the actual cost. I remember one time the difference in advertised cost and actual cost was so big the services on my phone were advertised at about $26 but when the bill comes I am paying close to $40.

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown to Roundboy

Premium Member

to Roundboy
What we need to do is short pay our bills by these fee's.

SOLdesign
Did I drink a shot of Irrational Whore?
Premium Member
join:2002-07-29
Woodland Hills, CA

SOLdesign to Roundboy

Premium Member

to Roundboy
cancelled our phone service 2 years ago and it was the best decision we EVER made.

we have cable modems, and use cell phones.

no marketing calls, no political calls, no outrageous line fees. The few marketing calls we get (only 3 or 4 in the last two years) I always say if they don't stop calling they will receive a bill for the per minute charges incurred on this cell line plus a $25 per minute administrative fee. Amazing how they NEVER call back!

we save over $600 per year (we would have the cell phones anyway and we have great plans)

The only reason we will get a land line in the future would be when we have a baby and we want the security of a landline in case the cells go out (earthquake, or disaster). I know, chances are the landline would be down too!
hehehehe

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed

MVM

Re: well

Easier to do in CA - in Ohio there are still entire sections that do not have cell service or it is spotty. I had to change cell providers because my wife could not get a signal in her work place - and her phone is the emergency phone for our sons daycare.

There is still a lot of obstacles to cells taking over phone duties - heck till last yeasr I think most cell phones could not give 911 where the phone is located. The spotty 9q11 service is one reason I won't go VIOP anytime soon...

mberlant
@ap.plala.or

mberlant

Anon

Re: well

How hard is it to tell the 911 operator the location of the emergency along with its nature? It wasn't that long ago that none of the 911 service centers could locate a caller based upon the calling number. It wasn't so long before that when every phone had a sticker on it with the Police Department and Fire Department phone numbers on it.

Your Police Department will gladly tell you their POTS number for their 911 center if you call their non-emergency number (in your phone book) and ask them for it. Then, you can program your VoIP dialer to call that number whenever you dial 911. You can also store that number in your cell phone for when you need it!

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed

MVM

Re: well

There have been several cases where a person did nto know where they were because they were not familiar with the town or they were kidnapped and blindfolded.

911 in a town you have never seen and especially in the dark - good luck with knowing where you are....
kakac
join:2002-01-20
Tallahassee, FL

kakac

Member

Re: well

We are talking about people who want voip in their homes. Not vacationers.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed

MVM

Re: well

I know - there have been many times where people are attacked and can't tell the operator where they are.... VOIP has to work with 911 or else it is dangerous to have because oyu can't rely on it to give 911 info that may be needed to save someones life.
Beeper
Part Of The Problem
join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH

Beeper to Roundboy

Member

to Roundboy
said by Roundboy:
We are all outraged..
but what are you going to do? You aren't going to cancel your phone or cable or net service are you?

I did. They are all gone.

No one called me at home except salemen. Not missed.

There is not enough nudity on TV to capture my interest. Not missed.

The Internet's useful bits can be covered in less than 30 minutes. Not missed.

Right now I'm into watching Finding Nemo every day and reading books about Elmo. I don't miss the clutter or the bills.
angryinch
join:2004-04-01

angryinch

Member

What's the solution?? Is there one???

according to the article "In the end however, the inclusion of business costs in unofficial "fees" is a tactic that works because consumers allow it to work. "

So, what option do we have? I could always cancel my service but then I would have to live without a phone, internet, cell phone, satellite, or cable.

What can we do about it? I could call and complain, but does anyone really think they would take all this crap off my bill??? They add these charges so gradually that sure, we complain about the first one for a while...then we get used to it...as soon as we get used to it, BAM!!! They hit us with another one...before we realize it, we have 3 or 4 of these "fees" tacked on to our bills and by that time we can do absolutely nothing about it.

What's the solution???

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

said by angryinch:

What's the solution???

Write to pro-consumer groups, ombudsmen type authorities, or other regulatory authorities in chage of investigating unfair advertising complaining that fees are creeping in above the (advertised) line cost.
Hotels just got wacked over this, as they charged all kinds of things on top of the room rate.
If there are no rules to cover these tricks, then write to your state rep or senator and complain that there are insufficient regulations covering price advertising for broadband products, or they are not policed properly.

Drex
Beer...The other white meat.
Premium Member
join:2000-02-24
Not There

Drex

Premium Member

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

said by justin:

Hotels just got wacked over this, as they charged all kinds of things on top of the room rate.

Right...I stayed at a hotel in Dallas and was charged like 50 cents per day for long distance and local calls. I asked them about it because I didn't make any calls. I was told they just put that in there just in case and they'll be more than happy to remove it. WHY SHOULD I EVEN HAVE TO ASK?

Back to the topic at hand...I was SOOOOO pissed off when BellSouth started with that "Universal 'It's not a tax' Fund". In fact I threatened to leave and would have if I had an equivalent alternative in broadband. Unfortunately I'm stuck paying the $2.95 fee that's supposed to go towards God only knows what. I asked for an explanation of this fee and was given such a BS answer that I had to shake my head in disgust.
You're right Justin. It is time to take a stand.
91439306 (banned)
15,000 Watts of Bass Power
join:2002-10-16
New Milford, CT

91439306 (banned)

Member

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

said by Drex:
Right...I stayed at a hotel in Dallas and was charged like 50 cents per day for long distance and local calls.
Ha! You think that's bad? When I stayed in Washington DC a couple of years ago, I made ONE data call to get my mail with my laptop computer. The connection was slow enough to cause e-mail download to take about 20 minutes. The hotel billed me $78 for that call!
attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay

Member

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

said by 91439306:
said by Drex:
Right...I stayed at a hotel in Dallas and was charged like 50 cents per day for long distance and local calls.
Ha! You think that's bad? When I stayed in Washington DC a couple of years ago, I made ONE data call to get my mail with my laptop computer. The connection was slow enough to cause e-mail download to take about 20 minutes. The hotel billed me $78 for that call!

that's what we call profit at the expense of your convenient!
studytime
join:2002-03-16

studytime to angryinch

Member

to angryinch
Verizon in Davison, MI. Basic phone plan (just a dial tone)

Phone service: $16.70

Misc. taxes and ripoffs: $16.30

total: $33

Somethings just not right when taxes almost equal the phone bill.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

its worse if you move. Check this out. In order to get DSL at my new apartment from covad, I need a dialtone, one that I don't want. The current bill for this move shows:
quote:

$18.24 plus $3.04 tax - dial tone
$.21 number portability - taxed at .04
fus $.57 and then a tax on that for .10
FCC line charge $6.38 plus $1.06 tax
Service order change $56.00 (asking for new service!)
Line Charge $50.05
Premise visit Charge $19.00 (for a guy to go "yep" there is a line here)
Installation Charge $18.21 (there was no install)
Modular jack $3.42 (there was no new jack)
rate adjustment .21 and they tax it!!! .11
Ny gross income tax surcharge .02
other charges (unspecified) .13
municipal surcharge - $3.34
NY State/MTA surcharge ...(huh?) $5.65

LOCAL CALLS: $2.37 with tax on that...

$35.00 phone bill turned into $206.18

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown

Premium Member

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

Justin, out of curiousity will you dispute this?

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031

justin

Mod

Re: What's the solution?? Is there one???

dispute this? what, my phone bill? yes we disputed it and they removed the 3 buck charge for the "new" phone jack they did not install. That was it.

ruscorp
I Never Stop Posting For You
Premium Member
join:2002-08-29
Earth

ruscorp to justin

Premium Member

to justin
Yea, I get an "MTA surcharge" as well.

WTF?
attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay to justin

Member

to justin
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ makes them happy, again at the expense of your labors
hedyd4u
Premium Member
join:2003-12-16
Schenectady, NY

hedyd4u to justin

Premium Member

to justin
Complain to the Public Service commission they set or allow the rates that you were charged. The rates you are quoting are for a business install not residence. The 18.21 is for a network interface. All business accounts need the tech to go out to ensure dial tone works at the premise as unlike residences there is no left in dial tone. You should only pay for a jack if the tech came inside and did wiring, in which case you would have been charged 13.71 for the wire and 144.00 for the first hour of time.
GinEric
join:2004-10-03
Washington, DC

GinEric

Member

Government, not business charges

All of those USF, FUSF, and the new charges come right out of Washington, D.C., and the people you put in office there. The FUSF is "allegedly" to provide Internet connections for schools. Why? You might ask. Why aren't the parents paying for their children to surf the Internet along with the teacher, when they should be reading books! The 911 charge should be paid by the police that are tapped into the phones, not by the people being surveilled.

And all of the other charges are mandated not by the companies, but by the federal government, both by law in Congress and by regulation, which is just bathroom Washington legislation with a different name.

The phone companies list those charges to let you know how the government is collecting more taxes without calling them taxes.

That BS story had to come out of some DC crony's head.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: Government, not business charges

You forget the fees are created by the Bells to be paid back to themselves, however. It's a reciepe for wanton overcharges.
attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay

Member

Re: Government, not business charges

said by KrK:
You forget the fees are created by the Bells to be paid back to themselves, however. It's a reciepe for wanton overcharges.

THIS PISSES ME OFF TOO, THAT'S WHY I AM GOING WITH THE CHEAPEST PKG... STANDARD@26.95 INSTEAD OF EXPERT(MAJOR SCAM) FOR 44.99, IT'S 139.95-94.96... THEY KEEP SCREWING UP WITH THE BILL, I HAVE BEEN BILLED FULL 139.95 AND THEN THEY SAY THAT 94.96 DISCOUNT WON'T BE APPLIED UNTIL THE NEXT BILL!
ricep5
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Jacksonville, FL

ricep5

Premium Member

Follow the money

The nicely written piece brings out and describes the issues with the fees, but provides no research or background where the Telco's might actually be paying out on the back side.

Everyone likes to complain about the charges, has anyone actually looked at SBC's or BellSouth financials and look for where the money goes? These are publicly held companies and they have to break out their financials just like all the other public companies.

Instead of whining about the collection, why doesn't someone actually go look at their revenue statements and payables and see if some of them are truly "pass-through" or just pure mark up. Caller ID unit cost is 1c per. Good start. What about the rest?

•••••

tranceaddict5
@66.129.x.x

tranceaddict5

Anon

not!

that universal service fund fee is a joke. they tried pulling that one on me a year ago. i called and raised hell about it, and demanded it get removed from my bill. from what i was told, it's a percentage of your long distance charges. well my GF at the time called costa rica a lot, and we got hit with a 20 dollar "universal service fund" charge to help the less fortunate. well screw the less fortunate. i've been down and out before, without a phone and not one soul offered to get me up and running with a phone at no charge. needless to say, i dont get universal service fund fees on my phone bill anymore.
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv

Member

Those fees

I have a Verizon line on budget service which is basically pay as you use. The minimum charge just to have the line goes to the fees and taxes and for having touch tone. The bill is around $16/month just to have the line active. That more than pays for maintenance of the line it goes down one time but for the long haul that line been paid for ten fold or more. This is gravy money to Verizon sure "maybe" some of it goes to taxes but I never seen proof of it as I see no difference in service to me from Verizon or my government if these taxes really go to them to offer me something in return. I don't see this as being selfish on my part its called not being ripped off. If my government even gets $8 of the $16 how come I not benefitting from it personally. I would love to see someone prove to me how I am benefitting from this legalized thievery.

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown

Premium Member

something else while on the subject

... but why are the taxes and surcharges for the same product different between carriers? Its something I've noticed and every time I inquire about it, the companies are like "well you'll need to consult your local and state tax codes". Now, I do billing related functions for a telco and even I have a hard time finding that stuff. They bury that as deep as humanly possibly just to make sure they dont get calls about it.
mishaq
Premium Member
join:2004-01-24

mishaq

Premium Member

Re: something else while on the subject

Just read my signature.
Maggs
Premium Member
join:2002-11-29
Jackson Heights, NY

Maggs

Premium Member

Ban Verizon ads/reviews on BBR

Hey Justin, bet that would make Verizon give you free service.

MxxCon
join:1999-11-19
Brooklyn, NY

MxxCon

Member

Re: Ban Verizon ads/reviews on BBR

or sue him to keep him quiet under some retarded DMCA clause:p
SanJoseNerd
Premium Member
join:2002-07-24
San Jose, CA

SanJoseNerd

Premium Member

SBC is Rediculous

I have SBC's simplest calling plan: a fixed monthly charge for unlimited local and long distance. My latest phone bill has 22 separate fees and surcharges added on top of the "fixed" monthly charge! Most are identified by obscure names like "surcharge A" and "surcharge B" (literally!). And that's not including my DSL charges.

This is crazy. If you go to the supermarket, they can't add a "trucking surcharge", a "refrigerator electric cost recovery charge", a "bag boy health insurance fund charge", and so on. They have to add all that in to the cost of business and advertise an all-inclusive price. Telcos should have to do the same.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK

Premium Member

Re: SBC is Rediculous

said by SanJoseNerd:
This is crazy. If you go to the supermarket, they can't add a "trucking surcharge", a "refrigerator electric cost recovery charge", a "bag boy health insurance fund charge", and so on. They have to add all that in to the cost of business and advertise an all-inclusive price.
Dude! Shhhs man! You're giving them ideas!

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102 to SanJoseNerd

Member

to SanJoseNerd
I agree that these companies (telcos, cable companies, wireless) should all list the 'real' price in advertising, not in the hidden messages at the end of the commercial (I'm waiting for the 'tv/radio advertising fund' on my bill).

When SBC/Yahoo advertises 26.95 for Internet, they should be upfront stating $29.99, which includes FUSF fee. It will never happen, as everyone wants to advertise as being the cheapest. For now, they have those advertisers speaking at 120 words / second with the disclaimers for service.
mrtommassi
join:2003-05-14
33929

mrtommassi

Member

Here's how I look at it..

Here's How I look at. If these were mob organizations instead of legit telecommunication companies, the Feds might be looking at these "taxes" and "Surcharges" as common racketeering devices. Why they don't, is beyond me. My opinion is that the only difference between the mob and my telephone company is that Sprint (hopefully) won't break my knee caps if I don't pay my bill.

Regards,
mrtommassi

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown

Premium Member

Re: Here's how I look at it..

collection agents are worse

raydog1
Feel Secure
Premium Member
join:2003-07-10
La Vergne, TN

raydog1

Premium Member

Sometimes I wonder. . .

Do the telcos really expect to tack on a fee like this and make it last forever? Or do they just hope it lasts long enough to make a few billion $$$ before we get pissed and make them remove it; only to run the same scam a few years later? Will we ever be rid of this crap?

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Sometimes I wonder. . .

Marketers and bean counters will work their magic.

What is a 'fee' now will most likely absorbed into the cost - with fee increases, then there will be 'new' fees and the cycle will start over.

Think of consumer goods like peanut butter...
the container gets bigger with a bonus amount (for a while). Eventually the bonus amount is standard (and not free anymore), and the smaller item is removed from shelving so that the consumer forgets about the smaller cheaper item for a while, and prices slowly rise. Eventually, a small container makes its comeback (in different shape though), as the large container is now too expensive for many tastes. The small container is more expensive than it was, and more expensive/size that the large container, but there is a shift back. This happens over and over and over.

one_bored_si
join:2003-03-10
Montebello, CA

one_bored_si to raydog1

Member

to raydog1
The truth is that 99.9% of people won't do a damn thing about these fees and charges. Oooohwelll, long live corporate greed.

TZi
join:2001-07-05
Miami Beach, FL

1 edit

TZi

Member

Not to be the devils advocate.... (but)

Although the bells may be abusing this privilege, it seems that the idea of itemizing these charges on your bill is well intentioned. Best I can tell, these fees come about from the actions of the government, be it state federal or local. It would seem the original intention of itemizing these on your bill would be to add some degree of regulatory/legal transparency. When these charges come up as separate items on your bill, the bells are basically trying to say, "we didn't want to raise your bill but the government is now requiring to do xxx." There remains much to be said about how the bells are managing the USF or regulatory service fees though. At this point it's almost certain that the regulatory recovery fees are padded for the profit of the bells.

One outcome is quite certain, you're not going to get rid of random regulatory fees by complaining to the bells; doing that will more than likely prompt them to absorb said cost into your standard monthly fee. As long as these remain itemized charges on our bills, we can write to our elected officials or relevant government agencies questioning said fees and/or requesting that they be dissolved all together.

All things considered, there ought to be a sunset provisions at which point the bells are required to consider said fees part of their published rates and moreover, they ought to include the actual end cost of services when advertising.

I know this is probably an unpopular point of view, but this is something to consider when some people on this site start complaining about the lack of broadband in rural areas and that the government ought to intervene. I can't imagine what the "regulatory recovery cost" for providing every nowheresville USA, pop. 21 with broadband internet access would be. Furthermore, I would have preferred that FCC have transferring wireless subscribers pay the actual cost of local number portability. This would have been more effective at actually representing the cost of portability and wouldn't have been a free-for-all for wireless companies to tack on additional fees.

alanhdsl
Premium Member
join:1999-10-09
Phoenix, AZ

alanhdsl

Premium Member

It's got to stop

Unfortunately, this is going to continue as long as the FCC and FTC let companies get away with it. It's not just the phone companies. Hotels are now adding "energy surcharges" or "resort fees" as unadvertised add-ons to their bills.

The government should insist that:
All non-optional fees other than direct taxes (cash forwarded directly to a taxing agency) must be included in advertising. Quotes directly to a customer should include taxes.

I'm letting them off for the advertising as the rates can vary as low as the city level, which would make regional advertising impossible. Since all of their competitors would be subject to the same taxes, omitting them won't be an advantage either way. (They should still note "plus taxes".)

Including the "regulatory surcharges" should be a wash, as their competitors have to comply with the same regulations. If the competition is more efficient in complying and can provide a lower price, that's the way the market works.

With the current game, anyone who doesn't play is at a disadvantage. Take two equivalent hotels, one quotes $60 and one quotes $65. You'd go to the $60 hotel, right? Well, they add a $10 "resort fee" when you check out, but the $65 hotel doesn't. The $65 hotel will lose business for being honest.

jjoshua
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ

jjoshua

Premium Member

Dumped Cingular

I got tired of Cingular pulling this crap so I dumped my service. $15 of taxes and fees added to a $50 plan!

I don't use a lot of minutes so I switched to Virgin Mobile which charges a flat rate per minute - with no extra taxes or fees. Most of the other pre-paid plans work this way.

JebX
@192.198.x.x

JebX

Anon

SBC in CA (Sonoma County)

Phone fees (haven't been home to use the phone during the time period):
Monthly Service - Sep 16 thru Oct 15

1-03 Residence Flat Rate Serv 10.69
Line Sharing Basis
1-04 Caller ID Selective Blocking .00
1-05 Your Listing Is Not Published .28
Total Monthly Service 10.97

Surcharges and Other Fees

1-06 Federal Subscriber Line Charge 4.42
1-07 Number Portability Svc Charge .33
1-08 9-1-1 Emergency System .08
1-09 CA High Cost Fund Surcharge - A: .02
1-10 CA High Cost Fund Surcharge - B: .24
1-11 California Teleconnect Fund Surcharge .02
1-12 Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Surcharge .12
1-13 Rate Surcharge .15-
1-14 State Regulatory Fee .01
1-15 CA Relay Service and Communications Devices Fund .03
1-16 Federal Universal Service Fee .42
Total Surcharges and Other Fees 5.54

Taxes

1-17 Federal at 3.00% .51

Total SBC Local Services 17.02

Broadband fees:
Monthly Service

Internet Services

Item
No. Description Quantity
Charges for 8943185
2-01 SBC Yahoo! DSL Starter 1 39.95
Service Date: 08/18/04 - 09/17/04
Charlie J Eidem
DSL No. 707 584-8820
ce7@sbcglobal.net
2-02 Service Discount 1 10.00-
Service Date: 08/18/04 - 09/17/04
2-03 FUSF Pass-Through Fee 1 1.84
Service Date: 08/18/04 - 09/17/04
Total Charges for 8943185 31.79
Total Internet Services 31.79
Total Monthly Service(s) 31.79

Total SBC Internet Services $31.79
triadmonkey
join:2001-02-22
Sparks, NV

triadmonkey

Member

Another stuck with no choice

Man,
I've read all these posts and agree with 99% of them.
My solution; we all pool our money and find other people to pool in with us and buy a national commercial during the broadcast of the nightly news and we can all be in it and say "WAKE UP AMERICA..GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR A*S AND LOOK AT THESE COMPANIES RIPPING US OFF." Then give an average sample of your local "basic" telephone service thats supposed to cost you $10.50(USD) but in reality costs twice as much.
Join your local grass roots movement to lobby to have these companies disclose the actual rates in bold letters with their "Low Rates" as an all inclusive price no hidden fees.

I'm including my basic bill too.. (read the bottom)

WHATS UP WITH ALL THE FEES

Monthly Service - Sep 1 thru Sep 30

1-02 Residence Service Flat Rate 10.88
1-03 Your Listing Is Not Published 2.66
Total Monthly Service 13.54
Additions and Changes to Service
Activity on 775 xxx-xxxx
Order # 66666666

Item Partial
No. Description Qty Month
Rate Changed on Aug 31, 2004
1-04 Rate Change 1 .00 .00
NV Universal Service Fee
.02 Per Month
Surcharges and Other Fees

1-05 Federal Subscriber Line Charge 5.25
1-06 Number Portability Svc Charge .41
1-07 NV Universal Service Fee .02
1-08 Federal Universal Service Fee .50
Total Surcharges and Other Fees 6.18
Taxes

1-09 Federal at 3.00% .60
1-10 Local at 2.00% .40
Total Taxes 1.00

Total SBC Local Services 20.72

Being able to look at your kid and say " I don't know whats for dinner son"
PRICELESS
JimmySask
join:2004-06-24
Regina, SK

JimmySask

Member

Just out of Curiosity?

What does everyone pay for a phone bill?

I am in Saskatchewan, Canada, and these charges are totally foreign to me. My monthly bill is as follows:

22.00 - Basic line
.59 - 911 service charge
34.95 - DSL + Basic DSL TV (1.5/384 connection)
19.60 - unlimited LD, evenings and weekends across Canada
1.95 - system admin charge (only if you have LD on the line)

All prices are CAD. The only 2 things that resemble what most of you are talking about is the 911 chg, which I understand, and the 1.95 sys admin fee. Never having dealt with any other Telco, it is just a curiosity as to how it compares to everyone else.
jdir
join:2001-05-04
Santa Clara, CA

jdir

Member

Meanwhile...

Japan Softbank is offering 1Gbits/sec for under $40.
boojumbunn
Premium Member
join:2004-10-08
San Jose, CA

boojumbunn

Premium Member

My Phone Bill

Well, I got rid of my land line and am only using my Cell Phone now. My home DSL is over a Speakeasy dry line (no dial tone) and it costs me about $6 more a month than DSL over a line with dialtone.. this is far BELOW the cost of the dialtone to begin with.

Government Fees & Taxes
California 911 Tax .22
California Universal Lifeline Tele Service .42
California Teleconnect Fund Surcharge .04
California Relay Service Device Fund.09
California High Cost Fund Surcharge .64
California State Excise Tax Surcharge .07
Federal Tax 1.53

Surcharge & Fees
California P.U.C. Tax Surcharge .04
Federal Universal Service Fund .95
Federal Wireless Number Pooling and Portability .15
Federal E911 .40

Total over my base rate: $4.55/month.

Some quick Googling revealed a link at a law school that explains most of these charges. I highly reccomend people read it to see why most of these charges are happenning in California.

Honestly, most of the charges seem reasonable.

boojum
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