asonnyb
join:2004-12-31
Lutz, FL | No wonder
my bills for cable and cellular keep creeping up. Telcos must be one of the most reviled industries ever.
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If you're gonna be stupid, you gotta be tough... |
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Logan 5
Wondering what happens next..
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-25
The WasteLAN
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
|  Why should this be surprising?
VoIP providers look to the successes of the DSL & Cable ISP's so if they have been charging additional fees just because they can, why should the VoIP providers think that they shouldn't as well?
Don't forget that this is a monetary driven commodity, so the more that they make the better that they think they are doing.
Until this practice is declared illegal across all the broadband & internet service providers, it won't go away and will likely continue unabated with no restrictions placed on it's existance....
It's up to us to decide if this practice is allowed to continue, not them. |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| SunRocket has a good model
That's what I like about SunRocket. Rather than quoting the cost *before* taxes and fees, they only quote the cost *after* taxes and fees. You can't hide bogus taxes, tariffs, surcharges, penalties, or whatever subterfuge you choose when your policy is always to show the bottom line in the advertising and bills. |
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ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN | this one is easy
Cancel your Voip services. Voip is way to new, and nobody is dependent on its technology yet. People can easily do without it. A small drop in revenue will kill a lot of startups. |
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rollinraver
join:2002-04-27
Buffalo, NY | unfees...
The telecommunications excise tax is NOT new. Quite the opposite really, it's over 100 years old. 1898 it was enacted and Mr. Clinton failed to sign the legislation that would have removed it. |
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hrobins
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Regina, SK
clubs: | The excise tax was put in place to pay for the Mexican/American war. Most telcos don't want to get rid of it because its money in their pocket. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | reply to rollinraver
Well, new to Lingo users... |
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moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Any they cry about being taxed......
You can't have it both ways. 
Either stop charging the fee or be taxed AND regulated like a telco.
I was considering switching but not now. Just as bad as the normal telcos. |
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rbeadles
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Durham, NC
| The Rise of 'Unfees'
One good approach here is to refer it to the FCC, to perhaps scare them into backing down. Michael Powell, head of the FCC, has been making big noises about keeping VOIP in the largely-unregulated domain. Also, make noise to your congressmen and senators.
I received today from Lingo my notice that they will begin adding among other fees a 3% Federal Excise Tax. Now, if they collect a "fee" which they claim is a Federal tax, they will be legally obligated to pay that amount to the federal government.
I pay my Lingo bill through my AMEX credit card. I intend to contest the 3% claimed Federal Excise Tax through AMEX as an illegal charge to my credit card b/c there is no law AT THIS TIME that makes this a requirement for Lingo service. Join me in the effort. |
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HiVolt
30
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to asonnyb
Re: No wonder
How can they call it regulatory fee when VoIP isnt even regulated? WHat a crock of sh*t.
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
1 edit | They use the same lame reason the bells do. It's in "anticipation" of future regulation.
quote:
This fee is charged to our Lingo customers to recover the costs of certain regulatory and compliance requirements imposed, or expected to be imposed
Can we as end users "anticipate" ass-ish service and deduct $1.50 a month?
Ironically in the bells case, they've been seeing significant de-regulation, so maybe they'll start paying us.  |
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IanR
join:2001-03-22
Madison, NJ
| reply to rbeadles
Re: The Rise of 'Unfees'
Nothing will bring the FCC down on VoIP providers quicker than spurious "tax" and other charges which the FCC is keeping away from the industry. It could well make the FCC do either an immediate "strong warning" or a quick reversal on REGULATE the heck out of VoIP.
Darn stupid Lingo.
Side note. Even P8 increased some of their international rates like the UK from 2 Cetns to 3 Cents. Since Lingo throw the UK and some other countries into their "all you can use" plan anyone wanna guess they are using these "fees" as a way of not putting up their charges? "You can fool some of the people, some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time". Especially dn't Fool with the FCC when they are your best friend. |
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Logan 5
Wondering what happens next..
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-25
The WasteLAN
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to ossito16
Re: this one is easy
said by ossito16  :Cancel your Voip services. Voip is way to new, and nobody is dependent on its technology yet. People can easily do without it. A small drop in revenue will kill a lot of startups. Why kill technology with promise just because you don't agree with their current billing practices??
That attitude reminds me of going deer hunting with a RPG Launcher.....Effective? Sure it is......Overkill....you betcha!! 
There's better ways to address this issue (like stopping the fees at the source by making their collection illegal) then condemning a whole technology to "Cyber Genocide". |
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xrobertcmx
Premium
join:2001-06-18
Sterling, VA
clubs:  | here we go.
Hello www.fcc.gov |
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runlevelfour
join:2002-06-12
USA | Fees
Hey, we cant complain too loudly about the tack on fees for telecommunications. We have to pay the companies extra so they can afford lobbyists and campaign donations so legislation goes in their favor, right? |
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ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN | reply to Logan 5
Re: this one is easy
Should not really kill technology. Just make them realize customers are not going to put up with that crap. |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL | reply to Logan 5
I can hear it now:
Q. What did you use on that deer?
A. Colateral damage from a near miss. |
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tparker1
join:2004-09-29
Winston Salem, NC
| reply to runlevelfour
Re: Fees
This is the reason i never subscribed seems everyone always lets a number Subscribed and then they hit you in the back Pocket.I wasn't impressed with the VOIP quality anyway and it doesn't seem right to tap into Cable and use Bandwidth that doesn't belong to them to make money.I will keep my Cellular Phone it fits my needs with free Nights and Weekends.Nothing in life is free. |
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aBoVe1
@12.5.x.x | Sue them
Give them a class action law suit for adding fee's.. It's the american way. |
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SpitefulCrow
Insert Witty Tag Here
Premium
join:2003-06-04
Berkeley, CA
| reply to tparker1
Re: Fees
said by tparker1 :I wasn't impressed with the VOIP quality anyway and it doesn't seem right to tap into Cable and use Bandwidth that doesn't belong to them to make money. That doesn't even make sense. It's the USER'S bandwidth that he's paying the ISP for. What's wrong with the user deciding to use some of his bandwidth to subscribe to a VoIP service?
It's not run by the cable company? So what? This is why VoIP is able to compete with the telcos. Vonage doesn't have to build its own last-mile network because all it needs is an IP address. This is the way things work now. You pay for bandwidth and an IP and then you can run whatever services you like over it (as long as they don't violate your provider's ToS).
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