| Who invented the unfee  First of all my State Attorney Generals Office took action against certain Independent Auto Service Centers for charging Battery, Waste Oil and Tire Disposal Unfees. On the other hand I have not yet seen any State take action against the Telecommunications Industry for unfees. I believe the reason no action has been taken by the State or Federal Government is that the Federal Government created the first unfee called the Customer Access Line Charge. After the Bell System was broken up in 1984 all telephone companies were authorized to charge this fee which was regulated by the Federal Government. It was levied in order to replace the income lost by independent telephone companies and Baby Bells from Toll Traffic as a result of competition in the Long Distance Service Business. In order to make the fee more palatable to consumers (stop the squawking), the monthly unfee for the first line installed at an address was lower than the fee for additional lines installed at the same address. Some time ago the CALC charge was renamed the Central Office Connection Fee. Once the telecommunications industry was allowed one unfee there was no reason more would not follow. Don't expect relief soon.
Regards |
