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FCC Broadens Investigation Into Wireless Fees
Will they finally examine below the line price shenanigans?

According to the Washington Post, the FCC is conducting an industry-wide investigation into wireless billing practices. The move appears to be an expansion of the agency's investigation into Verizon Wireless for billing millions of customers an erroneous $2 data fee. Apparently in an effort to pre-empt the FCC findings from being publicized, Verizon earlier this month finally admitted to overcharging users. According to the Post, the FCC's concerned largely about "truth in billing":

quote:
The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it is conducting an industry-wide investigation into cell phone billing practices amid complaints by customers of Verizon Wireless and other carriers of unwanted data charges. The agency’s 10-month-long investigation, which it previously said was focused on Verizon, could subject other carriers to penalties if the FCC finds those firms charged “mystery fees” that violate its "truth and billing" guidelines.
You'll be able to tell just how serious the FCC is about this by whether or not they tackle the practice of imposing after-sale below-the-line fees to quietly pad customer bills. We've noted for years that carriers use bogus fees like "regulatory recovery," because it allows them to engage in covert price hikes without changing the advertised price. It's false advertising and harms consumers, though it's a practice that regulators consistently turn a blind eye to.

As we said in January, if the FCC's really interested in transparency and truth in advertising, the very first thing they need to look at is the way carriers are imposing price hikes below the line.
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Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

C'mon...

Why do we continue to take the FCC serious?

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

Re: C'mon...

I agree. The ONLY thing the FCC is good at anymore is press releases.
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC

axus to Robert

Member

to Robert
If they did something (good or bad) we would take them more seriously

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

Not Just Wireless Fees

The FCC needs to look at all the operators: Cable and Fixed line while they are investigating.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Not Just Wireless Fees

cable does not really have any "add-on fees" that are below the line. They need to take on the Telcos. but if they did that they'd cry, whine and stomp their feet about not being able to "recover" any of their fees and taxes that they're allowed to. That's the whole reason people are dropping landline and moving to cable VoIP or to a 3rd party VoIP provider.

amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA

amarryat

Member

Re: Not Just Wireless Fees

comcast has the regulatory recovery fee too. as do other voip providers.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to pende_tim

Premium Member

to pende_tim
However they do need to make it so the salesman can tell people their final out the door cost.

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium Member
join:2005-06-29
Florence, SC

hayabusa3303

Premium Member

?

How do these people get these jobs at the fcc?...lol

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

2 recommendations

Transmaster

Member

Job Application Form for FCC Job


Gov FCC Form 666
here is the offical Job Appilcation form for an FCC Job.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Job Application Form for FCC Job

I'm pretty sure you aren't required to get all dressed up..

jhacker
join:2001-12-11
Peoria, IL

jhacker

Member

What about landline and VOIP carriers?

Yes, Verizon is bad about their tacked on fees, but so are the other mobile carriers. In addition, the landline and VOIP providers engage heavily in this practice, too. I cancelled Vonage last year because of this. There were $11 worth of added fees on my $25 bill every month. That's almost 50% tacked on, just in fees! So, I'd like to say to the FCC not to stop at Verizon. Also investigate companies like Vonage and AT&T with their 'un-fees' as well!

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5

Premium Member

Advertising practices belong to FTC and not FCC

»FCC Broadens Investigation Into Wireless Fees [24] comments
We've noted for years that carriers use bogus fees like "regulatory recovery," because it allows them to engage in covert price hikes without changing the advertised price. It's false advertising and harms consumers
If the purpose of this inquiry is REALLY about false advertising and not about anti-competitive billing practices, then the gov't agency that should be spearheading this is the FTC. It is they who have the regulatory muscle to make the telcos change their advertising.

The FCC should stick to illegal billing and charging fees that are not authorized by current regulations.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin

Member

Re: Advertising practices belong to FTC and not FCC

said by FFH5:

»FCC Broadens Investigation Into Wireless Fees [24] comments
We've noted for years that carriers use bogus fees like "regulatory recovery," because it allows them to engage in covert price hikes without changing the advertised price. It's false advertising and harms consumers
If the purpose of this inquiry is REALLY about false advertising and not about anti-competitive billing practices, then the gov't agency that should be spearheading this is the FTC. It is they who have the regulatory muscle to make the telcos change their advertising.

The FCC should stick to illegal billing and charging fees that are not authorized by current regulations.
Who made you the all-knowing regulatory agency mission reviewer?

Does it ever bother you how much you stand up against people and for corporations?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Advertising practices belong to FTC and not FCC

said by sonicmerlin:

Does it ever bother you how much you stand up against people and for corporations?
LOL. Sure saying the FTC instead of the FCC should regulate advertising is an assault on "the people". How lame is that charge?
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

Sammer

Member

Re: Advertising practices belong to FTC and not FCC

The problem with saying the FTC should regulate telecommunications advertising is you're really saying the FTC should regulate the FCC. It's the FCC that allowed all these bogus below the line charges in the first place. Until the the FCC, FTC, and everyone else in government label these bogus charges what they really are, false and misleading advertising, consumers are screwed!
LostInWoods
join:2004-04-14

1 recommendation

LostInWoods

Member

Why the FCC?

I don't quite get why "truth in billing" is an FCC issue. Sounds more like a problem for the FTC, which is responsible for investigating fraudulent advertising.

Regardless of how poorly I rate the companies involved, this creeping expansion of the FCC into any aspect of the businesses that it regulates troubles me. I'd rather see the states taking on this sort of deception than the feds.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Below the line?

The consumer will only benefit when ALL below-the-line charges are suppressed, which means local, state, and federal taxes - the real growth in cost.

With carriers battling the taxman on behalf of the consumer, instead of everything being a pass-through, we'd all enjoy lower bills. Imagine those "special interest" lobbying efforts working to reduce telecom taxes (~12-20% in my locale).
ddbonkers
join:2009-05-28
Federal Way, WA

ddbonkers

Member

Re: Below the line?

At least with the fed/state/local taxes, they are uniform between carriers, and therefore for the purposes of price comparing one to the other, they can be ignored. It is the below the line charges, deviously listed as "fees" and "access charges" that the carriers throw on there that muddy the waters. Just recently went through a change in carriers at my place of employment, and trying to perform a legitimate cost analysis was overly complicated by having to get definitions from each of them on those fees. AND - like someone posted earlier, the fees are not part of the negotiated, fixed contracted service rate. They can (and will) be raised.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: Below the line?

said by ddbonkers:

At least with the fed/state/local taxes, they are uniform between carriers, and therefore ... they can be ignored. It is the below the line charges, deviously listed as "fees" and "access charges" that the carriers throw on there that muddy the waters.
Below-the-line taxes have been running 20%+ in our jurisdiction for as long as I can recall. They're a far greater bite than niggling "fees".

amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA

amarryat to elray

Member

to elray
Amen
gabmasterjcc
join:2003-09-08
Fairfax, VA

gabmasterjcc

Member

What is Verizon's Early Termination Fee?

It isn't $175 (or $350 on a smart phone). It is closer to $185 after their fees.

INsano
@clearwire-wmx.net

INsano

Anon

FCC

I'd love to see the FCC crack down on someone OTHER than Eminem.

They were patting themselves on the back this week on their twitter account for their "preemptive" action in this area. It's only been a problem for what, 10 or 15 years? Toothless, gutless, brainless retards moving at the speed of bureaucracy.

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

I am sure they will do what most do

and that is give them a slight fine that hurts them not even slightly....and then move on as if nothing happened

Just gives these companies more incentive to do the same things in the future with little to no fear of ever being punished