Phone Bill Terms Explained
Phone
bill terms are sometimes difficult to understand and this causes many customers
to just pay their bill. However, if you do this, you are at a high risk for
fraudulent billing practices!
Understanding the terms on your phone bill
will help you understand what you are paying for and help you find any charges
that aren't suppose to be there.
Below are some common terms, taxes and charges
that might be on your phone bill.
-
Municipal Charge: Charge by your local
municipality to offset the costs of community services like local Emergency
Services (911).
-
Number Portability Service Charge: A
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approved charge that pays the
administration costs incurred by your local phone company in allowing you
to switch long distance carriers.
-
Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge
(PICC): Long distance companies pay these charges to local telephone
companies for access to there phone networks. The FCC regulates the price
but doesn't require that the charges be passed on to the customers. Some
long distance companies pass this cost onto you while others include it in
their per-minute charges.
-
Subscriber Line Charge (SLC): This charge
is similar to the PICC but is billed to you by your local phone company instead
of your long distance carrier.
-
Universal Service Charge (USF): This
fee is put into the Universal Service Fund, which helps make telephone service
available to everyone. This includes low-income customers, customers in high
cost rural areas and customers with disabilities. It has also been used to
install Internet access for schools, libraries and hospitals.
If there are still charges you don't understand,
you should contact your local phone company and ask. It maybe a legitimate
charge or it could have been placed fraudulently.
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