I-Team: Cramming charges on phone bill

How closely do you examine your phone bill? The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, is warning customers about a certain practice by billing companies that is leaving many telephone customers paying for services they never signed up for and don't even know they have.

It's called cramming, a practice of placing unauthorized, misleading or deceptive charges on your telephone bill.

Crammers rely on confusing telephone bills in an attempt to trick consumers into paying for services they did not authorize or receive, or that cost more than the consumer was led to believe. Kathy Hallenbeck of Charlemont believes she was crammed.
Kathy said, "I got my bill and saw some extra charges but did not know what a country phone was all about and thought it was a tax."

No extra tax here, instead an voicemail service from a third party-Enhanced Services Billing Inc., or ESBI.

The only problem is Hallenbeck never signed up for it, but continued to pay the thirteen dollar charge for nineteen months. Verizon has since issued a credit.

Hallenbeck’s adopted son, Ian Williams, told 22News, “A company like verizon that has millions of customers, how many customers like her are getting something on their bill overlooking it and maybe down the road realize it. They companies are quick to give you a credit."

ESBI settled with the Federal Trade Commission for similar charges in 2001. And they have an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Verizon's Ellen Cummings told the 22News I-Team in part, "Enhanced Services Billing is a company that sells various telephone services... ESBI contracts with Verizon to bill its own customers....If one of our customers reports they did not authorize the charges, Verizon will remove the charges."

So how do you avoid getting cramming: The FCC recommends you review your telephone just as carefully as your credit card bill, and ask yourself, do I recognize all the names of the companies on my bill? Also, make sure you know what service was provided, even for small charges. Crammers often try to go undetected by submitting two or three dollar charges to thousands of consumers.