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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 November  28,  2000  Audrey  Spivack  202-  418-  0512 


 NEW  TELEPHONE  SLAMMING  RULES  WORK  FOR  CONSUMERS 
 The  FCC  and  the  States  Implement  New  Rules  Did  a  telephone  company  become  your  local  or  long  distance  telephone  company  without  your 
 authorization?  Did  this  company  then  bill  you,  usually  at  higher  rates,  for  telephone  service?  If 
 so,  this  telephone  company  slammed  you,  and  that's  illegal.  Consumers  have  a  right  to  file  a 
 complaint  when  they  have  been  slammed  by  a  telephone  company.  But  if  this  happens  to  you  on 
 or  after  November  28,  2000,  you  may  be  entitled  to  specific  compensation  under  the  FCC’s  new 
 rules. 


 How  do  the  New  Rules  Work?  It  depends  on  whether  you  paid  the  bill  containing  the  slamming  charges.  Have  you  paid  the 
 bill? 
 NO:  You  do  not  have  to  pay  anyone  for  service  for  up  to  30  days  after  being  slammed.  You  must  pay  any  charges  for  service 


 beyond  30  days,  but  only  at  your  authorized  rate. 
 YES:  You  will  get  half  your  money  back. 
 What  Must  I  Do  To  Complain?  The  FCC  and  a  number  of  states  have  joined  together  to  enforce  the  FCC’s  new  rules  in  order  to 
 obtain  compensation  for  people  who  are  victims  of  slamming.  To  find  out  where  to  send  your 
 complaint,  call  the  FCC’s  Consumer  Center,  listed  below,  or  log-  on  to  the  FCC’s  web  site.  If 
 these  sources  show  that  your  state  has  notified  the  FCC  that  it  intends  to  administer  the  new 
 slamming  rules,  then  send  the  complaint  to  your  state.  Otherwise  send  the  complaint  to  the  FCC. 
 The  FCC’s  Consumer  Center  and  web  site  can  tell  you  what  information  to  put  in  your  complaint 
 so  that  your  state  or  the  FCC  can  act  on  it.  The  FCC’s  Consumer  Information  Bureau  is 
 administering  this  program  for  the  FCC. 


 How  Can  I  Get  Additional  Information  About  this  Program?  x 
 Call  the  FCC's  Consumer  Center  at  1-  888-  CALLFCC  (voice)  or  1-  888-  TELLFCC  (TTY).  x 
 See  the  FCC's  web  site  at  http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  slamming/ 


 Consumer  Information  Bureau  Contact:  Roy  Kolly  at  202-  418-  1191 
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