*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 5709.doc*
 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  December  7,  2000  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  John  Winston  (202)  418-  7450 
 FCC  Imposes  $750,  000  Fine  against  Coleman  Enterprises,  Inc.  d/  b/  a  Local  Long  Distance,  Inc.  For  Slamming  Consumers 
 Washington,  D.  C.  -  Today  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (Commission)  released  an  order  imposing  a  $750,000  fine  on  Coleman  Enterprises, 
 Inc.,  d/  b/  a  Local  Long  Distance,  Inc.  (LLD)  for  violation  of  the  Commission’s  rules  against  slamming.  Slamming  is  the  illegal  practice  of  switching  consumers’  preferred 
 long  distance  or  other  telephone  service  providers  without  their  consent. 
 The  Commission  received  hundreds  of  written  consumer  complaints  against  LLD  during  an  eleven-  month  period.  Several  complaints  alleged  that  LLD’s  telemarketers 
 misrepresented  to  the  consumers  that  LLD  offered  a  bill  consolidation  service,  without  revealing  that  agreeing  to  the  service  would  result  in  their  preferred  service  provider 
 being  changed  to  LLD.  Those  consumers  denied  that  they  had  authorized  LLD  to  become  their  long  distance  service  provider  and  LLD  submitted  no  proof  to  the  contrary. 


 In  its  forfeiture  order,  the  Commission  rejected  several  defenses  asserted  by  LLD, 
 finding  that  LLD  had  violated  the  statute  and  the  Commission’s  anti-  slamming  rules  for  the  14  consumer  complaints  at  issue.  After  reviewing  LLD’s  pertinent  financial 


 information,  the  Commission  found  LLD  liable  for  a  fine  in  the  amount  of  $750,  000. 
 Coleman  Enterprises,  Inc.,  d/  b/  a/  Local  Long  Distance  is  a  privately  held  company  headquartered  in  Saint  Paul,  Minnesota.  The  consumers  slammed  by  LLD 
 described  in  this  forfeiture  action  reside  in  California,  New  York,  Idaho,  Washington  and  Pennsylvania. 


 Action  by  the  Commission,  November  30,  2000,  by  Order  (FCC  00-  422). 
 Chairman  Kennard,  Commissioners  Ness,  Furchtgott-  Roth,  Powell  and  Tristani. 


 File  No.  EB-  99-  09 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  John  Winston  at  (202)  418-  7450  or  Katherine  Power  at 
 (202)  418-  0919.  -  FCC  - 
1
 -  2  - 
2