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 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  December  23,  2004  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rosemary.  kimball@  fcc.  gov 
 FCC  ACTIONS  RESULT  IN  $7.8  MILLION  IN  REFUNDS  AND  CREDITS  TO  CONSUMERS  THIS  YEAR 


 Washington,  DC  --  Consumers  got  refunds  and  credits  totaling  $7.8  million  as  a  result  of  contacting  the  FCC  during  2004.  This  figure  includes  more  than  $7  million 
 returned  to  consumers  as  a  result  of  informal  complaints  about  phone  company  billing  and  rates,  and  about  $800,000  returned  to  consumers  who  had  been  “slammed”  –  had 
 their  phone  company  changed  without  their  permission. 
 K.  Dane  Snowden,  chief  of  the  FCC’s  Consumer  &  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  (CGB),  said,  “These  statistics  demonstrate  that  the  government  stands  ready  to 
 help.  We  at  the  FCC  are  proud  of  the  success  we  have  had  in  mediating  on  behalf  of  the  American  consumer  to  ensure  that  everyone  can  enjoy  and  benefit  from  the  competitive 
 telecommunications  marketplace.  We  will  continue  to  enforce  the  slamming  rules  vigorously  and  mediate  consumers’  complaints  about  rates  and  billing.” 


 During  2004,  CGB’s  Consumer  Inquiries  and  Complaints  Division  received  more  than  one  million  inquiries  and  complaints  and  the  $7.8  million  recovered  was  the 
 result  of  the  Division’s  resolving  informal  consumer  complaints  involving  more  than  100  different  phone  companies.  The  bureau’s  slamming  team  issued  orders  resolving  about 
 3500  slamming  complaints  involving  more  than  300  carriers. 
 The  Consumer  Center  is  available,  toll  free,  by  phone  (1-  888-  CALL-  FCC);  TTY  (1-  888-  TELL-  FCC);  by  e-  mail  (fccinfo@  fcc.  gov);  via  the  Internet  (www.  fcc.  gov); 
 or  by  postal  mail  (445  12  th  St.,  SW,  Washington,  DC,  20554). 


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