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News Release: For Immediate Release

www.bbbhou.org * bbbinfo@bbbhou.org * Council of BBBs: www.bbb.org *
24-Hour Information: 713-868-9500, 877-468-9222 (from area code 409 only)

The Triple Slam

1. your long distance service,

2. your "local long distance," and

3. your "dial tone" service.

Most everyone is familiar with traditional slamming, that effects your one plus long distance service. Since May 7 the Texas Public Utilities Commission has deregulated regional long distance calling within the state of Texas. Local toll calls or local long distance are calls that do not travel far enough to qualify as long distance, but incur a change because they travel too far to be local calls. These calls are also referred to as “intraLATA” calls because they are within a customer's Local Access Transport Area (LATA), yet outside of the local calling area.

Since this change in the regulated telephone market, the Bureau has received numerous calls from businesses about a company telemarketing “preferred billing” or “coordinate billing.” The salesperson’s pitch includes misrepresenting themselves as being a Southwestern Bell operator and even gives an ID number and a “credit” that is due the customer. The Bureau believed these calls may be an attempt to switch you to a different provider in this new deregulated market of local long distance.

Southwestern Bell representatives tell the Bureau it is possible to have one company as your one plus long distance provider, a different company as your local long distance provider, and a third different company has your local dial tone provider. These changes have greatly increased the complexity of these transactions. Southwestern Bell and the BBB have been working together to educate the public about the problems of slamming and cramming for years.

To protect yourself, the Bureau suggests you consider putting your lines on PIC restriction. You can do this for business slamming at 1-888-481-0367, or for cramming problems by calling 1-800-559-7928. Be sure to request that your long distance, and local long distance be PIC restricted. Don't forget to include any additional lines you may have such as fax or data lines. If you are slammed, contact the Bureau at 713-868-9500 or 1-800-275-3626.