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CONSUMER BULLETIN No. 01-4 Maine Public Utilities Commission
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242 State Street, 18 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0018
Contact: Derek Davidson (207) 287-1596 or derek.d.davidson@maine.gov
Avoid
Long Distance Charges
When
Connecting to the Internet
Consumers
should take care when setting up software to connect to their Internet
provider. Some computer settings may
result in paying toll (long distance) charges.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission has received many complaints from consumers that the number dialed by their computer to reach their Internet provider is not a local call. This problem usually arises when the primary contact number entered into a consumer’s Internet connection software is busy, and the computer selects a secondary connection number that is a toll call. As a result, the entire Internet session is charged at long distance rates.
During the initial setup of connection software, Internet providers typically assign phone numbers (both primary and secondary) to a consumer’s computer for access to the Internet. The numbers selected connect the consumer to the provider’s closest location, which may be a toll call. Even where the closest location is a local call, the program may search for a secondary location (if the first is busy) that may be more distant, or in a different calling area, again resulting in a toll call.
While most Internet providers warn their customers to check with their local telephone company to verify that a telephone number is a local call, it is the customer's responsibility to ensure that ALL the numbers (both primary and secondary) that the computer may call are local calls. Failure to ensure that numbers dialed by the computer are local could result in unexpected and unwanted long distance charges. Consumers are responsible for toll calls made from their telephone number, whether they dial the call themselves or their computer dials the call. For this reason, consumers should pay close attention during the initial setup of their Internet connection software to ensure all access numbers entered are local calls. Consumers should also confirm, by reviewing the settings for their Internet programs, that all of the connection numbers are within their local calling area. Your telephone directory (and you local telephone company) can tell you what calls are local; your Internet provider can give assistance on changing the "dial-up" setting in your program.
The Maine PUC does not regulate Internet providers. Consumers with complaints against their Internet provider should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Mediation staff at 626-8849.
For
general information on telephone service in Maine, consumers can contact the
PUC’s Consumer Assistance Hotline by phone (800/452-4699 or TTY Relay
800/437-1220), e-mail maine.puc@maine.gov,
facsimile (207/287-1039), or visit the Maine PUC Website at www.state.me.us/mpuc/.
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