Calif. Panel Probes PacBell DSL Net Billing

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By Dick Kelsey, Newsbytes SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 08 Feb 2002, 3:16 PM CST

California regulators have launched an investigation into whether Pacific Bell overbilled digital subscriber line (DSL) customers and underreported complaints about cramming, the practice of putting unauthorized and illegal charges on a consumer telephone bill. The California Public Utilities Commission said that from 1999 to 2001, 753 complaints were lodged by PacBell customers, SBC Advanced Solutions Inc. and Pacific Bell Internet Services, all units of Texas-based SBC Communications [NYSE:SBC]. The customers said they were improperly billed for DSL and Internet services.

A PUC report said the companies were found to have billed customers for DSL and/or Internet service orders that were neither made or filled, as well as for orders that were placed but not received.

The commission also said customers were doubled-billed, received bills after canceling service or were billed for services promoted as free or less costly than the payment requested.

The PUC also said its own database reflected 283 consumer complaints against SBC-ASI in the first three quarters of 2001, after PacBell stated in quarterly reports that no complaints were filed.

The commission has given the companies until Feb. 22 to produce records of billing complaints received since 1999.

PacBell officials were not available for comment.

http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/174358.html

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