G. Complaint Procedures

(1) The billing telephone company is responsible for ensuring that subscriber complaints about non-communication charges on its bills are processed as required by these rules. Subscriber questions and complaints concerning non-communications-related charges should be addressed to the billing telephone company, or to its agent, as designated on the bill. The telephone bill must include a prominently displayed toll-free customer service number for this purpose. The toll-free number must be adequately staffed by personnel with sufficient training and authority to answer questions, investigate complaints, and adjust bills in favor of subscribers when appropriate.

Telephone companies are required to provide adequate customer service as a telecommunications provider (see the Telecommunications Customer Service Act of 1993, codified at Sections 2895-2897). They must ensure that the additional customer service required of them in connection with non-communications charges does not negatively impact telephone customer service.

(2) Billing telephone companies or their agents shall promptly investigate subscribers' complaints of billing errors. Within 30 days of receiving a complaint of a billing error unrelated to the subscriber's telephone service, the billing telephone company must either credit the disputed charge to the customer or acknowledge, in writing, receipt of the complaint, and must verify the validity of the charge. Billing telephone companies must resolve such complaints within 60 days.

[Comment: These rules are meant to be consistent both with Section 2890 and with federal regulations governing credit card transactions, which may be applicable as well in some cases. See 15 U.S.C. 1666(a)(3)(A),(B) and 12 C.F.R. 226.13(c)(1),(2).]

(3) While the investigation is pending, the subscriber shall not be required to pay the disputed charge, no late charges or penalties may be applied, the charge may not be sent to collection, and no adverse credit report may be made based on non-payment of that charge.

(4) The billing telephone company or, if the vendor is handling the complaint, the vendor, will notify the subscriber in writing of the result of its investigation. If the vendor has failed to provide proof of authorization within the time allowed, the billing telephone company will credit the charge to the subscriber. If the billing telephone company has obtained proof of authorization within the time allowed, it may require payment of the charge within 30 days of sending written notice to the subscriber. The notice shall state the reason for the creditor's belief that the billing error alleged by the subscriber is incorrect and include the amount due and the date of payment. If, however, the subscriber alleges that the authorization provided was fraudulent, or the billing telephone company has reason to believe it was fraudulent based on other information, the billing telephone company has an

obligation to investigate further. An authorization is fraudulent if it is inauthentic (not given by the subscriber) or obtained from the subscriber based on false or misleading information. Consumers must be given copies of evidence to support the billing telephone companies' allegations that charges are authorized if the consumer so requests. Consumers who request such evidence will be given a time period equal to one billing cycle or ten days, whichever is less, to determine if the evidence is authentic and to offer other evidence, by oral statements or otherwise, that would show the purchase was not authorized by the subscriber.

(5) If the subscriber alleges that a non-communications charge is improper because the subscriber had not "opted in," i.e., consented to the inclusion of non-communications charges on the telephone bill (see Rule C(1)), or had revoked such authorization, the billing telephone company bears the burden of proving that it had a valid general authorization from the subscriber at the time the particular charge was authorized.

(6) A subscriber dissatisfied with the billing telephone company's resolution of the complaint may file an informal complaint with the Commission's Consumer Affairs Branch (CAB). Consumers who believe they have been crammed may also notify other agencies such as the District Attorney's Office in their county or the Attorney General's Office.

(7) Pending CAB's investigation, the subscriber's obligation to pay the disputed charge is stayed, provided that the subscriber's complaint was filed with CAB within 30 days from the date the billing telephone company notified the subscriber of its decision in writing.

(8) If CAB obtains proof of proper authorization, CAB will so inform the subscriber and the billing telephone company in writing. Within 30 days of such a notice, the subscriber must pay the disputed charge if it has not been paid. If the subscriber believes CAB's conclusion was in error, the subscriber may file a formal complaint with the Commission. The filing of a formal complaint does not, however, stay the subscriber's obligation to pay the disputed charge.

(9) If CAB is unable to obtain proof of proper authorization, it will ask the billing telephone company, in writing, to remove the charge. If the billing telephone company fails to remove the charge, the subscriber may file a formal complaint with the Commission. CAB may refer the case to the Commission's

Consumer Services Division or to other law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

(10) A billing telephone company shall credit a payment to the subscriber's account as of the date of receipt, except when a delay in crediting does not result in a finance or other charge. If a billing telephone company fails to credit payment as required in this rule, in time to avoid the imposition of finance or other charges, the billing telephone company shall adjust the subscriber's account so that the charges imposed are credited to the subscriber's account during the next billing cycle.

(11) When a positive balance in excess of $1 is credited on a telecommunications account (through transmittal of funds to the billing telephone company in excess of the total balance due on an account, through rebates of unearned charges, or through amounts otherwise owed to or held for the benefit of a subscriber) the billing telephone company shall: Credit the amount of the credit balance to the subscriber's account; refund any part of the remaining credit balance within seven business days from receipt of a written request from the subscriber; and make a good faith effort to refund to the subscriber by cash, check, or money order, or credit to a deposit account of the subscriber, any part of the credit balance remaining in the account for more than six months. No further action is required if the subscriber's current location is not known to the billing telephone company and cannot be traced through the subscriber's last known address or telephone number.

(12) When an entity other than the billing telephone company accepts the return of property or forgives a debt for services, and agrees to credit the subscriber's telephone bill, the entity shall, within seven business days from accepting the return or forgiving the debt, transmit a credit statement to the billing telephone company through normal channels for billing statements. The billing telephone company shall, within 3 business days from receipt of a credit statement, credit the subscriber's account with the amount of the refund.

(13) Nothing in these rules precludes a subscriber that has been the victim of cramming, misleading advertising, or other unfair business practice from pursuing other legal remedies and obtaining relief that the subscriber may be entitled to under state or federal law.