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Home  News Billing Errors
Newsflash
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Lower Bill Telco Solutions will be interviewed on Jan 29, 2008 to be featured in upcoming edition of the Schenectady Daily Gazette.
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Written by Paula
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Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
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It is not uncommon to see billing errors when reviewing phone bills. Most companies and individuals, however, pay their bills without reviewing them. Errors can occur as a result of incorrect rates or products and services. There may be features or plans added in error or without the customers’ knowledge. Although many are too busy to analyze their bills for mistakes, even those who would like to take the time to review them find difficulty in understanding the bills.
Calling the customer service department to question or dispute part of the bill could run into hours at a time and will usually take more than one phone call, sometimes dragging on for many months before the situation is resolved. This is a large investment of time and may not be worth the refund or reimbursement you are seeking.
Billing format ranges from complicated to almost impossible to decipher, depending on the company. Many times a call to ask for assistance in reading the bills ends in frustration as the explanation leaves the customer feeling more confused than before they picked up the phone.
One area that is often overlooked, simply because it is not understood is the taxes and surcharges. What makes it more confusing is that not all parts of the bill are taxed equally. With different taxes and surcharges applying to different parts of the bill and surcharges being taxed as well, even the telephone service providers may sometimes give a blanket credit in an effort to save the time involved in the time consuming computations.
Average Americans pay 7.1 percent in taxes on goods and services purchased. For phone services that amount is more than double. Wireless consumers pay more than double that amount in federal, state and local taxes, and landline customers pay about 30% of their bill in taxes and surcharges. Based on the increase of wireless taxes from 2003-2007, taxes and fees have increased four times faster than taxes on other services and goods.
So where does this leave the consumer? Almost all of us are customers of telephone service. It is essential communication in our culture. Lower Bill Telco Solutions and other companies like them have built a business out of helping consumers navigate the complicated web of companies that provide services for their communication needs. Having an annual review or phone audit done by specialists in the field may help to decrease your bill substantially. You may be able to have the service done free of charge in many cases. This service can save large amounts of money and should not be overlooked. If you decide to go it alone, make sure you are in contact with your phone company and take the time to review the bills and services you are paying for. Always ask if there is a new package that may save you money. At the end of any contact, make a record of who you spoke with and recap any changes made to your services or billing. Follow up the next billing cycle to make sure everything was billed as you expected.
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