Experts: Beware of Charges "Crammed" Onto Your Bill
Man says he was billed for Internet service without his permission
By KEN KALTHOFF
Updated 8:39 PM CST, Thu, Dec 11, 2008
A North Texas man says he was billed for an Internet faxing service he didn't sign up for, a practice referred to as "cramming."
Consumer experts warn of cramming, when an item is crammed onto your phone or credit card bill without your permission.
Willie Funk said he had never even heard of Gofaxer.com before he saw the $12.95 item on his AT&T phone bill. The charge was for a service to send faxes online without a fax machine.
"I have no use for that service," Funk said.
After he was billed, Funk visited the company's Web site. He learned Gofaxer.com offers commissions to affiliates who sell the service.
The person who submitted his phone number for billing could be "a 65-year-old grandmother trying to raise money for Christmas" Funk said.
Gofaxer.com said it prohibits cramming by its salespeople.
"We are a legitimate business and would never engage in fraud," spokesman Ariel Adams said.
He said some salespeople who have been fired may have violated the company's rules.
Gofaxer.com gave Funk the name and last known address of his salesperson. A man at the address who said he was the salesman's nephew said Thursday his uncle had moved away.
AT&T is required by law to bill for certain third parties, spokeswoman Sarah Andreani said.
"Third-party charges are clearly identified in a separate section of the AT&T bill," she said.
Andreani said customers are encouraged to contact the third-party company with questions about their bill and can also call AT&T.
Jeanette Kopko, of the Dallas Better Business Bureau, said cramming is a common tactic by some third-party businesses.
"They're banking, first of all, that you'll miss it, that you won't see it on your bill," she said.
Victims may unwittingly agree to a charge when answering the phone or visit a Web site that signs them up for something without realizing it.
By law, customers do not have to pay disputed charges while they are under review, Kopko said.
"It's up to you, though, to find it and realize there's a problem and to do the follow-up," she said.
The Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers read their phone and credit card bills carefully every month.
The Better Business Bureau has 114 complaints on file against Gofaxer.com and other companies related to it.
Adams said the companies always answer their complaints and pay refunds when appropriate. He said Funk will receive a refund.
More information on telephone bill cramming from the Federal Communications Commission can be found at:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.html
AT&T's safety information can be found at:
www.att.com/safety
Consumer can search complaints at the Better Business Bureau at:
http://welcome.bbb.org/
First Published: Dec 11, 2008 7:04 PM CST
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