Detariffing

Since July 2001, long distance telephone carriers have no longer been required to file a document called a tariff with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A tariff is what notified the FCC about the rates, terms and conditions of the carriers’ long distance service. Instead, long distance telephone carriers must make that information available directly to you, the consumer. Detariffing was done to make it easier for consumers to find out what they were paying for service and what other interstate long distance companies were charging for their services, making it easier to compare the terms of your service to the terms offered by other carriers and providing the carriers with a greater incentive to reduce prices and improve their terms in order to remain competitive. This change only applies to out of state, or interstate, long distance service.

You and your interstate long distance carrier now deal with each other by means of an individual contract, just as you deal with many other entities, such as your credit card company. Your long distance carrier must make available to you the rates, terms and conditions of your service, and it is up to you whether to agree to them, as in any other contract. If you do not agree with them, you can look for another carrier that offers terms that better suit your needs.

Under the FCC’s detariffing rules, each long distance carrier is required to post a schedule of its rates, terms, and conditions on its website, if it has one. If you do not have access to the Internet but want to use it to compare long distance prices, you can use the computer at your local library to get access.

Each carrier must also keep copies of this schedule at a business location of its choosing. Call or write your long distance carrier to find out this location or to learn how you can obtain information about the terms and conditions of your service and of all the services and rate plans your carrier offers. You should also make sure you read your bill inserts and any letters from your interstate long distance carrier. Many carriers are using these methods to inform you of their rates and conditions.

To learn more about the protections and remedies available under New Hampshire state contract and consumer protection laws, consumers may contact the New Hampshire Attorney General’s consumer protection bureau or the Better Business Bureau.