CONTACT

Katie Mitzner / Communications Director
Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado
Telephone: 719/636-5076 Ext. 118
Fax: 719/636-5078
Email: katiem@bbbsc.org

Keep Your Eyes on Your Bills This Holiday Season!

The holiday shopping season may be over, but now is the time to scrutinize your billing statements and invoices to make sure they’re accurate.

“Unscrupulous merchants may use the hectic holiday season as a perfect time to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers and put bogus charges on your telephone bills or credit card statements,” warns Carol Odell, CEO of the BBB of Southern Colorado. “We suggest that consumers always carefully check their credit card invoices and statements for unauthorized charges, especially around this time of year.”

Colorado residents have recently filed complaints against a Texas based company that appeared to be engaged in improper billing practices. The company, Premier Premium Communications, has billed for Internet long distance calls to the United Kingdom that complainants claim not to have made. Other complainants allege the company falsely billed for pay-per-view Web site access. Some of the charges appeared on people’s local phone bills; other people were billed directly by PPC. Consumers have reported that they don’t even own a computer or that their computer was not on at the time the call was made. Disputed charges range from $30 to $1,000.

Premier Premium Communications has a post office box in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s Web site states that it provides billing solutions for clients with audio text services, videotext services, long distance services, pay-per-view Web sites and other telecommunications services.

Premier Premium Communications’ response to those who have questioned the billing is: “Somebody who had access to your computer has placed an international call to the United Kingdom through our billing software to access a premium rate Internet Web site on a per minute basis. We provide billing for a variety of premium rate Web sites including sports information, games, music, chat, and others. Our solution works in a similar fashion as 900 services, but has been specifically optimized for Internet services.”

The FCC has stated to the BBB that this is not the way such services are billed. They advise that the billing service should ask for a means of payment up front before the Web site is accessed.

The BBB out of Fort Worth, Texas has tried repeatedly to contact Premier Premium Communications at their 800 number; however, the number is constantly busy as noted by the many victims who have filed BBB complaints. The BBB has put in a request to the company for information concerning products and services they provide; to date the BBB has not received a response.

To avoid being victimized by dialing scams, modem high jacking and other types of billing scams, the BBB advises consumers and businesses to:

• Be alert to invoices from this company or any other business with whom you are not familiar;
• Check for unauthorized calls to the United Kingdom or other countries that may appear on your phone bill;
• Be careful when responding to any “pop-up” advertisement that appears when you are on the Internet; by answering “yes” to such ads, you may unwittingly cause “dialer software” to download onto your computer.

If you do identify bogus charges on your telephone bill; Contact your service provider immediately to dispute the charge.

If you receive an invoice for a product or service that you did not order; Immediately contact the sender to question the bill.

Consider contacting your phone provider and Internet provider; Request that a block be placed on your phone and/or e-mail account if you are victimized.

And always check with the BBB of Southern Colorado for a report on any unfamiliar business before responding to an advertisement.

Consumers and businesses with information on Premier Premium Communications are urged to call the BBB at 719-636-1155 or 866-206-1800

To arrange an interview pertaining to this alert contact Rebecca Herrera with the BBB of Southern Colorado at 719-636-5076 x116 or 866-206-1094 x116.