Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

August 2010 - AT&T has raised the prices of several optional calling features when purchased on a monthly basis. Customers with these features as part of a bundle or package will not be affected.

• Three Way Calling increased to $7.00 from $5.99, a 16.86% increase
• Speed Calling 8 increased to $7.00 from $6.00, a 16.67% increase
• Repeat Dialing increased to $7.00 from $5.99, a 16.86% increase
• Multi-Ring Service 1st Number increased to $6.00 from $4.99,  a 20.24% increase
• Call Forwarding increased to $7.00 from $5.99, a 16.86% increase
• Automatic Callback increased to $7.00 from $5.99, a 16.86% increase
• Privacy Manager increased to $8.00 from $6.99, a 14.45% increase
• Call Waiting increased to $7.15 from $6.50, a 10.00% increase
• Economy Solution increased to $27.70 from $26.45, an increase of 4.73%
• Economy Solution Plus increased to $26.75 from $25.50, an increase of 4.90%

In addition, AT&T has raised the prices of its uSelect 3 and uSelect 6 packages as follows:

• uSelect 3 increased to $11.01 from $9.76, a 12.81% increase
• Two line uSelect 3 increased to $9.25 from $6.75, a 37.04% increase
• uSelect 6 increased to $16.00 from $14.75, an 8.47% increase
• Two line uSelect 6 increased to $12.69 from $10.19, a 24.53% increase

August 2010 - AT&T has changed the price and coverage of some of its inside wire maintenance plans. Among the changes has been a rate increase from $3.95 to $7.50 for customers in Ohio enrolled in the Inside Wire Maintenance Plan as a stand-alone option and not part of a bundle or package of telephone services. Customers were notified of these changes through bill inserts in April.

Consumers are not required to have an inside wire maintenance plan. The plan serves as insurance designed to cover the cost of repairs to telephone lines that run to or inside a home. Most inside wiring problems typically occur every 20 to 30 years, so consumers should weigh the costs of a plan with the potential benefits. For more information, see our fact sheet.

July 2010 - The merger of two local telephone providers, Verizon and Frontier, means that Verizon's Ohio local telephone customers will soon see the Frontier name on their bill in the future. If customers have questions, they can contact their local telephone provider at the telephone number listed on their monthly bill.

Based on the merger, Frontier has become the second largest local telephone provider in Ohio. About 435,000 residential customers in 77 counties will be transferred to Frontier, which previously served 480 residential customers in Williams County. Prior to the merger, Frontier served about 2.3 million customers in 24 states, and has added 4.8 million Verizon telephone lines in 14 states.

January 2010 - Effective Jan. 4, 2010, AT&T's local toll per-minute rates increased as follows:

• Day rates - Increased from 37 cents to 39 cents
• Evening rates - Increased from 33 cents to 35 cents
• Night/Weekend rates - Increased from 31 cents to 33 cents

In addition, effective Feb. 1, 2010, AT&T's monthly fee for certain local toll services will increase as follows:

• Saver Pack 200 - Increasing from $22 to $24
• Anytime Rate plan - Increasing from $4 to $6
• Area Wide Calling - Increasing from $7 to $9
• Econo-Call Service - Increasing from $4 to $6
• Peak/Off-Peak plan - Increasing from $4 to $6
• Neighborhood Select - Increasing from $4 to $6
• Saver Pack 60 - Increasing from $12.50 to $14
• Saver Pack 120 - Increasing from $18 to $20

January 2010 - According to Business First of Columbus, consumers should be cautious of calls from telemarketers claiming to represent the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Central Ohio office of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana says it does not engage in telemarketing and has received complaints from Columbus-area residents.

November 2009 - According to Business First of Columbus, Vonage and 32 states have settled a complaint based on the Internet-based telephone provider's cancellation policies. A $3 million settlement announced by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray requires Vonage to refund money to certain customers who filed complaints.

September 2009 - A ban on prerecorded sales messages without a customer's written consent has taken effect. According to a Plain Dealer article, the Federal Trade Commission responded to consumer complaints about these calls, also known as "robocalls." Telemarketers violating the ban could be fined up to $16,000 per call. Consumer complaints can be made through www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222.

August 2009 - The merger of two local telephone providers, CenturyTel and Embarq, means that customers will see a new name emerge for the combined companies. CenturyLink is now the corporate name, but customers will likely see the logos of both the original companies on their bills until later this year. According to the companies, customers are being notified of the merger through bill messages in the July and August bills. Other changes will eventually include a new account number for CenturyTel customers and a new mailing address for payments. If customers have questions, they can contact their local telephone provider at the telephone number listed on their monthly bill.