Cramming and Third Party Billing on Mobile Phones: Analyses and Perspectives

$140.00

Christopher Rye (Editor)

Series: Business Issues, Competition and Entrepreneurship
BISAC: BUS070030

For several decades, phone companies have allowed third-party vendors to charge consumers on their phone bills for goods and services unrelated to phone service, such as photo storage, voicemail, and faxes. This practice began with landline phone bills and continued on wireless phone bills as consumer use of mobile phones increased. Throughout this period, the industry has assured the public that its self-regulatory system is effective at protecting consumers from fraudulent third-party billing on their phone bills.

However, this Committee’s 2010-2011 review of third-party billing practices on landline phones showed that widespread unauthorized charges – known as “cramming” – had been placed on phone bills and had likely cost consumers billions of dollars over the preceding decades. In light of these findings, and emerging reports of cramming in the wireless context, the Committee subsequently began reviewing third-party billing practices on wireless phone bills. This book provides and analyses and perspectives on cramming and third party billing on mobile phones. (Imprint: Nova)

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 – Cramming on Mobile Phone Bills: A Report on Wireless Billing Practices (pp. 1-46)
Office of Oversight and Investigations

Chapter 2 – Mobile Cramming: An FTC Staff Report (pp. 47-90)
Federal Trade Commission

Chapter 3 – Statement of John R. Thune, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearing on ”Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills: A Review of Consumer Protection Practices and Gaps” (pp. 91-94)

Chapter 4 – Statement of Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission. Hearing on ”Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills: A Review of Consumer Protection Practices and Gaps” (pp. 95-108)

Chapter 5 – Testimony of William H. Sorrell, Attorney General, State of Vermont. Hearing on ”Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills: A Review of Consumer Protection Practices and Gaps” (pp. 109-118)

Chapter 6 – Testimony of Travis LeBlanc, Acting Chief, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications Commission. Hearing on ”Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills: A Review of Consumer Protection Practices and Gaps” (pp. 119-130)

Chapter 7 – Testimony of Michael F. Altschul, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, CTIA – The Wireless Association. Hearing on ”Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills: A Review of Consumer Protection Practices and Gaps” (pp. 131-136)

Chapter 8 – Cramming: Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges Placed on Your Telephone Bill (pp. 137-142)
Federal Communications Commission

Index

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