© 2002-2008 GBS

Cramming and Slamming

We cannot find much more physically violent verbs than cramming and slamming to describe extremely offensive telephone company practices that charge or add costs to our telephone bills without our permission.

• Cramming is adding unauthorized , misleading, or deceptive charges to your telephone bill.
• Slamming is changing your long distance or local telephone company without your permission.

You can act to correct these actions against you by following procedures, such as contacting your existing telephone service companies, Public Utility Commission or similar Commissions and other governmental agencies.

One option available is to change your long distance carrier back to what it used to be, and then perform a "PIC freeze". This effectively stops anyone from changing your long distance carrier--including you!--until you personally lift the freeze.

Another option you can take to prevent these actions against you by purchasing prepaid phone cards, which often have better rates than in-home, long term telephone company rates. By using phone cards from Gardner Business Solutions exclusively for long distance calling, no one can change your long distance telephone company, because you won't have one to change, and no one can add charges to your long distance bill because you will not have a long distance telephone bill. You will have a single, simple, short local telephone bill on which you will instantly recognize any unwarranted charges.

However, if you choose to not purchase prepaid phone cards from Gardner Business Solutions for your long distance telephone service, you can still find help in your fight against cramming and slamming by consulting the following Internet publications:

• Anti-Cramming Best Practices Guidelines is a nine-page report available for you to follow to keep from having unwarranted charges from being added to you local telephone bill.
• National Consumers League's Slamming Tip Sheet for avoiding having your local and long distance telephone service companies changed.