DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / March 29, 2000

VACHERIE – Many people get tired of phone companies calling and asking them to switch services. If you are one of those people, one area resident said bethankful they at least called and asked.

According to St. James Parish Councilman Jimmy Brazan, who owns WesternAuto Associates in Vacherie, he had a long distance carrier take him away from AT&T and charge him double to boot.

It’s called “phone slamming,” and it is causing trouble for many people across the country, said Alice Harris of the Public Service Commission.

Sales operators get about $25 for switching a residential line and $75 for switching a business line, said Harris. Then one is still under the regularcoverage of a normal phone provider, but a secondary company handles the long distance service, usually with a jump in price.

Brazan may have been victim to an unauthorized switch. The companyhandling Brazan’s long distance service, U.S. Republic, has a formermanager’s birth date as proof they called, buy Brazan said he’s never authorized a switch.

Regardless of that he’s paying 18 cents a call, compared to the AT&T rate of nine cents he originally signed up for. Also, Brazan is being charged $5 amonth for not using AT&T’s long distance service.

So why not call AT&T and sign back up for the long distance service? “They tell me they can’t take me back from U.S. Republic,” said Brazan. Infact, they’ve been telling him that since November 1998. For well over a yearBrazan has been fighting to get away from U.S. Republic, and the extra ratecharges cost him over $1,000 last year alone. It may be far more, butBrazan is uncertain how long he’d been paying the bill without noticing it.

Tired of fighting this on his own, Brazan contacted Harris at the PSC for help. After explaining his situation, with a three-way call between Brazan,Harris and AT&T, they were able to get Brazan away from U.S. Republic.That lasted a few months.

Neither Brazan nor Harris are certain how, but U.S. Republic again hascontrol over Brazan’s long distance service, this time under the name of U.S.Republic, Bizonthe.net.After struggling to get back with AT&T, with no real help from them, Brazen said, “I don’t want to be AT&T anymore. It’s fraud; no doubt about it, andAT&T is involved with it.”AT&T has credited Brazen’s telephone bills, when requested.

“I have to sit down and go through one call after another, crediting nine cents to each one,” said Brazan. After spending 10-12 hours already on thephone with the company, that’s more of a hassle than he needs.

“It’s gotten to the point of total frustration,” he said.

Credits are applied almost randomly on the statements, “I don’t even understand what I’m charged for anymore,” added Brazan.

Harris suggested Brazan, or anyone else with this problem, call their phone company and put a “freeze” on their account. This guarantees that changesare only made by the customer and not an outside force. Also, putting ablock on your number can keep sales personnel from contacting you, said Harris.

For Brazan, after so many other attempts, it seems that discontinuing his payments are the only way out. The catch to that is “U.S. Republic threatensto cut my line if I stop paying,” said Brazan.

And with as many calls as are made and received at Western Auto, Brazan can’t afford to lose the service. “I’m kind of held hostage by U.S. Republic,”said Brazan dejectedly.

There have been a few other reports of phone slamming in St. James Parish,said Harris, but mostly the complaints come from Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“We are getting a lot of complaints against AT&T. There are more people outthere than we hear of because most people do not know who to call,” said Harris.

If you suspect that you have been slammed, contact the Public Service Commission at 1-800-256-2413.

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