While the change offers benefits of greater competition and choice, no one likes to find that someone else has made the choice for them. To date, the problem has centered on long distance service. And through consumer education efforts and CPUC enforcement actions against offenders, long distance slamming has decreased in recent years. Other states that have already implemented competition for local toll calls have reported immediate spikes in slamming as high as 42 percent among those customers whose local toll service was changed. In response to this concern, the California Public Utilities Commission, Consumer Action and Pacific Bell today issued this joint announcement alerting consumers to the possibility of local toll slamming.
Competition can benefit customers.
So if someone makes an offer to be your service provider, ask questions so that you can be sure you understand what is being offered. Be sure to ask questions about prices. Compare them to what you are currently paying. Some customers are on a local toll calling plan that allows a certain amount of calls for a flat monthly rate. If you are, compare that rate with what you would be charged in total in per-minute charges for the calls you make in a typical month.