§ 741 Public Phone Service Disclosure

Key Takeaways

•If you own a public phone (like in a store or hotel) that takes money and offers operator help, you must put up a sign near the phone with clear info about who runs the service, how much calls cost, and that extra fees might apply.
•Before any call starts, the service must tell the caller who they are and how much the call will cost. The caller can hang up before the call connects if they don’t want to pay.
•The phone service must let the caller know the full price of the call right after they dial the number or tell the operator where they’re calling.

Example

You walk into a hotel lobby and see a payphone. You want to make a call but aren’t sure how much it will cost.

The hotel must have a sign near the payphone showing the name of the phone service, their toll-free number, and all the prices for different types of calls. When you pick up the phone, the service must tell you who they are and how much your call will cost before you’re charged. If you don’t like the price, you can hang up without paying.

(a) Every owner or operator of telephones available for public use, other than a telephone corporation, that accept any form of payment which, as part of the service furnished, provides operator-assisted services by other than a telephone corporation having tariff schedules on file with the commission providing for the furnishing of operator-assisted services, shall cause to be posted on or near the telephone equipment so as to be easily seen by telephone customers all of the following information: (1) The name of the provider of operator-assisted services and a toll-free telephone number for contacting that provider. (2) The applicable charges for each available operator-assisted service. (3) That the provider of operator-assisted services will respond to inquiries concerning the terms and conditions of any available service. (4) That surcharges may apply to operator-assisted and calling card calls. (5) That card-activated calls, calls activated by any other payment device, or calls that may be charged to a card by giving a card number to an operator may cost more than coin-activated calls. (6) The local rates for nonoperator-assisted calls. (b) Every owner or operator of telephones available for public use, other than a telephone corporation, that accept any form of payment which, as part of the service furnished, provides operator-assisted services by other than a telephone corporation having tariff schedules on file with the commission providing for the furnishing of operator-assisted services, shall: (1) Identify itself, audibly and distinctly, to the consumer at the beginning of each telephone call and before the consumer incurs any charge for the call. (2) Permit the consumer to terminate the telephone call before the call is connected. (3) At no charge, disclose to the consumer, immediately after the number to be called is entered or given to an operator, a quotation of its complete rates and charges for the call. (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2015. (Amended (as added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 140, Sec. 2) by Stats. 2014, Ch. 71, Sec. 149. (SB 1304) Effective January 1, 2015.)

Key Takeaways

•If you own a public phone (like in a store or hotel) that takes money and offers operator help, you must put up a sign near the phone with clear info about who runs the service, how much calls cost, and that extra fees might apply.
•Before any call starts, the service must tell the caller who they are and how much the call will cost. The caller can hang up before the call connects if they don’t want to pay.
•The phone service must let the caller know the full price of the call right after they dial the number or tell the operator where they’re calling.

Example

You walk into a hotel lobby and see a payphone. You want to make a call but aren’t sure how much it will cost.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

References

§ 741 Public Phone Service Disclosure

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References