Telephone Service

1. My telephone utility increased its rates. Did the PUCN approve the increase?
2. May I restrict the use of my phone for long distance calls, or for 976 and 900 numbers?
3. My basic local telephone service requires repair and the telephone utility is not helping me. What should I do?
4. Who is responsible for the wiring and phone jacks inside my residence?
5. My phone does not work but the company says it is working at the NID (Network Interface Device). What should I do?
6. My telephone service was switched to another carrier without my authorization. What should I do?
7. I am trying to switch to another telephone company and one of the companies is blocking the switch, or won’t allow me to keep my phone number. What can I do?
8. How can I persuade another telephone company/provider to serve my area/residence?
9. I am a business owner who lost potential customers and/or business due to very poor telephone service or no service at all, or due to a problem with publication of my ad in a phone directory. Can I be compensated and how?
10. How may I make sure I am able to receive calls from a Nevada correctional facility?
11. Is there a way to make the calls I receive from a correctional facility less expensive?
12. How do I obtain a copy of the local telephone directory (yellow or white pages)?
13. How can I place myself on a “Do Not Call” list to stop telemarketing calls, and what if I continue to get telemarketing calls after placing myself on the list?
14. What can I do to stop harassing phone calls?
15. What can I do about a telephone company representative or an employee who was rude, abusive and/or unprofessional?

 

1. My telephone utility increased its rates. Did the PUCN approve the increase?

If your telephone utility is a competitive supplier in Nevada, that company is no longer rate-regulated by the PUCN as of 2007. In the 2007 Legislative Session, Assembly Bill 518 was passed, codified in NRS 704.68877(3). Pursuant to that legislation, a competitive supplier that is an incumbent local exchange carrier may exercise flexibility in the rates, pricing, terms and conditions of basic network service in the same manner permitted for other telecommunication service pursuant to NRS 704.68873. The PUCN no longer has the authority to regulate the rates, pricing, terms and conditions of basic network service provided by such a competitive supplier or to require such a competitive supplier to maintain any schedule or tariff for basic network service. This does not apply to small-scale providers of last resort that have not been authorized to be regulated as competitive suppliers pursuant to NRS 704.68869. 

2. May I restrict the use of my phone for long distance calls, or for 976 and 900 numbers?

A customer may request that the telephone utility restrict service so that these types of calls may not be placed from the customer’s phone. A telephone utility may charge a fee to restrict access to long distance calls.

3. My basic local telephone service requires repair and the telephone utility is not helping me. What should I do?

Contact the PUCN’s Consumer Complaint Resolution Division for assistance. 

4. Who is responsible for the wiring and phone jacks inside my residence?

The telephone customer is responsible for inside wiring and phone jacks. Anything from the NID (Network Interface Device) back to the CO (Central Office) is the responsibility of the telephone company. In rental situations, refer to your rental agreement for details concerning inside utility wiring. 

5. My phone does not work but the company says it is working at the NID (Network Interface Device). What should I do?

If there is no dial tone in your home, plug your phone into the NID (usually found on the side of your house inside a plastic housing). Are you getting dial tone now?

If yes, the problem is with defective inside wiring and/or phone jacks. This is the customer’s or landlord’s (depending on your lease agreement) responsibility to fix. If you have a maintenance plan for inside wiring and phone jacks, then the telephone company should do the repairs at no charge. Either your local telephone company or an independent contractor can make the necessary repairs.

If no, there is a problem with the telephone network. Report this outage to your local telephone company.

Once the telephone network is fixed, you should get dial tone in your home. If you still don’t have dial tone in your home, recheck for dial tone at the NID. 

6. My telephone service was switched to another carrier without my authorization. What should I do?

When a company switches your telephone service without your authorization, it is called “slamming." Slamming is a violation of state and federal law. Call your telephone utility of choice and advise them that this happened. (If your local service was switched, call your local company. If your long distance was switched, call your long distance company). Tell them that you want your service back with them and ask them the best way to do that. If you do not know who slammed your service, ask your local telephone company if they can identify the slammer.

If the local company is able to identify the slammer, call the slamming company and ask them why they switched your service. Do not cancel the unauthorized service until you are switched back to your provider of choice because you could completely lose your service if you cancel prior to being switched back. Tell the slamming company that you want all charges credited and that you want to see a copy of the documentation or listen to the tape of you authorizing the switch. If the company cannot provide proof that the switch was authorized, you may file a slamming complaint with the PUCN.

You can verify which company you have for local toll service by dialing 1-area code-700-4141, and which company you have for long distance service by dialing 1-700-555-4141 or by dialing 0.

7. I am trying to switch to another telephone company and one of the companies is blocking the switch, or won’t allow me to keep my phone number. What can I do?

Telephone utilities are not permitted to block switches from one company to another, and with a few exceptions consumers should be able to keep their phone numbers when switching from one phone utility to another. Contact the PUCN’s Consumer Division for assistance. 

8. How can I persuade another telephone company/provider to serve my area/residence?

A company cannot be forced to provide service to an area or customer. Companies have to determine themselves whether it is a business investment they want to undertake. There may be many ways to encourage companies to serve an area. One way is to demonstrate there are enough customers (local businesses, residential consumer, local governmental groups, etc.) willing to pay enough to make it a worthwhile business venture. 

9. I am a business owner who lost potential customers and/or business due to very poor telephone service or no service at all, or due to a problem with publication of my ad in a phone directory. Can I be compensated and how?

The PUCN does not have jurisdiction to award compensation to business owners for losses caused by utilities. A business owner in such a situation could file a claim with the utility, or a civil suit in the appropriate jurisdiction. Although a consumer may contact the PUCN’s Consumer Division for assistance contacting the telephone utility, the PUCN cannot take any formal action on a matter outside its jurisdiction.

10. How may I make sure I am able to receive calls from a Nevada correctional facility?

Contact the institution and ask for the telecommunications supervisor. Most inmates are permitted to place collect calls, but access to telephones is controlled by prison administration. In some cases, a family member may need to establish an account with the inmate telephone provider before calls will be put through.

11. Is there a way to make the calls I receive from a correctional facility less expensive?

The PUCN does not regulate the rates for placement of calls from inside correctional facilities. These rates are negotiated between the correctional facility and the telephone utility that provides the service. Calls placed at night may cost less.

12. How do I obtain a copy of the local telephone directory (yellow or white pages)?

Call your local phone utility provider.

13. How can I place myself on a “Do Not Call” list to stop telemarketing calls, and what if I continue to get telemarketing calls after placing myself on the list?

To register for the Federal Do Not Call List by phone, call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you want to put on the registry. When you sign up with the Federal Do Not Call List, you are automatically placed on Nevada’s Do Not Call List. You can confirm that your number is on the Federal Do Not Call List by going to donotcall.gov/confirm/conf.aspx.

When a telemarketer calls, you can also request that your name be placed on the telemarketer’s Do Not Call List and ask for a letter of verification that this has been done. If you do not have Caller ID, you can use *69 to try to get the phone number of the caller. (Note that there may be a charge to dial *69.) Sometimes *69 and caller ID will not be able to identify the telephone number and company that is calling. Your local telephone utility may be able to help in certain situations.

If you can identify the telephone number, and your name is on the Do Not Call List, you can file a complaint with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office at ag.nv.gov/Complaints/File_Complaint/ and the Federal Trade Commission at 1-888-225-5322 or donotcall.gov/Complain/ComplainCheck.aspx. 

Another option is to subscribe to a call screening service from your local telephone utility, if available. These services work with Caller ID to block unidentified calls from reaching you.

The PUCN is not authorized to enforce the Do Not Call laws.

14. What can I do to stop harassing phone calls?

The PUCN does not have jurisdiction to take action against a person or company using the telephone to place harassing phone calls. If you do not know the telephone number or identity of the person harassing you, you may contact your local telephone utility and ask if they will assist you in identifying the phone number of the caller. If you are able to verify the telephone number of the person that is harassing you, you may file a police report. Nevada law provides for law enforcement agencies to obtain information from utilities in furtherance of an investigation.

15. What can I do about a telephone company representative or an employee who was rude, abusive and/or unprofessional?

Note the time, date, employee’s name or ID number and the telephone number that you called. Write an email or letter to the telephone company with this information and, in detail, describe what happened.