There are now lots of operators competing to offer telephony services to consumers. Competition they say has many benefits, including choice and ultimately lower prices but the negative side of it is that operators become aggressive in the quest to maintain its market share and profits. The operators use variety of sales and marketing strategies to gain customers and profits and while the majority of these are carried out responsibly, some operators may attempt to gain customers through dishonest activities such as mis-selling, mis-informing and mis-charging.There are various forms of mis-selling, such as slamming and cramming.
WHAT IS SLAMMING? Slamming is switching from one network to another without the consumer’s knowledge. In some cases, consumers only become aware of this when they attempt to recharge.
WHAT IS CRAMMING? Cramming is the illegal practice where operators place unauthorized or deceptive charges on consumers bills. Consumers are being tricked to pay for services that you did not order.
WHAT TYPES OF CHARGES CAN BE CRAMMED ONTO MY TELEPHONE BILL? Cramming may include regulated local telephone service features such as call waiting or caller I.D., caller tones which are offered by operators, that one did not consent to or were misled about their actual cost.
WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID BEING SLAMMED OR CRAMMED? Here are some tips to help you avoid being slammed or crammed: Become a careful consumer. Carefully review your monthly bill, and make sure you understand every charge. Keep a note pad by the telephone and write down each phone service that you consent to, as well as any long distance calls and calls to informational services.Carefully read all promotional items and printed literature-including the fine print-before signing up for telephone or any other services that will be billed to your phone.Be careful of "activation codes" or answering "yes" to questions that may be intended to get you to authorize a service that you do not intend to authorize.Be sure you know who has been using your telephone.Ask telemarketers for written information about any service they offer you over the phone.Make sure you know what service was provided, even for small charges. Crammers often try to go undetected by submitting small charges to thousands of consumers.Ask to see identification from doorstep or roadside sellers to check that they are representing the operator they say they are.Don’t sign anything unless you have read it and are sure of what you’re signing up for.
WHAT CAN I DO IF I DISCOVER THAT I HAVE BEEN SLAMMED OR CRAMMED? You should call your service provider and file a complaint. You can also file a complaint to your service provider if you have been slammed.
CAN NCA HELP ME RESOLVE A SLAMMING OR CRAMMING COMPLAINT? If you were unable to resolve your complaint with your service provider, the NCA Consumer and Corporate Affairs Division can assist you in resolving your complaints. You may call the numbers below or go to the Consumer Complaint (http://www.nca.org.gh/40/125/Make-a-Complaint.html) page on NCA website and follow the procedure for filing a complaint. Please call us at the numbers below.
Be aware that the cost of small, incorrect or unauthorized charges for telephone related services adds up over time. Make sure you know what service was provided for each charge on your bill.
