NCL Statement on FCC “Bill Shock” Initiative – National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer organization, today reaffirmed its support for robust action by the Federal Communications Commission to address the problem of “bill shock.” The following statement may be attributed to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumer League:

“Wireless phone bills have become a source of confusion for consumers in recent years. Increasingly data-hungry applications, high rates for data, voice and text-messaging overages and a shift away from paper bills and towards automatic bill pay have all combined to put consumers at the mercy of wireless companies’ billing systems. While many carriers have instituted usage control technologies, they typically rely on proactive user engagement and often require a fee to take advantage of the most useful features. Action by the FCC is needed to give consumers, regardless of carrier, the necessary disclosures and warnings before they experience “bill shock.”  We applaud Chairman Genachowski for his pro-consumer position on this issue.”