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Common Frontier Billing Questions

Consumers of Frontier Communications may find themselves confused over a billing statement which fails to present clear and concise information.  Included in this article I'm going to present an explanation of important facts concerning the billing statement.


How much am I paying for Phone, Internet and Video Services

Product Descriptions are found on page three.  Beside the product description you may see an indication of a contract shown as "term xx/xx/xxxx - yy/yy/yyyy"
Further to the right you will see the cost associated with the billing description.  Long distance plans may be printed
Older internet  separate from the necessary basic line. 
plans that were offered by Verizon may still bear a router fee called "Frontier hot spot" at $6.99.  The nature of this fee is strange, it is considered an "inseparable fee" from the internet service and yet the company itemized it as a separate item. 




This is what the company offer for solutions to your billing questions:


GENERAL QUESTIONS

When is my bill due?
The Date Due is listed in the Account Summary on the top page of your invoice, in the upper right section. If you find that you are unable to pay by the due date it is very important that you contact customer service to make arrangements to avoid any interruption of your service.

What is my Billing Date?
Your Billing Date is the last day of your billing cycle. A billing cycle is the time period between your current Billing Date and the day before you next Billing Date, usually 30 days. (It is the time period between "Billing Dates" and NOT the time period between "Dates Due.") Your Billing Date is listed on page one of your bill in the upper right section. Billing Dates and cycles are especially important when you begin service. When you begin new service, you will be charged for partial month service until your predetermined Billing Cycle begins. (See the NEW CUSTOMER SECTION below). Your Billing Cycle and Billing Date are not flexible and are determined by factors such as geographic location.

Where can I find my Account Number?
Your Account Number is located in the Account Summary on the top page of your invoice, in the upper right section.

Where is my Personal Identification Number (PIN) and what do I use it for?
Your PIN is located in the "Account Summary" on Page One of your invoice, in the upper right section.

Your PIN is used for certain online functions such as registering for Online Bill Pay. Where do I mail my payment?The payment address is listed on the remit slip on the bottom of Page One of your bill. If you do not have a copy of your bill, you can call Customer Service.

Can I pay by phone?
Yes. Call the customer service number listed in the "Contacting Us" section on Page One of your bill. Follow the prompts and you will be directed to our automated payment system.

Can I pay online?
Yes, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS CAN PAY ONLINE, but first you must register for Online Bill Pay. See the Online Bill Pay below.


MY TOTAL AMOUNT DUE SEEMS HIGH

My amount due seems high. What may be the reasons for this?
If your bill seems higher than you expected, it may be helpful to check a few things before you call in. Frequently, there is a simple answer:

1. You have an unpaid balance. Look in the "Account Summary" section on the top page of your bill. Your Total Amount Due will include any past due amounts. If you have an unpaid balance, this amount is listed under "Balance Before Current Charges." It is helpful to pay your bill promptly to avoid higher than expected total charges and any late fees associated with paying past the due date.

2. You recently made a payment but it hasn't yet been noted on your bill. Your current invoice may have been mailed before your payment could be noted.

3. You recently signed up for new service(s). There may be some initial charges that will be reflected in your first one or few bills such as:
  • Charges for your local and optional services are billed one month in advance, so your first month of billing includes charges for your first month and for your second month of service.
  • Installation or set-up charges.
  • Partial Month charges are noted under the "One Time Charges and Credits" section of your bill. These are charges usually associated with new services and reflect a number of initial days of service that will bring you to your normal billing cycle. Your household made more long distance calls than expected. Look at the long distance charges noted on your bill.
4. You had a price protection plan, but it has expired. Frontier Price Protection Plans ensure that certain costs for services remain unchanged for a specified period of time. If you would like information about securing new price protection, call customer service.

5. You have been charged a termination fee. Customers are charged a termination fee when a service is cancelled prior to the end date of a Price Protection/Term Agreement, agreed to usually as part of a special promotion or offer.

6. You had late charges applied to your invoice. Late charges may apply if payments are not received and posted to your account by the Date Due as shown on Page One of your bill. Please allow ample time for mailing of your payment or for paying by any other method. If late charges were applied to your invoice, you will find them listed under the section called "One Time Charges and Credits."


NEW CUSTOMER

I just signed up for new services from Frontier and I received some discounts. Where are my discounts listed on my bill?
On page one of your bill you will find a section called "Frontier Benefits." In this section we note whatever discounts or other savings you are currently receiving as a Frontier customer. The charges noted on subsequent pages are "net charges" meaning that the discount have already been deducted from the charges that you see.

What are partial month charges?
See the next section, "One time Charges and Credits."

What is proration?See the next section, "One time Charges and Credits."


ONE TIME CHARGES AND CREDITS

What are one-time charges and credits?
Usually, one-time charges relate to new services for such things as installation charges. One time charges may also refer to your long distance charges for that month or to certain adjustments. Credits may refer to services that are discounted.

What are partial month charges?
Partial month charges usually relate to new services. Your billing works in "cycles." Your own cycle begins on a certain day of one month and continues for usually 30 days. If your billing cycle begins on the 15th of a month, but you signed up for service to begin on the 5th of the month you will pay for 10 days of "partial month service." Then, your charges for those ten days are "prorated."

How are charges prorated? What are prorated charges?
Prorated charges are figured by taking the total monthly charge and dividing it by 30 days. This is the cost per day of service. This figure is then multiplied by the number of days in the partial month.

If the monthly charge is $30, the per day charge is about $1 per day. If you had ten days of partial month service, that would by 10 days, multiplied by $1 (per day) or about $10.

How are my long distance charges calculated?
That depends on the long distance plan you have signed up for through Frontier or another long distance carrier. If you have a Frontier "unlimited" plan, that means that nearly all long distance calls fall under one price, either statewide or across the nation. If you have a Frontier "Block of Time" plan, with, for instance, 300 or 600 minutes monthly, you receive that total of minutes for one charge and any minutes that go over that amount are charged as extra minutes.

Why do I get charged for long distance calls when you are my long distance provider?
These charges appear when you make calls over another company's network and usually apply to Collect, Credit Card or third party bills calls. If you feel another long distance carrier is billing you in error, contact Customer Service.

What does FCA mean?
FCA is an acronym for Frontier Communications of America—the business unit that provides long distance services.

Why are collect calls so high?
Collect calls are not billed by your long distance company. They are billed by other carriers, and most often from a pay telephone. Carriers can determine their own rates, and Frontier has no control over this.


MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGES

How much do I pay each month for my services?
In the section on your invoice called "Monthly Service" you will find the ongoing full monthly charges for all your frontier services, not including such things as taxes, surcharges, or long distance charges. This amount will stay about the same each month, unless you change your services in some way or your term-based price protection ends.

Common charges you may find under monthly service:

Phone ServiceFrontier has a multitude of plans that provide local telephone access. If you have local access from Frontier, it is usually the first item listed under "Monthly Service" on your invoice.

A package plan or bundle such as Frontier Choices: Frontier has numerous package or bundle plans that may include local phone services, long distance service, phone features like Voice Mail, Internet Service, Dish satellite television services, and other auxiliary services. Due to regulatory requirements or other billing needs, these charges may or may not be listed together.

Internet AccessThese services range from dial-up services to High-Speed or Maximum Speed service.

6520 High-Speed Gateway or other modem charge.This is the monthly equipment fee.

Dish Satellite Television ServicesThese charges are supplied to Frontier by Echostar.

FeaturesYour phone features such as Call Forwarding or Call Waiting may be listed as separate charges, or they may be listed as part of a bundled service.

Non-published numberThis is the monthly maintainenance of your unlisted telephone number.

Inside Wire maintenanceThe charge associated with maintaining the wiring within your home that you use for accessing your telecommunications services.


TAXES AND OTHER CHARGES

What charges are listed under taxes and surcharges?
Because taxes and surcharges differ by state and services provided, you might find some variation of these charges on your bill.

Some Taxes and Surcharges are mandated by state, local and/or federal requirements. Other surcharges may be imposed by Frontier. Certain other miscellaneous expenses that are authorized by local, state or federal agencies are also listed here.

Please note that taxes may be charged based on the full price of a given service, not a discounted, promotional rate.

City Tax
A tax collected for City Governments from purchasers of products and users of telecommunication services, which may include equipment, installation, maintenance as well as local and long distance service.

Federal Excise Tax
The Federal excise tax is a tax on local telephone service that includes services and facilities sold in connection with local service. This tax is a percentage of the cost of your services and appears on the local phone portion of your bill. The percentage used to calculate the amount of the tax appears with the charge. For example, "Federal excise tax at 3%." Frontier acts as a billing agent and collects these fees on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All monies collected for the Federal Excise Tax are paid directly to the IRS.

Additional State Taxes
Each state has the power to levy Additional State Taxes. In many cases, these charges are similar to those levied at the interstate level.

Federal Subscriber Line ChargeThe Federal Subscriber Line Charge is a nationwide charge that is designed to recover a portion of local telephone companies' costs associated with providing long distance carriers with access to the local phone network. Long distance carriers pay the remainder of the cost. This charge is regulated by the FCC.

Federal Universal Service Fund (USF) ChargeThe Federal Universal Service Fund supports telecommunications services in schools, public libraries, and rural health-care facilities. The fund also subsidizes local service to high-cost areas and low-income customers. The FCC regulates this charge. Customers pay a monthly, per-line surcharge to recover local companies' contributions to the Fund. This fee helps to keep local telephone rates affordable for all customers.

Gross Revenue Surcharge
Telephone companies must pay tax on total revenue. This funds the Public Utility Commissions and other state services. This charge represents each consumer's portion of that tax on revenue.

Federal Carrier Cost Recovery Charge
The Federal Carrier Cost Recovery Charge recovers national costs associated with various federal regulatory fees and programs. Rates vary from company to company, as do the names given for this charge.

Emergency Service Fee for 911
The 911 Emergency Service Fee is a fee to cover the costs of local jurisdictions providing 911 emergency response services to its citizens. The fee is generally either an amount per telephone access line or a percentage of revenue. State law mandates the fee. Frontier collects this fee on behalf of the appropriate 911 jurisdictions within the state.

Telecommunication Relay Service/Hearing Impaired/Telecommunications Device for the DeafThe Telecommunications Relay Service/Hearing impaired/Telecommunications devices for the Deaf surcharge is a fee for providing special needs equipment, facilities and services for people who are deaf to use the telecommunications network. This includes special phones, hearing devices, Braille pads, necessary network switching equipment and operation of a service center that the customer uses for specialized services. The requirements for collecting and remittance of the fees are state specific and established by state law, public utility commission rule or tariff filings.

Intrastate Access ChargeThis is a state assessed charge. It partially reimburses telephone service providers for costs associated with routing long distance calls made by local customers. It is applied to all residential and business customers who have telephone lines, whether they make long distance calls or not.

Sales taxA local, state or other sales tax may be applied to your telecommunications charges, just as it is for many other types of purchases.

Service Provider Number PortabilityFederal law requires all local phone companies to provide "service provider number portability," which allows customers to retain their phone number when switching companies to provide their local phone service. Federal law allows for the recovery of costs associated with the development, implementation, and operability of service provider number portability.

Why do state and local taxes fluctuate?State and local taxes vary based on the amount you are currently being billed.


ONLINE BILL PAY (RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS ONLY)

I have Frontier Secure Connections installed and I'm trying to enroll for Frontier Online Bill Payment, but I'm told to complete the enrollment process. Is there a way to correct this problem?
If you're using Frontier Secure Connections software and you're finding that you're having difficulty logging into Frontier Online Bill Payment, there is an easy solution to the problem.

By turning off Cookie Control in the EZ Firewall, the Frontier Online Bill Payment login process can be completed successfully.
  1. To turn off Cookie Control in the EZ Firewall, first, open the EZ Firewall icon that is located in the PC's system tray
  2. Select the "Privacy" link from the left-hand column. On the "Main" Tab, move the "Cookie Control" slider bar to the "Off" position.
After "Cookie Control" has been moved to the "Off" position, you should be able to complete the Frontier Online Bill Payment login process successfully.

Does Tech Support have access to my billing records?Tech Support does not have access to your billing records. We will refer you to Customer Service for all billing issues.

I have questions about Online Bill Payment. Where can I find answers?Click here for Online Bill Payment FAQs or contact Customer Service at 800-921-8101.

I'm having a problem with Online Bill Payment. Who should I contact for assistance?
For assistance with Online Bill Payment, contact Customer Service at 800-921-8101.

Can I use an AOL browser to access Frontier Online Bill Payment?
Unfortunately, no. AOL browsers are not compatible with Frontier Online Bill Payment. For a full list of minimum system requirements, see the next question.

What are the minimum system requirements for using Frontier Online Bill Payment?
To utilize the Frontier Online Bill Payment feature, your computer must have:
  1. A supported browser - Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or higher, or, Safari 1.0 or higher
  2. A supported operating system - Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista, 7 or Mac 10.2 or higher
  3. 64MB of RAM or greater
  4. JavaScript and cookies must be enabled in the browser to log in to the Frontier Online Bill Payment site
Note: AOL Browsers are not compatible with the Frontier Online Bill Payment system.

Can I pay online for my Internet service?Yes! Online billing arrangements are now available. To begin using our Online Bill Payment system, click here.


OTHER QUESTIONS

Why am I being charged 3-way calling charges when I do not use that feature?
If you are using a cordless phone and immediately dial another number after hanging up, the switch may not have had time to register that you ended your first call and therefore interpreted your action as 3-way calling. Be sure to wait a few moments after hanging up before making another immediate call to avoid this situation.

www.frontier.com


3 comments:

  1. Frontier sucks, they sent me to collector when I cancelled cause I won't pay for a month I had cancelled previously because they charge a month in advance. I DID NOT use their services except for 1 day and had cancelled and disconnected their box but they are still trying to charge me. I don't believe I should have to pay for service I don't use. I'm thinking of calling a lawyer to discuss what can be done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What did you find out? I am in the same situation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Frontier has more charges and less service than using a string and 2 cans. A fax phone error rolled 396 minutes on my bill for one faxing. On a fax only line. Now we battle.

    ReplyDelete