56-479.3 - Authorization and verification for products, goods, and services to be billed on a telephone bill.
§ 56-479.3. Authorization and verification for products, goods, and servicesto be billed on a telephone bill.
A. As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise:
"Billing agent" means any entity that submits charges for products, goods,or services to the billing carrier on behalf of itself or any serviceprovider.
"Billing carrier" means any telephone company that issues a telephone billdirectly to customers.
"Service provider" means any entity that offers products, goods, andservices to a customer and that directly or indirectly charges to or collectsfrom a customer's bill received from a billing carrier an amount for suchproducts, goods, or services.
B. This section does not apply to (i) products, goods, or services offered byor bundled with the services of a telephone company or its affiliates; (ii)telephone calls that are customer initiated by dialing 1+, 0+, 0-, or 1010XXXor that a customer accepts as collect; or (iii) commercial mobile radioservices.
C. No service provider or billing agent shall willfully (i) add products,goods, or services not authorized by any customer or (ii) charge or attemptto collect charges from any customer for any such products, goods, orservices without the customer's authorization. A customer is not liable foran amount charged through a billing carrier by a service provider or abilling agent without the authorization of the customer.
D. A service provider or billing agent shall obtain verification of acustomer's authorization before submitting charges for products, goods, orservices directly or indirectly to the billing carrier. The verification maybe in written, oral, or electronic form and shall be verified by anindependent third party. The service provider shall retain the verificationfor a minimum of two years.
E. A billing carrier shall not enter into an agreement to bill for anycharges for products, goods, or services for a service provider or billingagent unless that agreement requires the service provider or billing agent tocomply with subsection D.
(2010, c. 322.)