Phone ‘Bill of Rights’

The California Senate passed a “telephone consumers bill of rights” that would establish new protections for phone customers. The bill, approved on a 24-13 vote, would give phone customers a five-day grace period to cancel new services and features, and require phone companies to reimburse customers for inadvertent or unauthorized use of a service. In addition, the bill would limit service deposits to two months’ worth of bills, require state regulators to create a way for consumers to compare prices, and mandate that phone ads disclose complete pricing information. The bill (SB932), sponsored by state Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey), now moves to an Assembly committee for consideration.