Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Important Notice Concerning Purchase of Goods And Services By Telephone In Idaho
You have important rights under the Idaho Telephone Solicitation Act. Under this Act it is illegal for persons attempting to sell you goods or services by telephone (telephone solicitors):
- To intimidate or harass you in connection with the attempted sale.
- To refuse to hang up and free your telephone line immediately once you request them to do so.
- To misstate the price, quality, or availability of goods or services or to fail to reveal all material terms relating to the sale of goods or services.
- To advertise, represent or imply that they have the endorsement of any government office or agency when they do not.
- To advertise, represent or imply that they have a valid registration number with the Attorney General when they do not.
- To use any unfair method of competition or unfair or deceptive practice.
Any person not yet eighteen (18) years old who purchases goods or services pursuant to a telephone solicitation may cancel the purchase within a reasonable time after the purchase is made. No parent or legal guardian having custody of a person not yet eighteen (18) years old is liable for the purchase of goods or services by a person not yet eighteen (18) years old pursuant to telephone solicitation.
When you agree to purchase goods or services over the telephone, you may have a right to reconsider and cancel your agreement for three (3) business day after receiving a written confirmation of the sale.
A person whose rights are violated by telephone solicitors may have the right to declare a contract of purchase null and void or invoke other remedies under the Idaho Consumer Protection Act.
If you believe that a telephone solicitor has done any unlawful acts, you may contact the Attorney General’s Office for assistance and information at:
- 1 (800) 432-3545 (toll-free) or 334-2424 (Boise area).
For Oregon Customers Only
In the state of Oregon soliciting by telephone is forbidden as a deceptive trade practice if the seller, within 30 seconds after beginning the conversation, does not identify himself, whom he represents, and the purpose of the call.
Customer Complaints and Disputes
If you have a problem with your telephone service or billing, contact our business office. Our customer service representatives are specially trained to solve your telephone problems. Ask to speak with a manager or supervisor if you are not satisfied with the explanation provided. If you are not able to resolve the problem by discussion with us, you may make a formal or informal complaint to the Regulatory Commission or the state of your service location by contacting:
Oregon:
Oregon Public Utility Commission Consumer Services Division Toll Free 800-522-2404
Idaho
Idaho Public Utilities Commission Toll Free 800-432-0369
Nevada
Nevada Public Utilities Commission Main # 775-684-6100 Toll Free 800-992-0900, Ext. 87-6000
National Do Not Call List Registry
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are now sharing responsibility for enforcing the National Do-Not-Call list. The FCC now requires all telecommunication carriers that provide Local Exchange Service to notify their subscribers of their rights as they relate to the Do-Not-Call rules. You have the right to give or revoke an objection to receiving telephone solicitations. To either register or revoke your registration, please call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) or via the Internet at www.donotcall.gov
The national registry prevents telephone solicitations made for commercial purposes only, and will not prevent telephone solicitations made by a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, for example, for charitable or political purposes. Also, the registry will not prevent calls from companies with whom you may have an established business relationship.
The FCC has defined an established business relationship as one in which the consumer has “a prior or existing relationship” with a company that is formed voluntarily through communications between the company and the consumer on the basis of a purchase or transaction regarding products or services within eighteen (18) months immediately preceding a telephone solicitation, and which has not been previously terminated by either the consumer or the company. Such an established business relationship also exists on the basis of a consumer inquiry regarding a company’s products or services within three (3) months immediately preceding the date of a telephone solicitation, and which has not been previously terminated by either the consumer or the company.
Liability for Directory Advertising
For errors or omissions in listings or advertisements in telephone directories, allowances are provided as follows:
- For listings in telephone directories furnished without additional charge, an amount not in excess of the minimum monthly charge to the customer for exchange service during the effective life of the directory in which the error or omission occurred.
- For listings in telephone directories furnished at additional charge, an amount not in excess of the charge for that listing during the effective life of the directory in which the error or omission occurred.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Oregon-Idaho Utilities is an equal opportunity provider, and employer.
Statements of Rights for 900 Service Billing Errors
This statement describes your rights under the Federal Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act as well as other policies of Oregon-Idaho Utilities, Inc. and Humboldt Telephone Company relating to billing for 900 pay-per-call services.
If your telephone bill includes charges for any 900 pay-per-call services that you dispute, you may notify our customer service office by telephone or in writing of your disagreement with the charges. This notification must be made within 60 days of your receipt of the bill with the disputed charges. Upon notification of a dispute, we will review your bill and the facts you present to determine if you are entitled to a billing adjustment. We are required to complete our review within two months of receiving notice of the dispute and to report the results of our investigation to you.
While a billing review is in progress, you do not have to pay the disputed amounts, and any collection efforts will be suspended until after the investigation is completed. If our investigation determines that all or a portion of the charges are correct, you will have 10 days to make payment from the time that we notify you of the amount due. If you continue to dispute the charges after our investigation and do not make payment, the 900 service provider may take steps to collect the amount claimed from you. Your telephone service cannot be disconnected for failure to pay for 900 service calls, although we do have the right to block your access to 900 numbers if you do not pay legitimate 900 service charges.
If the billing review procedures required by the Federal Trade Commission rules are not followed by our company or the provider of the 900 service, we are obligated to remove any disputed amount from your bill, up to an amount of $50 per transaction. You also have the right not to be billed for 900 pay-per-call services not offered in compliance with federal laws and regulations.
If you wish to have your line blocked so that 900 calls cannot be made, you may request blocking by calling our business office. We do not charge for blocking 900 service.