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Legal NoticesRegulatory InformationTariff InformationNote: To read the tariff documents you need Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or greater.
Rate PlansRegulatory InformationTax Information
General Tax InformationAll federal excise taxes, and state and local sales, use and similar taxes are included in the quoted rates for debit card calls. For all other calls, all state and local taxes (i.e., gross receipts tax, sales tax, municipal utilities tax) are listed as separate line items on the Customer's bill and are not included in the quoted rates and charges set forth in this tariff. To the extent that a municipality, other political subdivision or local agency of government, or Commission imposes upon and collects from the Company a gross receipts tax, occupation tax, license tax, permit fee, franchise fee, or regulatory fee, such taxes and fees shall, insofar as practicable and allowed by law, be billed pro rata to Customers receiving service from the Company within the territorial limits of such municipality, other political subdivision or local agency of government. The Company may adjust its rates and charges or impose additional rates and charges on its Customers in order to recover amounts it is required by governmental or quasi-governmental authorities to collect from or pay to others in support of statutory or regulatory programs. Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to, the Universal Service Fund (USF), the Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge (PICC), and compensation to pay telephone service providers for the use of their pay telephones to access the Company's service. Public Pay Telephone Surcharge General Tax is charged in order to recover the Company's expenses to comply with the FCC's pay telephone compensation plan effective on October 7, 1997 (FCC 97-371), an undiscountable per call charge is applicable to all interstate, intrastate and international calls that originate from any domestic pay telephone used to access the Company's services. Public Pay TelephoneSurcharge, which is in addition to standard tariffed usage charges and any other applicable service charges associated with the Company's service. Pay telephones include coin-operated and coinless phones owned by local telephone companies, independent companies and other interexchange carriers. The Public Pay Telephone Surcharge applies to the initial completed call and any reoriginated call (i.e., using the "#" symbol). Whenever possible, the Public Pay Telephone Surcharge will appear on the same invoice containing the usage charges for the surcharged call. In cases where proper pay telephone coding digits are not transmitted to the Company prior to completion of a call, the Public Pay Telephone Surcharge may be billed on a subsequent invoice after the Company has obtained information from a carrier that the originating station is an eligible pay telephone. The Public Pay Telephone Surcharge does not apply to calls placed from pay telephones at which the Customer pays for service by inserting coins during the progress of the call. Universal Service Fund Fee (USF) Maximum Rate per Call: Up to $0.72 (varies by state) Universal Service Fund Fee (USF)Telecommunications services provided by the Company are subject to an undiscountable monthly Universal Service Fund Fee that is set quarterly by the FCC for both Business and Residential customers. The USF Fee will not be applied to services sold by the Company to a Customer for resale for which the Customer has filed a Universal Service Worksheet, unless the Customer has a de minimis exemption which exempts the Customer from paying directly into the fund. These percentages will be subject to periodic adjustment. Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge (PICC)For any telephone line, automatic number identification (ANI), terminal, extension, or equivalent for which the Company is designated by the Local Exchange Carrier, cellular service provider, personal communications service provider, or other similar entity to be a Customer's Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC), the Company will assess the Customer a monthly recurring charge, called a Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge (PICC), for each line or equivalent, that the Company is so designated. The aggregate of these PICCs will not be prorated for a partial month of service, are not subject to any discounting and do not contribute to any monthly minimums. The PICCs charged by the Company are as follows:
Line Type - Monthly Recurring Charge
These charges apply in addition to the usage and other charges that apply to any service included in this tariff. LEC Billing Fee$3.99 monthly fee to recover administrative costs associated with LEC invoicing of Interstate and International long distance. Fed USF Compliance FeeCustomers will be assessed a 4.5% fee on Interstate and International charges. Carrier Cost Recovery FeeAffinity4 will assess a monthly fee of $0.99 or $1.99 depending on billing method to help defray the overall cost of providing long distance service to consumers. (Effective October 1, 2008, for a promotional period of 90 days, the monthly fee will be waived for new customers who sign up for service under the 9.9 cent Savings Plan). Cost Recovery Fee
Effective October 1, 2008, new direct billed customers who sign up for the 9.9¢ Savings Plan, Affinity4 will assess a cost recovery fee of $.99 when a bill is generated. This fee may be waived if a customer signs up for online bill delivery and payment. Billing and Payment for Service Info
BillingAll Affinity4 Business Service and Global Response calls are subject to a 30 second minimum and
are billed in 6 second increments thereafter. All Affinity4 Residential Plans, Prepaid Calling
Card, and Calling Card calls, unless otherwise noted in this tariff, are subject to a one-minute
minimum and are billed in one minute increments thereafter.
All calls are rounded up to the nearest cent. The switch is capable of detecting hardware and software answer supervision. Short duration calls, including, but not limited to, calls to a business telephone number, beeper, fax, modem or terminations to an answering device, are deemed to be completed calls and therefore billable. Payment for ServicePayment is due on the due date indicated on the invoice. Such payment shall be deemed delinquent after 30-days or the due date on the invoice, whichever is sooner. The Customer is responsible for payment of all charges for services and equipment furnished to the Customer or to an Authorized User of the Customer by the Company. All charges due by the Customer are payable to the Company or to the Company's authorized billing agent (such as a local exchange telephone company). Bills are due and payable on the due date indicated on the invoice. Any objections to billed charges must be reported to the Company or its billing agent within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of bill. Adjustments to Customer's bills shall be made to the extent that circumstances exist which reasonably indicate that such changes are appropriate. No charges may be contested after expiration of the 30 day period. Disputed charges must be in writing and supported by detailed documentation showing the difference between the billed charges and the amount the Customer purports the charges to be. Short duration calls are deemed to be completed calls and are not subject to dispute. All applicable taxes will be billed to the Customer unless the Customer can demonstrate to the Company's satisfaction that the Customer is collecting the applicable taxes from its customers. In the event that the Company incurs fees or expenses, including attorney's and/or paralegal's fees, for collecting, or attempting to collect, any charges owed to the Company, the Company may charge the Customer all such fees and expenses reasonably incurred, including a late fee on the unpaid charges. Interest at the lesser of (1) the rate of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month, or (2) the highest rate allowed by law per month shall accrue upon any unpaid amount commencing thirty (30) days after the date of the bill for the amount first sent. Such interest is separate and distinct from attorney and/or paralegal fees and other costs incurred in collecting charges owed to the Company. The Company reserves the right to assess a charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) whenever a check or draft presented for payment of service is not accepted by the institution on which it is written. The Company reserves the right to back-bill Customers for any undercharge for a period of up to one year. If a Customer accumulates undisputed delinquent charges, the Company reserves the right not to honor that Customer's request for a change in service or billing name or address until such undisputed charges are paid in full. Where a Customer has multiple accounts under the same name and is delinquent on one or more of those accounts, the balance due on the delinquent accounts may be added to the Customer's non-delinquent accounts. DepositsEach applicant for service will be required to establish credit. Any applicant whose credit has not been established to the sole and exclusive satisfaction of the Company may be required to make a deposit to be held as a guarantee of payment of charges. An existing Customer may be required to make a deposit or increase a deposit presently held. The deposit may be held for as long as the financial condition or creditworthiness of the Customer is considered to be unsatisfactory to the Company. The fact that a deposit has been made in no way relieves the Customer from the prompt payment of bills upon presentation. Interest on a cash deposit will be paid to a Customer for the period that the cash deposit is held by the Company. The interest rate used will be simple interest at the rate of six percent (6%) annually, unless a different rate has been established by the appropriate legal authority in the state where the Customer is billed. Advance PaymentsThe Company reserves the right to require an advance payment from a Customer instead of, or in addition to, a deposit. The advance payment shall be in amount equal to or less than two months estimated billing. Interconnection with Other CarriersService furnished by the Company may be connected with the services or facilities of other carriers. Such service or facilities, if used, are provided under the terms, rates and conditions of the other carrier. The Customer is responsible for all charges billed by other carriers for use in connection with the Company's service. Any special interface equipment or facilities necessary to achieve compatibility between carriers is the responsibility of the Customer. Refusal or Discontinuance by Company
Whenever service is discontinued for fraudulent use of service, the Company may, before restoring service, require the Customer to make, at his or her own expense, all changes in facilities or equipment necessary to eliminate illegal use and to pay an amount reasonably estimated as the loss in revenues resulting from such fraudulent use. When necessary the Company will comply with any order or request of any governmental authority having jurisdiction. Calling Card numbers and Authorization Codes are issued only by the Company to its Customers and may not be sold or otherwise distributed without the written consent of the Company. Any unauthorized or unlawful use of such numbers or Authorization Codes will result in the immediate termination of the service without notice. The Company may block access to any points when fraudulent or unlawful use is substantial. Discontinued Plans
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