Q: I discovered today a charge for $14.95 on my Qwest phone bill from a company called ESBI. Who are they and why are they charging me for something I didn’t order?Gina Barry, Denver
A: What you experienced is known as “cramming” — mystery charges to your cellphone that run the gamut of technology-based services such as Web hosting or even e-mail service.
The charges typically are small, easily overlooked — from as little as $2 to the amount you saw on your bill. Even if not, they appear legitimate because of the service provided. In your case, ESBI — Enhanced Services Billing Inc. — was charging you for e-mail service.
Third-party billing on your phone statement is allowed under FCC rules and was meant for merchants that fit into telecom-type businesses such as Internet providers, voice messaging, ISP services or Web hosting. In some cases, consumers have even reported billings for .
Qwest acts as a billing agent through contracts it has with billing aggregators — ESBI is one of them — who in turn bill on behalf of other clients. Once you pay the phone company, they pay ESBI, who keeps a fee and passes the rest on to the client.
Qwest simply relies on the veracity of the charge and bills it to the consumers.
There have been several ESBI-related complaints in Colorado lately.
The main thing is to inspect your bill carefully for those services you did not order. There have been several FCC cases against companies that crammed unauthorized charges for a variety of services onto consumers’ cellphone bills — ESBI among them.
Despite the enforcement, problems persist.
First, demand a refund or simply refuse to pay the charge. Qwest says any disputed charge is between you and the company trying to collect it. Contact the FCC toll-free at 877-382-4357 to complain.
