911 Service Fee

[mikislate]

So I figured I'd try the ATT gophone and everything was going great until I get hit with this surprise "911 Service Fee" and then find out it is going to be monthly. That too bad because I thought I had a keeper here. AT&T says "AT&T is required to impose these fees on its customers". What's the deal, AT&T has to charge its customers and Net10 doesn't? Back to Net10 for me, their phones may not be as nice and service not as good but at least they don't blindside me and/or fill me with a line of crap.

[coolstorybro]

I've got verizon and they charge a 911 service fee. im pretty sure Net10 is charging them too. It's like a $1.

[drumn_bass]

Are you sure about that? In fact your state is charging this fee, all carriers have it, some hide it, or as you call it "they don't blindside me and/or fill me with a line of crap", some don't. AT&T has huge advantages over Net10, you get what you pay for.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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mikislate wrote:

So I figured I'd try the ATT gophone and everything was going great until I get hit with this surprise "911 Service Fee" and then find out it is going to be monthly. That too bad because I thought I had a keeper here. AT&T says "AT&T is required to impose these fees on its customers". What's the deal, AT&T has to charge its customers and Net10 doesn't? Back to Net10 for me, their phones may not be as nice and service not as good but at least they don't blindside me and/or fill me with a line of crap.

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911 service fee is a STATE madated fee to pay for the 911 system and wireles telecommunication. This charge is state mandated, some wireless carriers do a seperate line item for the fee, others will roll them up to a misc charge, no matter what all wireless telecommuncations carriers for phone and connection type

This fee is imposed per month for each wireless telecommunications connection. A wireless telecommunications connection is any wireless communication mobile station that connects a wireless service provider to the local exchange service provider

A quick look at Net10's terms of service show that they are indeed charging 911 fee's

. You will be charged the NET10 Unlimited Plan monthly fee plus applicable sales tax and other fees such as E911 charges and other federal, state and local government charges. You understand and agree that NET10 will continue to post charges to your credit or debit card until you cancel your NET10 Unlimited Plan account. NET10 will notify you via e-mail to the e-mail address listed on your account each time a charge is posted. You may review your payment history for the previous six (6) months at any time by accessing your account on the "My Account" page on the NET10 website.

[Razr8]

I don't remember seeing the fee in AT&T's prepaid terms of service either so when I was first charged I called customer service who explained what the charge was. I suppose they could have been more upfront about it but it's only 75 cents so it's no big deal to me. Don't let that small fee ruin your AT&T experience.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

There's no monthly tax/service fee for me... Never paid one on my GoPhone plan for a year-and-a-half, now. I thought that was an advantage over postpaid service.

[Razr8]

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Wild Banchi wrote:
There's no monthly tax/service fee for me... Never paid one on my GoPhone plan for a year-and-a-half, now. I thought that was an advantage over postpaid service.

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Why do you suppose that is? Is it because of your chosen plan or because of the state you live in? I was always kinda curious if other prepaid customers were charged the 911 fee.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I don't know why I'm an exception to monthly the fee. Perhaps it is the rate plan I'm on, or maybe even the state - I don't know. All I know is that I've never had to pay for it once, which is something that I like about GoPhone service. My old Verizon prepaid phone and postpaid phone both had monthly fees like this that I hated paying for.

I'm wondering if this fee applies for newer GoPhone customers. I've had my service since 12/25/09 and maybe I just made it before 2010 so I didn't have to pay the fee? I honestly do not know. I'll have to do some research.

[Razr8]

Wild Banchi check this link out http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/gophoneE911.jsp. Although it still doesn't really explain why you are not charged. Be thankful you don't live in Chicago

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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Wild Banchi wrote:
I don't know why I'm an exception to monthly the fee. Perhaps it is the rate plan I'm on, or maybe even the state - I don't know. All I know is that I've never had to pay for it once, which is something that I like about GoPhone service. My old Verizon prepaid phone and postpaid phone both had monthly fees like this that I hated paying for.

I'm wondering if this fee applies for newer GoPhone customers. I've had my service since 12/25/09 and maybe I just made it before 2010 so I didn't have to pay the fee? I honestly do not know. I'll have to do some research.

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the most simple explination is the fee is blended into the card cost and is handled when you purchase the airtime

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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Wild Banchi wrote:
I don't know why I'm an exception to monthly the fee. Perhaps it is the rate plan I'm on, or maybe even the state - I don't know. All I know is that I've never had to pay for it once, which is something that I like about GoPhone service. My old Verizon prepaid phone and postpaid phone both had monthly fees like this that I hated paying for.

I'm wondering if this fee applies for newer GoPhone customers. I've had my service since 12/25/09 and maybe I just made it before 2010 so I didn't have to pay the fee? I honestly do not know. I'll have to do some research.

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the most simple explination is the fee is blended into the card cost and is handled when you purchase the airtime

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You know what...that would make sense now that I think about it. When I purchase refill cards, there always seems to be some sort of "extra charge" I've peen paying for besides the 6% sales tax. I always wondered why I was paying a bit more than I should have.

And I thought Walmart was overcharging me...

[Razr8]

Hey Wild Banchi, I guess you found out something else about your phone

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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Razr8 wrote:

Hey Wild Banchi, I guess you found out something else about your phone

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I guess so! More like something new about my service.

[Razr8]

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Wild Banchi wrote:

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Razr8 wrote:

Hey Wild Banchi, I guess you found out something else about your phone

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I guess so! More like something new about my service.

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Is that E911 fee listing correct for your state? I myself would have liked to known beforehand, but what I get charged is not much snd I'm glad that I don't get charged what poor Chicagoans get charged.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I don't recall paying up to $0.96 extra, but somewhere more near the ten-fifteen cent area. However, when I checked my account balance today, I noticed I only had $3.85 instead of my previous $4.81. I wondered for the longest time where the extra money had gone (I thought AT&T was cheating me somehow). Now, ironically, I note that exactly 96 cents is gone... So I must have been charged for the fee and not even known it at all. This is the first time I have actually seen this happen...

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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Wild Banchi wrote:
I don't recall paying up to $0.96 extra, but somewhere more near the ten-fifteen cent area. However, when I checked my account balance today, I noticed I only had $3.85 instead of my previous $4.81. I wondered for the longest time where the extra money had gone (I thought AT&T was cheating me somehow). Now, ironically, I note that exactly 96 cents is gone... So I must have been charged for the fee and not even known it at all. This is the first time I have actually seen this happen...

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the E911 charges vary by location, as do all the otrher surcharges that are added to both post and pre paid services, for example in New York

http://www.dps.state.ny.us/TelecomTaxesSurcharges.html

If I recall correctly the charges can be a the state AND local levels, found this on the ATT website for gophones

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/gophoneE911.jsp

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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Wild Banchi wrote:
I don't recall paying up to $0.96 extra, but somewhere more near the ten-fifteen cent area. However, when I checked my account balance today, I noticed I only had $3.85 instead of my previous $4.81. I wondered for the longest time where the extra money had gone (I thought AT&T was cheating me somehow). Now, ironically, I note that exactly 96 cents is gone... So I must have been charged for the fee and not even known it at all. This is the first time I have actually seen this happen...

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the E911 charges vary by location, as do all the otrher surcharges that are added to both post and pre paid services, for example in New York

http://www.dps.state.ny.us/TelecomTaxesSurcharges.html

If I recall correctly the charges can be a the state AND local levels, found this on the ATT website for gophones

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/gophoneE911.jsp

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Yep, I used that bottom link earlier to look up the charges for my state, which is $0.96. Although it sort of frustrates me to pay for this "simple" fee, I suppose I don't mind it much... What just surprises me is that I've had my GoPhone service since 12/25/09, which is a little more than a year-and-a-half, and never have I even noticed this fee coming out of my balance like I had noticed it yesterday.

I'm not so frustrated to the point where I plan on "leaving AT&T" like the OP had said. It's just a little inconvenience, that's all. But everyone has to pay taxes, so I can understand.

[Razr8]

The fee deduction will also show up in your call history. I started keeping a little extra money in my account when I found out I was gonna be charged monthly. Wild Banchi that you know of would you be charged the same tax amount if you refilled from the amount Go Phone offers versus refill cards?

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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Wild Banchi wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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Wild Banchi wrote:
I don't recall paying up to $0.96 extra, but somewhere more near the ten-fifteen cent area. However, when I checked my account balance today, I noticed I only had $3.85 instead of my previous $4.81. I wondered for the longest time where the extra money had gone (I thought AT&T was cheating me somehow). Now, ironically, I note that exactly 96 cents is gone... So I must have been charged for the fee and not even known it at all. This is the first time I have actually seen this happen...

---

the E911 charges vary by location, as do all the otrher surcharges that are added to both post and pre paid services, for example in New York

http://www.dps.state.ny.us/TelecomTaxesSurcharges.html

If I recall correctly the charges can be a the state AND local levels, found this on the ATT website for gophones

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/gophoneE911.jsp

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Yep, I used that bottom link earlier to look up the charges for my state, which is $0.96. Although it sort of frustrates me to pay for this "simple" fee, I suppose I don't mind it much... What just surprises me is that I've had my GoPhone service since 12/25/09, which is a little more than a year-and-a-half, and never have I even noticed this fee coming out of my balance like I had noticed it yesterday.

I'm not so frustrated to the point where I plan on "leaving AT&T" like the OP had said. It's just a little inconvenience, that's all. But everyone has to pay taxes, so I can understand.

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0.96 cents a month is well worth the peace of mind of having a E911 cell call giving the correct location and connection in case of a emergency . Cell service has the same issue that VOIP phones have. Inf the case of  VoIP services route 911 calls through IP networks instead of using the traditional telephone network, VoIP 911 service doesn't work the same way as traditional 911 service. Dispatch centers can't pinpoint the address where a VoIP call originates, as they can with calls from phones using enhanced 911 service; such service is available with most traditional telephone service today.

Believe Vonage had an issue with this that cause a family in Florida to lose their 3 yr old. If happened a while back - like in 2005 in Deltona Fl.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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Razr8 wrote:

Wild Banchi that you know of would you be charged the same tax amount if you refilled from the amount Go Phone offers versus refill cards?

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A little confused by this - the amount GoPhone offers?

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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wingrider01 wrote:
0.96 cents a month is well worth the peace of mind of having a E911 cell call giving the correct location and connection in case of a emergency . Cell service has the same issue that VOIP phones have. Inf the case of  VoIP services route 911 calls through IP networks instead of using the traditional telephone network, VoIP 911 service doesn't work the same way as traditional 911 service. Dispatch centers can't pinpoint the address where a VoIP call originates, as they can with calls from phones using enhanced 911 service; such service is available with most traditional telephone service today.

Believe Vonage had an issue with this that cause a family in Florida to lose their 3 yr old. If happened a while back - like in 2005 in Deltona Fl.

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I guess paying the 911 service fee would be a convenience should I ever have an emergency come by and slap me in the face unexpectedly.

Poor family. I'm guessing more than likely they sued Vonage for their mistake/unwillingness to help?

[trippindazey79]

This is only 3rd month with my GoPhone and although I love the phone, AT&T has some shady billing practices if you ask me.  My husband and I have the exact same phone and $50 unlimited plan but I have been getting charged and additional $.96 a month for this 911 fee and he has not.  The reason I was told I am being charged the fee and he is not is because I have a positive balance on my phone whereas he does not.  When I got my phone, there was a mistake made by the cashier that sold us our phones and an extra $15 was added to my account balance.  I figured I could just use it for apps or ringtones or whatever but now AT&T has been helping themselves to it at a rate of $.96 a month.  My husband pays his bill the day before it is due every month and because he never has a positive balance, he never has to pay this extra $.96 a month.  It may seem like a petty thing to get upset about but it seems very dishonest on AT&Ts part to just help themselves to money just because it's there.  I signed up the $50 a month plan, and for them to just tack on that extra dollar because I have a positive balance on my account is no different than stealing in my opinion, considering I was not informed of the charge before it was taken, and they wouldn't charge me that extra buck if I didn't have a positive balance.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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trippindazey79 wrote:

This is only 3rd month with my GoPhone and although I love the phone, AT&T has some shady billing practices if you ask me.  My husband and I have the exact same phone and $50 unlimited plan but I have been getting charged and additional $.96 a month for this 911 fee and he has not.  The reason I was told I am being charged the fee and he is not is because I have a positive balance on my phone whereas he does not.  When I got my phone, there was a mistake made by the cashier that sold us our phones and an extra $15 was added to my account balance.  I figured I could just use it for apps or ringtones or whatever but now AT&T has been helping themselves to it at a rate of $.96 a month.  My husband pays his bill the day before it is due every month and because he never has a positive balance, he never has to pay this extra $.96 a month.  It may seem like a petty thing to get upset about but it seems very dishonest on AT&Ts part to just help themselves to money just because it's there.  I signed up the $50 a month plan, and for them to just tack on that extra dollar because I have a positive balance on my account is no different than stealing in my opinion, considering I was not informed of the charge before it was taken, and they wouldn't charge me that extra buck if I didn't have a positive balance.

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E911 charges are mandated by federal, state and local goverments, if your husband is not being charged then the problem is on his line not yours

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/gophoneE911.jsp

[lola19]

liI don't understand why we are being charged for this service. I called AT&T customer service and was told it was a government service fee beyond what is in my plan. However I don't any rollover on my minutes or data plan unused megabytes. Sure, if I exceed my plan's limits, charge me. If not, roll over my minutes and credit my account for my unused data.

[MicCheck]

Are you talking about the 911 fee? It is used to help fund E911 services that you can use at no charge should you have an emergency. It has nothing to do with your usage.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

My mom and I both received USSD codes saying that we had been charged $0.96 each for the last transaction. At first, I was wondering what it could have been that caused it. I later realized it was Michigan's E911 service fee.

[dogsmile]

Why would it say "last transaction," when I didn't even do anything? 

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

Because AT&T has deducted money from your balance, which, in fact, is a transaction because they're withdrawing money.

I was just charged this fee again earlier tonight. :/

[hp17]

Only in America do people complain about a charge that is less than $2 and goes to the purpose of having emergency services just in case their needed.

[mikewho]

The 911 fee is one fee I don't mind paying. Even if I never have to use it.