Applications For Service

To obtain information for any service, changes in location and discontinuance of service, call our office at (608) 634-3136 or 1-800-543-2029.  Applications for telephone service must be made by the applicant, or his/her duly authorized agent, to whom service is to be billed.  Vernon Telephone Cooperative reserves the right to refuse service to any applicant that is found to be indebted to Vernon Telephone Cooperative for service previously rendered.

Responsibility For Messages

Subscribers are responsible for all charges for messages originating from or reserved to their telephones.

Telephone Numbers

Your telephone number, preceded by your Area Code, is the only one like it in the United States and Canada.  Vernon Telephone may change the number of the customer's telephone it the requirements of the service demand it.

Directory Listings

For each residence customer with a listing is included in the Alphabetical Directory without consent.  Each business customer is entitled to a listing in the Alphabetical Directory and also one listing in the Classified Section.  Customers may arrange for additional listings, under regulations applying to such listings, as desired.  Between directory issues, a great many telephones are installed and changed.  Customers may obtain telephone number not shown in this directory by calling information.

Directory Errors

The vast majority of all directory listings are correct.  But, as with any job of this size, some errors are bound to occur.  If your listing in the directory is incorrect, it cannot be changed until the next edition of the directory is issued.  In the meantime, we can make sure the listing is correct in Directory Assistance records.

Service Difficulties

Report service troubles promptly to the office.  Vernon Telephone Cooperative appreciates such calls and will act immediately to correct the difficulty.  Broken poles, wires, etc., which might endanger life or property should be brought to the attention of Vernon Telephone Cooperative.

Maintenance

All ordinary expenses of maintenance and repair, unless otherwise specified in Vernon Telephone Cooperative's schedule will be borne by Vernon Telephone.  If any leased equipment or piece of apparatus is destroyed or injured otherwise than by unavoidable accident, the subscriber is to pay the actual cost of replacing or restoring the same to its original condition.

Telephone Cooperative Property

All equipment, wiring or other material furnished to provide telephone service is and shall remain the property of Vernon Telephone Cooperative.  Patrons must not attach, or permit to be attached, any mechanical, electrical, advertising, or other device to any equipment provided by Vernon Telephone.

The agents of Vernon Telephone Cooperative shall have the right to enter a subscriber's premises at any reasonable hour to install, rearrange, inspect or repair telephone equipment and facilities, or following termination of service, to remove same.

Objectionable Language

The subscribers shall not use or permit to be used profane, obscene or abusive language, or impersonate any other individual with the fraudulent intent over the wires connected with his/her, or use the same for any unlawful purpose.

Notice of Intent to Disconnect

Upon non-payment of any sum whenever the same is past due a written notice of our intent to disconnect telephone service is mailed to a customer at least (5) days before the scheduled disconnect date.  If a written request from a resident subscriber is on file in the local business office at the time of the disconnection notice is mailed, five day notification will also be sent to the County Department of Human Services.

Use of Residence Telephone for Business Purpose

Residence Telephones are installed with the understanding that they will be used for normal social or domestic purposes.

A residence rate will be changed to a business service if used primarily or substantially for business purposes, or if the residence phone number is advertised in connection with the sale of products or services, and the subscriber has no business service elsewhere within our system.

FCC Regulations

All telephone customers, residential as well as business, are charged a federal end user fee.  This nationwide fee gives all customers access to the long distance network, whether or not they choose to place long distance calls.  The end user fees supplement the reduction in toll revenues by local telephone companies resulting from the deregulation of the telephone industry. The end user fees are set by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and may change from time to time as the FCC deems necessary.  For more information visit the FCC's website at www.fcc.gov

Consumer Telephone Numbers

Wisconsin Public Service Commission 1-800-225-7729

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 1-888-225-5322

Yellow Page Advertising (The Berry Company) 1-800-877-0475

Consumer Protection Agency 1-800-422-7128

Important Customer Notice:

Your placement of and interstate or international toll call over Vernon Communications Network constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

I. The Service That We Provide To Our Customers

a.  Vernon Communications is a common carrier and provides access to facilities, services and equipment over which our customers may transmit voice, data and other communications of their own choosing to interstate and international destinations.  

b.  Vernon Communications provides service on a 7 days per week, 24 hours per day basis to all destinations in the United States (Including Alaska and Hawaii), and to those international destinations listed in the international rate sheets, maintained at the Vernon Communications office and on its web site.  (See International Rates)

c.  Vernon Communications primarily resells to its customers the interstate and international tolls of larger, facilities-based carriers.  Vernon Communications endeavors to purchase these services at volume discounts, and to resell them to our customers at lower prices than they would pay if they had purchased service directly from other carriers.  However, resale also means that Vernon Communications has no control over outages and other service disruptions (See limitations of liability below)

d.  Vernon Communications has customer service representatives available Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m.  to 5:30 p.m., to assist our customers with any questions or problems regarding its interstate or international toll services.  A Vernon Communications representative can be reached during these business hours by dialing (608) 634-3136 or 1 800-543-2029.  

II.Charges, Bills and Payment for Service

1. Service is provided and billed on a monthly basis, and will continue to be provided and billed until canceled by the customer or terminated by Vernon Communications.

2. The rates and charges for Vernon Communication's interstate and international toll services can be inspected during regular business hours at Vernon Communications office at 103 North Main Street, Westby, Wisconsin 54667.

c. The rates and charges for Vernon Communication's interstate and international toll service can also be inspected on it's website at www.vernoncommunications.com

d. Vernon Communications bills for its interstate toll services on usage basis in 1-minute periods. Vernon Communications bills for its international toll services on a usage basis in 1-minute periods.

e. Vernon Communications will pass through to its customers all applicable federal, state and local taxes or surcharges (including sales, use excise, gross earnings, and gross income taxes), as well as surcharges to recover Vernon Communications contributions to applicable federal or state funds (including funds for universal service, telecommunications relay service, local number portability, and telephone number administration).

f. Payment for bills rendered by Vernon Communications for its interstate and international toll services is due within 10 days after the bill is mailed by Vernon Communications to the customer.

g. No late charges will be assessed upon properly disputed charges (See disputed procedures below).

III. Obligations of Customer

a. The customer is responsible for the timely payment of all billed charges for services or facilities provided by Vernon Communications to the customer, and for the payment of Vernon Communications reasonable attorney's fee and court costs if Vernon Communications is forced to retain an attorney to collect any of its billed charges from the customer.

3. The customer will not use Vernon Communications services in a manner that interferes unreasonably with the use of the services by one or more other customers.

c. The customer will not uses Vernon Communications services in an abusive, illegal, or fraudulent manner, nor alter or tamper with Vernon Communications connections or facilities.

d. The customer will indemnify Vernon Communications against any and all liability, including reasonable counsel fees, arising from any claims against the customer for libel, slander, or infringement of copyright or trademark in connection with any material transmitted by the customer over Vernon Communications facilities, services, or equipment.

IV.Resolution of Billing Disputes

a. If the procedures of this section are followed, the customer may withhold from payment the disputed portion of any bill pending resolution of the dispute.

b. Within 20 days of the bill date of a disputed bill, Vernon Communications must receive from the customer an itemized statement, in writing, which identifies the disputed charges and reasonably explains the basis of the dispute. Failure to comply with this requirement shall mean the bill is deemed to be correct and all amounts are due and owing Vernon Communications.

c. Vernon Communications shall review the customer's statement, and shall issue a written initial determination within 5 days after its receipt of the customer's statement to set forth Vernon Communications proposed resolution of the dispute.

d. If the customer is not satisfied with Vernon Communications proposed resolution, the customer must advise Vernon Communications in writing within 5 days after the customer's receipt of Vernon Communications initial determination of the specific reasons for the dissatisfaction, and provide any additional information, which the customer deems pertinent or relevant to the dispute.

e. Within 5 days after Vernon Communications receipt of additional information, Vernon Communications shall make its final determination and resolution based upon all documentation or information.

f. If the customer continues to withhold any disputed amount determined to be owed to Vernon Communications, the customers account shall be deemed to be past due, and subject to termination.

V.Limitation of Vernon Communications Liability

a. The liability of Vernon Communications for damages resulting in whole or in part from mistake, omissions, interruptions, delays, errors or other defects in the interstate or international toll service provided shall not exceed its billed charges for the defective call or calls.

b. Neither Vernon Communications nor its officers, agents or employees will be liable for indirect incidental, special or consequential damages.

c. Vernon Communications shall not be liable for any interruption, failure or degradation of service due in whole or part to causes beyond its control, including, but not limited to:

VI. Refusal, Termination or Suspension of Service

a. Vernon Communications may terminate service 5 days after a written notice of termination is mailed to a customer that has failed to pay a bill for more than 25 days after it was rendered, or that has failed to pay disputed charges determined to be owed to Vernon Communications via Vernon Communications billing dispute resolution procedures (see above) for more than 5 days after the end of the dispute resolution proceeding

b. Vernon Communications reserves the right to establish a credit limit for customers or classes of customers, and to suspend service to a customer when the customer reaches the applicable limit.

c. Vernon Communications may suspend or terminate service to a customer immediately if Vernon Communications reasonably believes that the customer or entities using the customer's accounts or facilities are using Vernon Communications services in a manner that: