Vernon Telephone Cooperative - Westby, Wisconsin

Vernon Telephone is concerned about the safety and well being of our members please read over the following information so you know what to do when faced with a situation where it can be helpful.

Be Aware of slamming

We are concerned that our customers may not be aware of FCC Regulations regarding toll providers. Specifically we are concerned about a deceitful sales tactic used by long distance companies called slamming. Slamming is defined as having your long distance service switched to another long distance company without your consent.

FCC ruling forbids Vernon Telephone Cooperative from calling back a customer to verify that the customer has chosen to switch their long distance to a new company.

We know it's important to make sure your bills are accurate and you are not paying for services you never authorized. To prevent this you can put a "LONG DISTANCE FREEZE" on your line. At your request, we will put a freeze on your line. This will ensure that if a company tries to change your long distance service and you have not authorized that change, the change will not take place.

To have a freeze removed, you can do one of three things...

Call us and let us know you'll be changing long distance service.
Send us a written notification that you'll be changing long distance companies.
When you are talking to the new long distance company that you would like to switch to, ask them to conference call us at (608) 634-3136. Then a representative from Vernon Telephone Cooperative will be added to the conversation and will make the change immediately.

PIC Freeze Form

If you are interested on placing a PIC Freeze on your line click the link below and fill out the form and mail it to Vernon Telephone Cooperative 103 North Main Street, P.O. Box 20, Westby, WI 54667-0020.

Wisconsin State Laws

Say Nothing To Obscene Callers

Hang up the telephone immediately if you receive an obscene or nuisance call. Don't say a word. Most annoyance calls are placed at random just to see what response they will get. If you give such callers no satisfaction, they usually will stop. If obscene or nuisance calls persist, report them to Vernon Telephone immediately. If you fear personal harm, call the police.

Avoid Extra Charges

When ordering new phone service, plan ahead and have all the work done on time. Decide on extensions, their locations and their colors, so all installations can be made on one visit. Be certain to order enough extensions for convenience as well as privacy when needed. This will save you extra installation charges at a later date.

Let It Ring

When you call someone, let the telephone ring seven to ten times so he or she will have plenty of time to answer the phone.

Check Your Directory

Always check your directory for numbers you don't know rather than calling the operator for information. Operator assistance is intended to provide newly listed numbers, as well as to help people unable to use a directory. There may be a charge for directory assistance.

Be Cautious

Teach children and baby-sitters to be cautious with the unknown callers. Instruct them not to provide information such as, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith are out of town." Instead simply tell them to take a message-using pencil and paper you provide in advance. And don't forget to leave the phone number where your sitter can call you.

Teach Children Emergency Tips

If you have children, teach them how to use a telephone in emergencies. They should know how to call their home phone number and the operator. Use a toy phone for practice, or hold down the hook of your regular home telephone while the children practice dialing.

Move Smoothly

If you are planning to move soon, please notify Vernon Telephone, so your telephone service will be ready at your new location

Be Careful When Digging

Before you dig or do any major excavation, call Diggers Hotline at 1-800-242-8511 to confirm that no telephone, gas or electrical cables are buried on your site. Damaged and cut underground utility lines can disrupt service to you and hundreds of your customers and neighbors.

It is the policy of Vernon Telephone Cooperative, INC to locate its buried facilities within its exchange area without charge to anyone planning to do digging or excavating on the exchange area. When digging, if no request for location is made to the company, and the facilities are damaged or made inoperative, the person or firm doing the digging or excavating will be responsible for the entire cost of the damaged incurred.

In accordance with Wisconsin State Law (Statute 182.0175) a request for location of buried facilities must be made by the individual(s) or firm doing the digging "not less than 3 working days prior to the start of the excavation or demolition."

When a request has been made for the location of buried facilities in accordance with the above requirements and the request is not responded to, any damage which occurs to the buried facilities shall be the responsibility of the company having failed to locate its buried facilities.

All charges for relocating or rearranging buried facilities located on private right-of-way will be borne by the individual firm or company requiring the change.

Any person who knowingly fails to comply with this section… shall forfeit $1,000 for each such failure, provided that if the failure to comply results in damage of any transmission facility, the forfeiture shall be $2,000. Each day that failure to comply persists in s separate offense. Call Diggers Hotline first!

Call Us Before Buying

If you are a business customer, contact Vernon Telephone Cooperative before purchasing or leasing sophisticated communications equipment from unregulated manufacturer or supplier.

Telephone Sales

If you are not interested when someone calls, just cut in and say so. If you don't other calls from that number, ask them to take your name off their list. You may reduce the number of at-home telephone solicitation calls from national companies by writing to: Telephone Preference Service, Direct Marketing Assoc., P.O. Box 9014 Farmingdale, New York 11735-9014

Junk Mail

In today's age if recycling, are you tired of receiving all that unwanted junk mail? If you would like to put a stop to having your mailbox filled with unwanted ads, solicitations, you can request to have your name removed from national companies' mailing lists by writing to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Assoc., P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, New York 11735-9008