N.J. Admin. Code § 14:10-2.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 14:10-2.2 - Contents of bills; back billing

(a) The customer's bill shall include the items listed in (a)1-12 below, except if the customer's calling plan or package of services makes an item inapplicable:

1. The telephone number or other numerical or alphabetical designation;

2. The date of the assigned billing period;

3. Clear identification of each service provider;

4. The toll-free number the customer can call with questions;

5. Total recurring charges for service and equipment, and the number and total charge for message units, if any, supported by statement which reflects amounts due and payable before and after application of payment;

6. A separate line item, calculated on a monthly basis, for basic residential local telephone service (BRLTS), as defined at N.J.A.C. 14:3-3A.8(a), and a separate line item, calculated on a monthly basis, for nonbasic residential telephone service, as defined at N.J.A.C. 14:3-3A.8(a), if any. Each line item shall be supported by a statement, which reflects amounts due and payable before and after application of payment;

7. Total charges for intraLATA and interLATA toll calls, supported by an itemized list of the calls;

8. Total nonrecurring charges for service and equipment;

9. Total United States Federal Excise Tax;

10. Total New Jersey Sales Tax;

11. Total Subscriber Line Charge, Universal Service Fund, Lifeline, Link-Up America or similar charges or credits; and

12. Total charge for advertising in telephone directories.

(b) If a CLEC or ILEC has billed a customer at an incorrect rate, or has failed to bill a customer for a charge the ILEC or CLEC claims is owed, the CLEC or ILEC shall adjust the customer's subsequent bills, or "back bill" the customer in accordance with (c) through (e) below.

(c) If the incorrect rate billed was higher than the correct rate, the telephone utility shall credit or refund the customer for the amount overcharged. The CLEC or ILEC shall refund or credit the full amount within the next two billing cycles after the incorrect billing was discovered.

(d) If the incorrect rate billed was lower than the correct rate, or the ILEC or CLEC has failed to bill the customer, the CLEC or ILEC shall allow the customer to repay the amount over a period no shorter than the time period for which the billing was incorrect or absent, or the customer and the CLEC or ILEC may make other payment arrangements by mutual agreement.

(e) A telephone utility shall neither back bill a customer, nor refund or credit a customer, for incorrect billing that occurred:

1. For a wholesale customer, more than 18 months prior to the month in which the billing error was discovered; and

2. For a retail customer, more than six years prior to the month in which the billing error was discovered.

(f) A telephone utility shall retain all billing records for the time periods set forth in N.J.A.C. 14:10-1.3(a).

N.J. Admin. Code § 14:10-2.2

Amended by 47 N.J.R. 489(a), effective 2/17/2015

Administrative Change, 48 N.J.R. 2448(a)