| Q. |
How
do I get a toll-free number? |
| A. |
You
can either request your toll-free number when you sign
up, or call our Customer Care Service Center at 888-815-9956
at a later time. And if you have an existing
toll-free number, as long as you don't have an outstanding
balance from your previous carrier or a shared 800 number,
we can change it to the new service. So you can keep the
number you already have. |
|
If
you currently have an existing 800 number that you would
like to transfer to our service, you may transfer your
existing 800 number once you have been activated as a
customer. This should generally occur within 14 days after
your order has been placed. Please call the Customer Care
Service Center to arrange for the transfer. |
| Q. |
Will
I save money on my toll-free number? |
| A. |
Absolutely.
Our toll-free 800 rates are the same as our one-plus (direct
dial) rates. And there are no other charges for each call. For calls coming in
from your own state, you'll pay economical Intrastate
rates based on your specific state. |
| Q. |
How
long does it take to get a new toll-free number? |
| A. |
About
14 days after an order is placed for the service. |
| Q. |
Do
you offer better rates for corporate (business) accounts? |
| A. |
Yes, for companies
that generate at least $200 per month per location in
long distance and/or 800 calls, our rates get even better.
If you are interested and would like more information, please call us
at 1-888-918-5415 or click here
to email us. All business accounts bill in 6-second increments.
|
| Q. |
How
am I billed? |
| A. |
Many
customers select the electronic billing option via E-bill.
With this option, you receive a monthly e-mail containing
a hyperlink to your secured billing information. |
|
When
that's not possible or feasible, we bill each customer
with a paper bill that we produce and mail out every month.
We put all your services on one bill. The one-plus, the
toll-free, and the calling card - everything is on one
comprehensive bill. |
| Q. |
What
are my payment options for electronic (E-bill) billing? |
| A. |
We
accept most major credit cards and debit cards. Your credit
card will be charged approximately 20 -25 days after the
bill statement date. |
| Q. |
What
are my payment options for paper billing? |
| A. |
Paper
bills can be paid by regular check, major credit or debit
card. |
| Q. |
What
is my commitment? |
| A. |
You
have none. We have no contracts, no term agreements, no
minimums, and no commitment on your part. We provide service
to our customers on a non-commitment basis, because our
goal is to produce the quality of service they are accustomed
to or are looking for, at the best prices in the marketplace.
We feel we have to earn your business every day. |
| Q. |
How
can I qualify to get reimbursed for the switching fee
my local phone company may charge? |
| A. |
After
you receive your 3rd monthly bill, simply present a copy
of your local phone bill with the switching fee. We'll
refund your switching fee. Most people fax their local
phone bill to us to receive their refund, using our toll-free
fax number: 877-276-4764. You can also mail a copy
of your bill if you would like to. |
| Q. |
What's
the cost for long distance calls? |
| A. |
It's
as low as 3.9¢ a minute for all interstate calls all the time.
Intrastate rates vary depending on your jurisdiction. |
| Q. |
What
about Intrastate and International calling? |
| A. |
Each
state's rate is based upon your jurisdiction. |
| Q. |
How
safe is it for me to sign up online? |
| A. |
It
is very safe, because our order page is secure (you
can tell by the lock image at the bottom of the page).
That means your information will be encrypted before
it is sent over the Internet to our secure server for
processing.
Also,
you can be assured your privacy will be maintained.
We will not release your personal information to any
other company.
|
|
| Q. |
How
can I order the service? |
| A. |
You
may sign-up directly online for this service by
clicking here.
Even though many of our new customers sign-up online, we realize
that not everyone is comfortable doing business this way.
That's why we provide these other options: |
|
To
place an order or ask any questions, you can call our
Customer Information and Order Center at 888-815-9956,
which is open six days a week (Monday - Saturday). Feel
free to call with any questions you may have about our
services.
|
|
8:00
AM - 9:00 PM EST Monday - Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST Saturday
|
|
We
are closed on Sunday.
|
|
If
you prefer, you may print out the order page and fax
in your order -- Fax Toll-Free to 877-276-4764.
Click
Here for a downloadable PDF (Portable Document Format)
form.
|
|
Or,
you may print the order page and mail it to us. Mail
to: Consolidated Electric Cooperative, PO Box 111, Mt. Gilead, Ohio 43338-0111.
|
|
After
an order is placed, if you would like to ask any questions,
our Customer Care Service Center is open 24-hours per
day, 7 days a week (800-860-9495). |
|
Order
form:
|
|
Adobe
PDF (Portable Document Format) Click
Here
|
| |
Download
Adobe Acrobat Reader Click
Here |
| Q. |
I'm
concerned about my privacy. What is your privacy policy? |
| A. |
Many
people are concerned about privacy. Our policy is simple
and straightforward: We value and respect your privacy.
Your information will not be sold or given to any other
company - period. |
| Q. |
What
happens when I sign-up for the Long Distance Service? |
| A. |
We
should have you switched within a few days. If you have
any questions, you can call our Customer Care Service
Center at 800-860-9495 24-hours per day 7 days a week. |
| Q. |
Is
there any risk that I will be "slammed?" |
| A. |
"Slamming"
is a telephone industry term for switching a customer
from one long-distance company to another, without the
customer's consent. We expressly forbid this practice.
To make sure slamming never occurs, we use a careful,
methodical way of confirming all orders. Either we use
Third-Party Verification - where an outside company verifies
and records your explicit consent to switch service -
or we use a your digital signature on your online application.
Adding a PIC Freeze to your telephone line(s) is also
a good way to deter slamming after your service has been
switched. |
| Q. |
Do
the rates change during different periods of the day? |
| A. |
No.
These rates stay the same, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. |
| Q. |
Do
I have to do anything special to cancel my existing service
with my current long distance provider? |
| A. |
No,
unless you have a PIC Freeze on your account, you do not
need to do anything. We will take care of everything for
you. |
| Q. |
Do
I stay with my local telephone company for local calls? |
| A. |
Your
local telephone company will continue to provide your
local telephone service. Your local long distance (local
toll service), in most cases, can also be switched to
the Consolidated Electric Cooperative Long Distance Service. |
| Q. |
What
is the difference between Interstate and Intrastate? |
| A. |
Interstate
refers to calls made from state to state. Intrastate refers
to calls made within your own state. Intra-Lata calls
are calls made within your local long distance area. Our
service generally can be used for each of these calling
areas. |
| Q. |
How
long before my account will be activated? |
| A. |
Normally,
it takes approximately 3 - 7 days to become active after
your order is placed. |
| Q. |
I
have a toll free number; can I keep the same number and
switch it to the Consolidated Electric Cooperative service? |
| A. |
Yes,
in most instances, you should be able to keep your existing
toll free number. There is a form that needs to be filled
out. You will need to fax or mail a copy of your most
recent bill from your current 800 service provider and
the transfer form to our customer service center. This
switch usually occurs within 14 business days. |
| Q. |
Who
can I call if I have more questions? |
| A. |
After
receiving your welcome letter, you may call our Customer
Care Service Center 24-hours a day, 7 days a week (800-860-9495)
or e-mail us anytime at solutions@pngcom.com. |
| Q. |
What
does it cost for Directory Assistance? |
| A. |
Directory
Assistance is 89 cents per call. |
| Q. |
What
are my billing increments? |
| A. |
Domestic
United States calls are billed in 6-second increments
with an 18-second billing minimum for business and 1-minute increments for
residential. Refer to the Service Rates Page for more information on billing
increments. |
| Q. |
Are
there any sign-up or installation fees? |
| A. |
There
are no sign-up fees. However, your local phone company
may charge a "fee per phone line" for switching
services. In this instance, you may receive a credit for
this amount. To qualify for this credit, your lines must
remain active on our service for three invoice periods.
Refund requests must be submitted within six months of
your original order along with a copy of your local telephone
bill, which indicates the fee. Please fax this information
to 877-276-4764 or mail it to us. |
| Q. |
I
have a PIC Freeze on my line. Can I still use the Long
Distance Service? |
| A. |
Yes.
When you place your order and your verification process
has been completed, you will need to call your local
telephone company and ask that the freeze be removed.
Our Customer Care Associates can give you the proper
code to use when you call your local telephone company.
Please call with any questions.
|
