By Sharla Sikes

The main lure to VoIP communications is its typically lower cost. Compared to traditional phone services, most VoIP plans include additional features, fewer fees and all at a lower price per month.

But is it always just that simple?

Hidden fees are the bane of the consumer. Undisclosed fees or extra charges cloaked under categories we usually don’t look at can bump the price we pay for services way out of the “acceptable” range.

Most Americans pay somewhere around $950 per year in these hidden fees—around $45 billion per year for the companies. That’s a conservative estimate, with Consumer Reports putting the number at $216 billion.

So are some of these “sneaky companies” hailing from the VoIP business?

A Sullivan report from late last year shows that yes, some of these fees are coming from VoIP companies. In Aug. 2006, a government-required $2-3 tax on DSL ended, but DSL companies not only lowered their prices but in some cases raised it. Sullivan found that Verizon increased its DSL Regulatory Compliance Fee and its VoIP Regulatory Compliance Fee.

One year ago, BroadbandReports.com found AT&T was charging its customers a “Carrier Cost Recovery Fee” for its CallVantage VoIP service of up to $2.39 per customer, per month, allegedly to “disguise the true cost of service in advertisements.”
ViaTalk was removed from the Better Business Bureau because of too many customer complaints, and also charges fees for 911 services and a “Cost Recovery Fee.” That brings the company’s flat-rate plan from $199 per year to $318.

The trouble is, these fees may be sneaky, but they’re not illegal. Prepaid plans may offer some safety from undisclosed fees, but not every caller wants to maintain a prepaid plan, and sometimes their rates aren’t as low. Outside of the prepaid options, hidden fees are nearly unavoidable.

Unhappy VoIP customers can register complaints with the BBB or contact their congressperson or senator, suggests VoIP News.

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