2006 Code of Virginia § 59.1-426 - Notice requirements of article

59.1-426. Notice requirements of article.

A. Any public telephone equipment provider shall conspicuously display theidentity of the company which will normally make the charge for anyintrastate long distance calls or local operator-assisted calls not handledby the local exchange telephone company placed from such equipment.

B. 1. Public telephone equipment providers shall disclose on the telephoneequipment the method to gain access to other intrastate long distance orlocal services. The notice shall also explain how to reach the localexchange telephone company operator unless the local exchange companyoperator can be reached by dialing "0."

2. A notice shall be conspicuously posted on or near the equipment stating"For long distance rates, dial . . . . . . . ." All alternate operatorservice companies shall provide a toll free number to provide rateinformation and shall be able to quote a specific rate for each call uponinquiry. The posting of this notice shall be the responsibility of thesubscriber to the alternate operator service.

C. The alternate operator service shall preannounce to the person placing thecall the identity of the provider handling the intrastate toll oroperator-assisted local call and the rate for the operator-assisted localcall before a cost is incurred by the person placing the call.

D. No alternate operator service provider may bill for a call placed using acredit card issued by a local exchange telephone company or interexchangecarrier without the express consent of the person placing the call.

E. No provider of operator services, whether or not certificated by the StateCorporation Commission, shall enter into any contract or agreement with acustomer which provides or permits call blocking of (i) the local exchangeoperator, (ii) other operator service providers' 950 or 800 numbers used togain access to such carriers' networks, (iii) other operator serviceproviders' 1-0-XXX-0+ numbers used to gain access to such carriers' networks,unless a waiver is first obtained from the State Corporation Commission, or(iv) emergency telephone numbers, such as 911.

F. Any person who adds a charge for use of telephone equipment in placinglocal or long distance calls shall conspicuously disclose the amount of thecharge.

G. Every public telephone equipment provider, other than a telephone companycertificated by the State Corporation Commission, owning coin-operatedtelephones shall conspicuously post on its coin-operated telephones a noticestating the local emergency telephone number and the complete address of thetelephone. The letter size of the emergency number and address shall be atleast one-quarter of an inch in height.

(1989, c. 703; 1990, cc. 346, 357.)