FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
- Who
is Pioneer Telephone?
- Where
is Pioneer available?
- Why the
difference in rate ?
- Will
I receive my bill on my local phone bill?
- Is
there a toll free number for customer service ?
- Which
carrier is actually providing the service?
- What
are the rates for calling inside my state ?
- What
are the billing increments?
- What
are local toll calls?
- Is
there any set up fee to start an account with
Pioneer?
- Is
there a minimum usage requirement?
- Do
I have to dial any special codes to get my low Pioneer
rates?
- How
long does it take for my long distance service to be
switched?
- Should
I tell my previous long distance company that I am
switching?
- Why
did my local provider charge me to switch to Pioneer?
- Can
I pay my bill online?
- Where
is the call detail ?
- Can
I pay my bill with a credit card?
- What fees will be included in
my phone bill?
- How
do I place an international call?
- What
is an intrastate call?
- Why
did I get a notice telling me there is
restriction/block on my service when I am billing with
Pioneer ?
- What
is "slamming"?
- What
is a LOA (letter of agency)?
- Does
Pioneer offer calling cards?
- Is
there any additional charge for an 800 or toll-free
number?
- What
is a RESPORG form?
- Is
there any minimum commitment time as a customer?
- What
is a PICC charge?
- Does
it cost me to call an 800 number?
- Is
there an extra charge to have my own toll-free
number?
- What
do I do if I miss the confirmation call after I have
submitted my order??
- Are
account codes available?
- What
are the rates to Alaska and Hawaii?
Who is Pioneer Telephone ?
Pioneer has
been in business since 1989 and leases 101,000 miles of
fiber from Frontier/Global Crossing. Pioneer Telephone
is located at Pioneer Telephone 583 Warren Ave. Portland, ME
04103.
We are a privately held family business.
Our motto at Pioneer is: Simple, Straightforward and
Honest.
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Where is Pioneer
available?
Pioneer is now available in all
states. Pioneer provides lower rates to customers who
have: Ameritech, Bell South, Pac Bell, SBC, US
West/Qwest and Verizon (excluding the former GTE area's)
for dial tone service. If you have any other dial tone
provider your state to state rate will be 4.9 cents and
in state rates will vary. International and calling card
calls will be the same rate.
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Why the difference rate ?
The independent local carriers are
allowed to charge much (300% higher) higher origination
and termination fee's to long distance carriers versus
the old Bell companies that we listed in the above
paragraph.
When you pick up the phone
and make a long distance call, not every long
distance carrier has lines on the pole. All long
distance carriers must pay an origination fee to
the local carrier per minute and a termination fee per
minute to the local carrier where the call is
ending up to complete the call. (it is our job to carry
it in the middle of the two points)
Thus a call that starts in Charlotte, NC with Bell
South and ends up in California with Pac Bell and is 10
minutes in length will incur fee's of:
BellSouth: 10 minutes of origination access
fee's
Pac Bell: 10 minutes of termination access
fee's
Pioneer: transporting the call for 10 minutes
between NC & CA
Think of it as a rental fee for the telephone poles
and wires.
Congress in the Telecommunication Reform
Act of 1996 allowed
Competitive Local Exchange
providers to charge up to 300% higher
access fee's
to long distance companies to off set their short
fall in offering cheaper dial tone to consumers.
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Will I receive my bill on my local
phone bill?
No. Pioneer will send you a separate
bill.
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Is there a toll-free customer service
number?
Yes, 1-888-492-6878 (1-888-I WANT PT)
Hours of operation are: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday Eastern Time. After hours please send an
email to us.
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Which network is actually providing the
service?
Frontier/Global Crossing. You
will be notified by your dial tone provider (local
carrier) that a change in your service has occurred and
that the service was changed to: Frontier/ Global
Crossing. The local carrier may charge you $5 per line
to change the service, Pioneer does not receive any of
this money. As well Pioneer does not reimburse this
either. Due to our low rates we cannot afford to due the
same things as carriers who charge double and triple our
rates.
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What are the in-state
rates?
Click here for the list
of in-state rates. The
link to the list is at the top after you click
through.
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What are the billing increments?
They
vary from plan to plan. Please
refer to the sign up page.
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What are local toll calls?
These are
calls in your local area code. Pioneer can carry your
local toll calls. The cost of a "local toll" call with
Pioneer is the same as any in-state
call.
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Is there any set up fee to start an account
with Pioneer?
No. Pioneer does debit your credit
card $10 upon sign up, in order to validate the card,
however we credit the full amount back on your first
invoice. (this is only if you provided a credit/debit card
at sign up)
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Is there a minimum usage
requirement?
If you receive a paper bill, there
are monthly minimum usage requirements and if not met
there are low usage fee's to cover billing costs. With
online billing the low usage fee is reduced.
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Do I have to dial any special codes to get my
low Pioneer rates?
No. You dial 1 + the number.
The
plastic card (if you ordered a calling card) in the
welcome letter is a calling card to be used when you are
away from home. Calling card rates are higher than your
normal home or office long distance
rates.
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How long does it take for my long distance
service to be switched?
Approximately 10 business
days. After 5-10 days dial 1-700-555-4141 and listen
for the carrier name. The answer should be Global
Crossing. If not, it is possible their was a problem
with your order or that you had a "PIC Freeze" on your
line. Contact us by e-mail if
you think there is a problem with your order.
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Should I tell my previous long distance
company that I am switching?
No, we take care of
this for you. You may want to check with them in a
month or two and make sure they don't have your account
still open. You
do want to make sure your old carrier doesn't bill you
for monthly fee's, etc.
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Why did my local provider charge me to switch
to Pioneer?
This is called a switching fee.
Switching fees are charged to help recover the costs
involved in ensuring you receive the Long Distance
provider of your choice. Pioneer does not receive any of
this money nor do we cover these fee's.
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Can I pay my bill online ?
Please visit:
www.mybillonline.com
Account
Number: Your Telephone
Number
Password: See
Below
First time User: IMPORTANT: YOU MUST CLICK ON
THE NEW USER LINK.
Look
for:
"New User? Click here."
Returning User: Enter your password that
you already established.
Payment Methods: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard
& Visa
Mail a
Check:
Pioneer
Telephone
583 Warren Ave.
Portland, ME
04103
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Where is the call detail
?
Please visit the above website and
then go to:
The "Statement" Category followed by:
"Long Distance Call Detail"
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Can I pay my bill with a credit
card?
Yes,
you can pay with a credit card. Discover, Visa, Master
Card and American Express. Payments for invoices under:
$15 will incur a .40 cent billing
fee. However to avoid the fee you can post a $15
payment and use the credit balance towards future months
billings.
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What fees will be included in my phone
bill?
A USF (Universal Service Fund-Required by
the FCC) charge, Federal and State Taxes, Local and
Municipal taxes that vary by state. We do not rate taxes, we out source this to
a company who specializes in this area. If
you have a toll free line: 49 cents per number.
Regulatory Fee's: PICC taxes for business lines and the
Telecommunication Infra Structure Fee. (Late fee's
if applicable).
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How do I place an international
call?
Just dial: 011 + country code + city code +
local number.
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What is an intrastate
call?
These are calls within your state. Your
state government sets part of the rate and therefore
they are different from
our interstate rates. Here is a
list
of in-state rates.
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Why did I get a notice telling me
there is restriction/block on my line and I am billing
with Pioneer?
If you requested both out of state
and in state service when you signed up, it is possible
that one part is ok and the other service is
blocked. Look
on your previous statement and if you see you have all
in state calls with Pioneer and no billing for out of
state calls, then the out of state is blocked (and vice
versa). As well it could be the data we have from your
local phone company is not accurate, as they may not
have supplied us with the newest information pertaining
to your account. Pioneer feels it better to be safe and
check it versus getting billed from your old carrier at
rates that could be double or triple Pioneer's.
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What is "slamming"?
This is
when a long distance company changes you to their long
distance plan without your knowledge. Pioneer will never
switch your long distance without obtaining your
permission.
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What is a LOA (letter of agency)?
An
electronic document/contract that authorizes changing
the service provider. Congress has allowed for electronic signatures to
be as valid as a written contract. At the time of your
order via the internet your IP address was captured and
other information that you provided forms an agreement
for service.
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Does Pioneer offer calling cards?
Yes,
the calling card rate is 11.9 cents per minute for
domestic calls. There is an FCC mandated payphone charge
of 35 cents per payphone call. Your code will be the
same as your main telephone number with an assigned PIN,
you can choose the PIN #. The card can be used for
domestic and international calls (international rates
vary). If international calling is required please let
us know, as we send the cards blocked for this type of
calling service.
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Is there any additional charge for an 800 or
toll-free number?
800 numbers will be billed at
the same rates as your outgoing calls. There is a 99 cent fee per number per month to
own a toll free number.
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What is a RESPORG form?
This is a form
required to move an existing 800 number from your
previous long distance carrier over to Pioneer.
This can be at times a lengthy process because
your old carrier does not want to release the 800 number
and takes their time signing off on the paper work. To
insure a faster transition please fax us the front page
of the invoice from the current 800 provider. Send to:
1-866-543-2900
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Do I have to sign a long term
contract?
No. It is Pioneer's job to do a good
job so that you stay with us. You are free to switch to
another long distance carrier at anytime.
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What is a PICC charge?
PICC
(Pre-subscribed Interexchange Carrier Charges) are
charge to business lines. There is no PICC fee for residential lines. There
is a $4.31 PICC fee per business line.
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Does it cost me to call out to an 800
number?
No. This is always free. The person or
business who owns the toll-free number pays for the
call.
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Is there an extra charge to have my own
toll-free number?
There is a 49 cent monthly fee
per toll-free number. You will pay the same rates you
pay for long distance. This is a great idea for children
at college, allowing them to call home and not have to
worry with long distance bills. For parents who have
young ones at home, you won't have to worry about the
children having money to use at a payphone. Or for a
family member who lives a distance away and won't call
because of the expense !
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What do I do if I miss the confirmation
request after I have submitted my order??
This is
for customers who live in California only: Please
call: 1-866-Verify 0 . In order to receive service, you
must be verified. For
all other states: we have sent you an e-mail: please
reply to it.
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Are account codes available?
Yes,
Pioneer offers account codes to help you track calling
patterns, enabling billing back to people or
projects. There is no cost to set up nor no monthly fee. A
great way to block unwanted use of the
phone.
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What are the rates to Alaska and
Hawaii?
The rate for all outbound calls to Alaska
is 12 cents per minute and Hawaii is 12 cents per
minute. For inbound calls on your personal toll free
number is 39 cents per minute and Hawaii is 26 cents per
minute.
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