Editing Area code 900 (section)

== Regulations ==
Consumers in the US have specific rights regarding 900 number calls, as laid down by the [[Federal Trade Commission]], such as the right to a disclaimer at the beginning of the call and a subsequent 3-second hang-up grace period, the ability to contest billing errors, a prohibition on marketing to children, and a requirement that telecommunication companies must allow the consumer to block dialing to 900 numbers.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} US telephone companies are prohibited from disconnecting local service as a means to force payment for 1 (900) calls.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} Furthermore, in 2002, AT&T withdrew from billing their customers for the fee structures.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/25/business/t-s-decision-withdraw-billing-for-900-lines-leaves-call-industry-bind.html | title = AT&T's Decision to Withdraw From Billing for '900' Lines Leaves Call-In Industry in a Bind | date=25 March 2002 | access-date = 12 October 2017 | work= The New York Times | author = Joseph P. Fried}}</ref> This was followed by other companies throughout the decade until 2012, when Verizon, the final hold-out, also withdrew from passing on the charges.<ref name="pnc" />

Various attempts have been made by vendors to circumvent these protections by using [[809 scam|Caribbean or other international numbers]] outside [[Federal Communications Commission]] jurisdiction to bill US telephone subscribers;<ref name="att_809scam">{{cite web |url=http://www.att.net/smartcontrols-809AreaCode |title=AT&T Smart Controls: 809 Area Code Scam |publisher=AT&T |date=1985-01-01 |access-date=2014-02-26 }}</ref> the former +1 (809) countries were popular as their [[North American Numbering Plan]] format numbers look domestic but are not.<ref name="fcc_809scam">{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/809.html |title="809" Phone Scam - Beware |work=Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau |publisher=FCC |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405195607/http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/809.html }}</ref> The 101XXXX [[dial-around prefix]]es were also briefly the target of abuse by premium number providers posing as [[Inter-Exchange Carrier|inter-exchange carriers]], a practice which has now been stopped. A loophole which allowed US (but not Canadian) providers in toll-free [[area code 800]] to bill for calls by claiming the subscriber agreed to the charges has also been largely closed by more stringent regulation.<ref name="fcc_900info">{{cite web |url=https://www.fcc.gov/guides/900-pay-call-and-other-information-services |title=900 Pay-Per-Call and Other Information Services |date=11 February 2011 |department=Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau |publisher=FCC |url-status=live |archive-date=2011-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709154116/http://www.fcc.gov/guides/900-pay-call-and-other-information-services }}</ref><ref name="ftc_900rule">{{cite web |url=http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus06-complying-900-number-rule |title=Complying with the 900 Number Rule |work=BCP Business Center |publisher=FTC |date=November 1993 |url-status=live |archive-date=2010-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924015415/http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus06-complying-900-number-rule }}</ref>