SBC continues attack on MCI over alleged slamming

SBC Communications yesterday asked the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to enforce an emergency order issued in July that prohibited MCI WorldCom from engaging in alleged slamming and deceptive marketing practices. SBC also asked the ICC to audit MCI’s sales and marketing practices and to level fines where appropriate.

“Ever since that time we have gotten an even greater load of slamming complaints from our customers about MCI. We’re saying that the ICC’s July order didn’t work and we’re asking the commission to go back and take a look,” said an SBC spokesman.

SBC said it had received more than 300 complaints from customers about MCI since August 1. SBC further said that the number of complaints in the two months following the emergency order was higher than the number of complaints in the two months immediately preceding the order.

An MCI spokesman questioned the legitimacy of the complaints, and pointed out that if true, they would represent less than one percent of the company's total sales since August. He added that MCI has safeguards in place to prevent such practices, including third-party verification and extensive training and monitoring of its employees.

"We take swift and immediate steps to punish any wrongdoers. [But] we're going to investigate these fully and determine their authenticity, since they are coming from our largest competitor," the spokesman said.