                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

AUTHORIZATION AND VERIFICATION FOR PRODUCTS, GOODS, AND SERVICES TO BE BILLED ON
A TELEPHONE BILL (§ 56-479.3)

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise:
			&#8220;Billing agent&#8221; means any entity that submits charges for
products, goods, or services to the billing carrier on behalf of itself or any
service provider.
			&#8220;Billing carrier&#8221; means any telephone company that issues a
telephone bill directly to customers.
			&#8220;Service provider&#8221; means any entity that offers products, goods,
and services to a customer and that directly or indirectly charges to or
collects from a customer&#8217;s bill received from a billing carrier an amount
for such products, goods, or services.

B. This section does not apply to (i) products, goods, or services offered by or
bundled with the services of a telephone company or its affiliates; (ii)
telephone calls that are customer initiated by dialing 1+, 0+, 0-, or 1010XXX or
that a customer accepts as collect; or (iii) commercial mobile radio services.

C. No service provider or billing agent shall willfully (i) add products, goods,
or services not authorized by any customer or (ii) charge or attempt to collect
charges from any customer for any such products, goods, or services without the
customer&#8217;s authorization. A customer is not liable for an amount charged
through a billing carrier by a service provider or a billing agent without the
authorization of the customer.

D. A service provider or billing agent shall obtain verification of a
customer&#8217;s authorization before submitting charges for products, goods, or
services directly or indirectly to the billing carrier. The verification may be
in written, oral, or electronic form and shall be verified by an independent
third party. The service provider shall retain the verification for a minimum of
two years.

E. A billing carrier shall not enter into an agreement to bill for any charges
for products, goods, or services for a service provider or billing agent unless
that agreement requires the service provider or billing agent to comply with
subsection D.

HISTORY: 2010, c. 322.