What are optional custom calling features?
Optional calling features are telephone services that are meant to help customers make better use of their telephone. For example, if you want to view the telephone number of an incoming call, you may choose to subscribe to CALLER ID.

How do I get these optional calling features?
Call your local telephone company to obtain information for available optional custom calling features. Optional custom calling features may vary between local telephone companies.

Many local telephone companies offer optional custom-calling-feature packages, also known as bundled services. Your local telephone company may group features together and offer them at a lower price than if you bought the services separately. With the passage of recent amendments to telecommunications regulations, the ORS cannot assist customers with complaints or inquiries regarding bundled services 1) whose effective date is after December 7, 2004 and 2) whose prices, subscribed to as a package, are different from the stand-alone rates published in the company's tariffs.

How are these services billed?
Charges for optional custom-calling features will appear on your local telephone bill. Two of the most common billing options are:

Monthly Flat Rate.
With this billing option, you are billed the same rate monthly -- regardless of how many times you use the feature. For example, if you subscribe to Feature A for $5.00 per month, you may use that feature as many times as you like during the month. You will only be billed the monthly flat rate of $5.00.

Per-Use Rate.
Every time you use the feature, you will be billed a specific rate. For example, suppose you subscribe to Feature A and it costs 50 cents per use. If you use the feature 20 times in one month, you will be billed $10.00.

What are some examples of optional custom calling features?
Some of the more popular optional custom calling features are:
Call Blocking - Allows the customer to block incoming calls originating from specific telephone numbers.

Call Forwarding- Transfers your incoming calls to another local telephone number.

Caller ID - Allows the customer to view, on a display unit, the telephone number of an incoming call.

Caller ID With Name - Allows the customer to view, on a display unit, the name and telephone number of an incoming call.

Call Tracing - Allows the customer to initiate an automatic trace of the last call received.

Call Waiting - Provides a signal to indicate to a customer that another party is trying to call, while they are on the phone.

Enhanced Call Waiting - Combines the features of Call Waiting and Cancel Call Waiting (which lets the customer turn off the Call Waiting feature) to prevent Call Waiting tones from interrupting calls or disrupting data transmission.

Return Call - Allows a customer to place a call to the telephone number of the last call received.

Repeat Dialing - Automatically redials the last number the customer attempted to call.

Speed Dialing - Allows a customer to call certain predetermined telephone numbers by dialing a code rather than the entire telephone number.

Three-Way Calling - Holds an existing call, while a second call can be established and added to the first connection, thus allowing all three parties to participate.

REMEMBER: Optional custom calling features and rates may vary between local telephone companies. Call your local telephone company for available features.

If I have questions or would like to sign up for these optional custom calling features, whom should I contact?
If you have any questions or would like to sign up for any of the optional custom calling features, you should contact your local telephone company.