ATTORNEYS GENERAL SHOULD HALT DECEPTIVE LONG-DISTANCE ADVERTISING

Consumers have long been annoyed by the confusing information contained in the barrage of advertisements from long-distance telephone service providers. Attorneys general of eight states, including those in Illinois and Missouri, assert that those ads are illegally deceptive.

Companies targeted in the various lawsuits are Sprint, WorldCom (formerly MCI WorldCom) and AT&T.

In Missouri's case against WorldCom, Attorney General Jay Nixon alleges that while the company touts long-distance rates of 5 cents a minute in its television and direct mail ads, other costs that substantially boost the size of phone bills remain largely unmentioned.

Long-distance service ads are often confusing to consumers, who sign up for plans with certain expectations but without understanding the fine print.

Nixon and his counterparts in other states should see to it that the overt claims made by long-distance providers are completely above board and reflect the price paid by customers.