Birch Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Birch billing me for calls made through another carrier?
Why are these rates different from my Birch rates?
How can I stop this?
What might I tell the customer service rep if I call Birch for help?

Other long-distance carrier billing

Why is Birch billing me for long-distance calls made through another carrier?

Birch has a billing and collection agreement with several long-distance carriers that allows our customers who use other LD carriers' services through 1010 dialing codes or operator-assisted calls, or who access multiple long-distance carriers, to receive one bill for all services.

In addition, some smaller independent long-distance carriers are unable to invoice their customers directly. Therefore, they rely on arrangements with local service providers, like Birch, to invoice their customers.

Why are these rates different from my Birch rates?

Birch does not decide how much to charge for these calls. Birch simply prints the calls on the bill, collects the amount due and passes the paid amount to the carrier that was used.

How can I stop this?

Ask yourself these questions:

Who is the carrier involved? Is this the carrier you chose for long-distance? If so, do you get a separate bill from this carrier for long-distance calls? If the answer to that last question is no, the carrier probably does not have enough information to bill you directly, if you have requested direct billing. You will need to contact them if you'd like to change that.
If the company is not your chosen carrier, what types of calls are they billing you for? Beside each call on your invoice a call "Type" is shown. The "Key" is printed at the bottom of the page. Are the calls in question Operator Assisted or Direct Dialed? Operator Assisted calls are usually "Collect Calls" and probably are not an indication of a problem. "Direct Dialed" calls could be 1+ or 1010+, and it is a problem if your Direct Dialed long-distance calls are being billed by a carrier you did not choose. Most likely you will need to speak with a Birch representative to resolve this issue. Please call us at (888) 772-4724 .

What might I tell the customer service rep if I call Birch for help?

Whether you have recently been contacted by any long-distance carriers asking you to switch your service.
Who you want to use for long-distance.
Which lines appear to have the problem.
Whether you have had other trouble with any of these lines in the past, and whether you reported the trouble.
Whether you have ever been told you use a dial around code? (1010 dialing)
Whether you, family members or employees use 1010 dialing codes.
Whether you recognize the numbers dialed.
Whether you have a preprogrammed dialer on your line. A dialer is a piece of equipment that can control how your phone is used. To see if you have a dialer just dial 111 from the line in question. If you get a dial tone after dialing 111, you have a dialer.
Whether the calls in question are made within the state, to another state, or both.
Whether the calls are made from the same number or from different numbers in your home or business.
Whether all the calls are made to the same number or different numbers.
If you have a separate invoice(s) from your chosen long-distance carrier, look at the dates of the calls on the most recent invoice. Do the dates of the calls on your Birch invoice overlap with the dates on your carrier's separate long-distance bill? Are calls made from the same lines billed by different carriers? Are they the same exact calls (same date, time, and called-from line) on both invoices?
Whether you have any other equipment that could be programmed to dial special numbers, including speed-dial capabilities? If so, who is your equipment vendor?

For additional assistance

Please call us at (888) 772-4724 or email us at info@birch.com .