§ 58-4.634. Billing, late fees, disconnection of service and notification of rate changes.

(1)

Bills for service shall be on a regular cycle, on a monthly basis. Nothing in this section shall prohibit voluntary prepayment of services by subscribers, provided that a cable operator shall not be required to offer or accept any discount or other reduction in the amount paid by any subscriber for a voluntary prepayment of services. Each bill shall include a listing of the cable operator's customer service telephone number in a manner that makes such number significantly more prominent than any other telephone numbers listed on the bill. Bills shall not list the county's telephone number in a manner that causes confusion to the public.

(2)

Bills will be clear, concise and understandable. Bills must be fully itemized, with itemizations including, but not limited to, level of service charges and equipment charges. Bills will also clearly delineate all activity during the billing period, including optional charges, rebates and credits.

(3)

In case of a billing dispute, a cable operator must respond to a written complaint from a subscriber within thirty days.

(4)

Before itemizing on subscriber bills any fees, taxes, assessments or other items payable to the county the itemization of which is not expressly authorized by state or federal statute or regulation, a cable operator shall submit a sample bill to the county for review and comment.

(5)

Charges on a bill shall not be deemed delinquent and a subscriber shall not be subject to a late fee, so long as payment is received from the subscriber in a manner consistent with applicable law.

(6)

A cable operator shall only disconnect a subscriber's service for good cause. A cable operator shall not disconnect service for non-payment until the cable operator has provided the subscriber with notice, provided on or after the due date of the subscriber's bill and separately from that bill or any other standard monthly bill, at least ten days in advance of the disconnection. The notice shall specify the earliest date the disconnection will occur, the total payment required to avoid disconnection and the telephone number and office hours to contact a customer service representative. In no event shall disconnection for nonpayment occur less than fourteen days after the end of any billing period for which charges are delinquent.

(Ords. 2006-65 § 3, 93-55, 82-28).