Oct. 11, 2006

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has issued an $85,000 penalty against MCImetro Access, formerly known as MCI Communications, for violating state consumer service standards. In Dec. 2005, MCImetro merged with Verizon.

Last year, the commission's consumer affairs staff discovered that MCI was generating a high number of customer complaints when compared to other phone companies. The staff launched a detailed investigation into 115 customer complaints received between July 1 and Nov. 30, 2005. As a result of that investigation, the staff found that the company violated state service quality rules 850 times, including failing to:

• Inform customers when the new service will be provided
• Investigate customer complaints promptly
• Repair service interruptions within 48 hours