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The Frontier Wholesale Billing Claims and Collections Center addresses customer inquiries and claims for wholesale accounts. For retail inquiries and claims, please follow the process described on your bill or by your account team when applicable.

Frontier has established a procedure for claim submission when a wholesale customer believes, after its own investigation, that billing is inaccurate. This procedure is outlined in this Billing Claim and Escalation Guide (Guide). To avoid delay and help ensure an efficient process, follow this procedure, including promptly providing complete and accurate detail in support of a claim.

If, after investigation, Frontier finds a claim is valid and management approves a credit, Frontier will apply a credit to the customer’s bill.

Customers must properly submit a complete and accurate claim for Frontier to process it. A complete claim includes both identifying data and explanatory information.

Identifying Data. Certain information is required to locate and track a claim. Generally, identifying information can be found on the Customer Service Record (CSR) and other information provided with the bill. Required identifying information includes:

• Billing Account Number (BAN)
• Circuit Identifier (ID)
• Rate Element
• Invoice Date
• Claim Type Code (see examples in screen shot below*)
• Claim Dollar Amount
• Universal Service Ordering Code(s) (USOC) (sometimes referred to as Individual Service Ordering Code(s) (ISOC) for resale)
• Frontier’s Service Order Number for all claims with impacted service order(s)
• Purchase Order Number (PON) and either Access Service Request (ASR) number or Local Service Number (LSR) for all claims with impacted service order(s)
• Frontier’s Trouble Ticket Number (e.g., for maintenance, repair, performance, outage claims)
• Customer’s Claim Number/ID (optional): Providing the Customer’s Claim Number does not relieve customer of the obligation to provide Frontier’s applicable number

*Claim type codes are provided via the CTS template.

Explanatory Information.  The customer must provide a sufficiently detailed and accurate verbal description of the claim to allow Frontier to research and respond to the claim.  The customer also must attach supporting documentation needed to facilitate resolution of the claim.

✔Claim Description: Provide a full written description of the nature of the claim (e.g., not simply that a bill is allegedly inaccurate but also what specifically about the bill is reportedly inaccurate). For taxes, fees, and surcharges, specify which tax, fee, or surcharge is disputed.

• • References to Governing Documentation: Include citation(s) to authority for the customer’s claimed right to a different rate/result. For Example: Provide the contract or promotion number (PNUM) or tariff reference, with the associated section number(s). It is helpful to provide an excerpt of pertinent language.
  • Up-to-Date Status: Verify accuracy and currency of information before claim submission. For Example: Confirm each time whether the affected circuit(s) has been disconnected (allowing time for the service order to process and post to the Carrier Access Billing System (CABS)). Monthly Recurring Charges (MRCs) are billed in advance. If a circuit is disconnected in a billing cycle, a prorated credit will be applied on a later bill.

✔Supporting Documentation: Attach documentation such as emails or other correspondence (e.g., with sales team or account management), a tax-exempt certificate, etc., when customer relies on such documentation for its position.

EXAMPLES OF INADEQUATE AND ADEQUATE CLAIM DESCRIPTIONS:

The examples of adequate claim descriptions provided below assume that all identifying information (see above) has also been provided. Numbers and addresses are hypothetical.

EXAMPLE #1:

INADEQUATE: Mileage is inaccurate.

INADEQUATE: Why is mileage being billed?

ADEQUATE: Mileage billed on a facility/circuit 11.AAAA.11111….BBBB. CCCCC CCCCC11111 CCCCC111111 – Disputing the mileage quantity and BIP applied to the given circuit under OCN 2222. Circuit was ordered under PON DDDDD111111 to be cross connected at ACTL EEEEEEEE, where it then travels to Vendor’s end user serving wire center, FFFFFFFF. The billable route between EEEEEEEE – FFFFFFFF is 12 miles with Vendor entitled to a 67% BIP per FCC#5, section 5. Vendor has billed this circuit for a mileage quantity of 29 miles and a 47% BIP. A copy of applicable language from FCC#5, section 5 is attached.

EXAMPLE #2:

INADEQUATE: Need to be refunded

INADEQUATE: Rate is wrong per contract

ADEQUATE: Disputing billed amount versus contract rate for EEEEE-11VLXP111111GTES PON 222222222222222. Bill date of 04/15/2020. ASR sent date of 04/15/2020. Circuit was ordered on Titan PNUM FB1B11111, and the circuit address is Titan eligible at XXXX Customer Location Lane, Tampa FL 99999. The pertinent pricing per Exhibit 1 of PNUM FB1B11111 (attached) is $150. Frontier confirmed our understanding of the application of the rate in email dated XX/XX/20XX (copy of email also attached). Please issue credit of $100.

EXAMPLE #3:

INADEQUATE: Circuit 11AAAA123456FTNC was down. Please provide credit.

ADEQUATE Service assurance/outage credit not applied – HHHHH – 11AAAA123456FTNC – Requesting Credit for Service Outage. Circuit was down for 9.25 hours on Frontier trouble ticket ID: 3333333. Closed out on 04/29/20XX. Please apply credit per FCC #5 2.8.1.1.A4 (section attached).