Media Ganging Up on San Diego Communications Firm

Last week, LA Times reporter David Lazarus had an item about BBG Communications, the San Diego firm that continues to reap ridiculous service charges from an empire of “350,000 pay phones and 300 million minutes of calls per month.” He cited a 20-second LAX credit card call that cost a 56-year-old Lakewood woman $19.98.

Now, the New York Times is getting in on the consumer reporting act. With a pair of class action lawyers having set up the website BBGOvercharge.com, it’s no surprise that the phone conversation between reporter Ann Carrns and a corporate rep was short and, presumably, cheaper than the typical BBG transaction:

A woman who answered the phone at BBG Communications on Tuesday said, “We don’t answer any questions from the media.” But I’m waiting to hear back from the company’s outside lawyer.

The BBG website mentions that the company is also hooked into more than 100,000 hotel rooms for equally ridiculous in-room outbound call charges. Nice racket, as long as it lasts.

Update – 07/14/11: A BBG lawyer contacted Carrns with comments that have been added to the New York Times article.

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