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             California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301            San Francisco, CA 94102
CONTACT: Robert Cagen, CPUC       November 21, 1995      CPUC-108
         415-703-2197
         Margaret Reiter, Deputy Attorney General
         213-897-2635

     CPUC, ATTORNEY GENERAL SETTLE MULTISTATE SLAMMING CASE

     The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the
state Attorney General (AG) today announced a tentative
settlement of the telephone "slamming" case filed against Sonic
Communications, Inc., in a bankruptcy proceeding in Georgia.
     Californians are expected to receive credits on their bills
totaling from about $350,000 to a million dollars.
     If any consumers have outstanding balances to their bills
for Sonic charges, they do not have to pay them.  They should
contact their local telephone company to have the Sonic charges
deleted.
     The proposed settlement includes the more than $1.2 million
Californians have already received through bill adjustments, cash
refunds directly from Sonic, and long distance service provided
at no charge as a result of CPUC preliminary orders and in an AG
action against Sonic in Los Angeles Superior Court.
     Sonic slammed consumers by switching long distance service
electronically after sending what appeared to be $10.00 rebate
checks.  The CPUC and AG alleged that Sonic switched customers
whether or not they endorsed the checks.  The checks contained
nearly illegible light grey type on the back that Sonic claimed
authorized the switch.
     Once consumers were slammed, Sonic charged them double or
triple what they had been paying for long distance service.
Owners of Sonic, John Buffa and his family, were also found to be
swiftly depleting Sonic's assets.
     The joint efforts of the CPUC and the AG in February froze
Sonic funds held by local telephone companies and prevented Sonic
                             -more-
from billing any more "slammed" service.  California cooperated
with Attorney Generals in Illinois, Georgia, New York, and Texas
so that additional funds could be frozen and John Buffa's
property in Georgia held as security under court order.
     The settlement involved AGs and public utility commissions
in the four states, the bunkruptcy trustee for Sonic, Sonic's
underlying carrier, West Coast Telecommunications, and several
private class actions that reflect the AG allegations against
Sonic.
     Californians will receive about 35-40 percent of funds to be
distributed to consumers nationwide.  The amount actually
returned to California consumers will depend on how much the
bankruptcy court awards the class action counsels for attorneys'
fies, how many consumers reject the settlement and how much the
bankruptcy trustee is able to recover from the Buffas.
     In just over seven months, Sonic slammed about 90,000
Californians.  Sonic was not unique, however.  Slamming has
become an increasing problem.  The CPUC and AG warn consumers to
review carefully their telephone bills to be sure their local or
long distance service has not been switched without their
knowledge.
     To help stop electronic switching by companies such as
Sonic, the CPUC and the AG also suggest that consumers ask their
local telephone companies to provide them "PIC-freeze" forms
which they can fill out to return to their local telephone
company.  These forms prevent their telephone service from being
switched without the customer's written request to the local
telephone company.
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