LANSING, June 5.  The Michigan Public Service Commission today
announced that Michigan telephone customers, business and residential alike,
may bring slamming or cramming* complaints to the Commission without the
assistance of an attorney.   The Commission issued an order involving a
complaint filed by Seaway Painting, L.L.C. on March 8, 2001, in which Seaway
filed a complaint against MCI WorldCom Communications regarding a billing
dispute.  On April 20, 2001, Seaway filed a request to withdraw the complaint
based on its decision to reexamine the scope of its complaint and the belief that
it was necessary to obtain the assistance of legal counsel. 

     The Commission today dismissed the complaint without prejudice, as
requested by the complainant, but concluded that the company may refile its
complaint and proceed with the assistance of a person of its choice, who need
not be a licensed attorney.  The Commission relied upon a provision of the
Michigan Telecommunications Act which provides "Hearings shall be
conducted in a manner as to optimize expediency, convenience, and the ability
of end-users to bring and prosecute, without the assistance of counsel,
complaints alleging [unauthorized switches in service providers or adding
unrequested services] while preserving the rights of the parties."

     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry
Services.

Case No. U-12863
June 5, 2001
(Business and residential consumers may pursue slamming or cramming
complaints without counsel)

*Switches to a customer's telephone service without the customer's
authorization is a practice commonly referred to as slamming.   Customers
receiving charges for optional services without the authorization of the customer
is a practice commonly referred to as cramming.  Slamming and cramming are
prohibited under the MTA.