TELKOM said on Wednesday that an independent audit has proved that consumers are not charged for telephone calls that engaged or unanswered. The audit comes after persistent accusations by consumers that Telkom bills customers for engaged and unanswered calls. Telkom said that the audit showed that 1,34% of the 11100 calls were logged as engaged or unanswered. These were made to answering machines, numbers connected to modems, alarm systems, faulty customer equipment, Telkom’s diversion service or to another call-forwarding facility.Some PBX systems answered calls immediately and then supplied their own ring or busy tone, Telkom said. “Some callers, not realising that the call has indeed been answered, terminate the call without speaking to anyone, and later query that fact that they have been billed.”