bde@ihlpl.UUCP (Ewbank) (01/16/86)
For those people using AT&T long distance:
I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that
calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the
*evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called
the help number and asked what was going on. The operator
told me that AT&T had changed the rate structure "recently" so
that calls made on holidays are billed at the evening rate.
Did ANYONE see notification of this rate increase? This is
the first time that I had heard of it. We *really* got burned
because we are on the "Reach Out, America" plan, and assumed
that calls on holidays were covered.
--
Bryan D. Ewbank
>> one line generic disclamer here <<
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# (312) 979 - 4296 # Lisle, Illinois 60532 #rkp@druhi.UUCP (Russell Pierce) (01/17/86)
>For those people using AT&T long distance: > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called > the help number and asked what was going on. The operator > told me that AT&T had changed the rate structure "recently" so > blah blah blah........ As long as I can remember, AT&T has always charged the evening discount on non-weekend holidays from the hours of 8 am to 11 pm. What they do after 11 pm I don't know since I don't usually make calls after 11 pm. -- Russell Pierce 1200 W. 120th Ave. ...!ihnp4!druhi!rkp AT&T Denver, CO 80234-2795 (303) 538-2023 "Watching and waiting, for a friend to play with. Why have I been alone so long?"
rep@panda.UUCP (Pete Peterson) (01/20/86)
In article <512@ihlpl.UUCP> bde@ihlpl.UUCP (Ewbank) writes: >For those people using AT&T long distance: > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called > the help number and asked what was going on. The operator > told me that AT&T had changed the rate structure "recently" so > that calls made on holidays are billed at the evening rate. > > Did ANYONE see notification of this rate increase? This is > the first time that I had heard of it. We *really* got burned > because we are on the "Reach Out, America" plan, and assumed > that calls on holidays were covered. >-- Checking phone books for this area back as far as 1981, I found that they all claim that calls for Christmas and an assortment of other holidays are billed at the evening rate unless they are made at a time when a lower rate would normally apply. pete peterson
ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast) (01/20/86)
> For those people using AT&T long distance: > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called > the help number and asked what was going on. The operator > told me that AT&T had changed the rate structure "recently" so > that calls made on holidays are billed at the evening rate. > > Did ANYONE see notification of this rate increase? This is > the first time that I had heard of it. We *really* got burned > because we are on the "Reach Out, America" plan, and assumed > that calls on holidays were covered. > -- > Bryan D. Ewbank This is not a rate increase. It has always been this way. Look in your phone book. Mine clearly states (and when I lived in Illinois I remember that it also stated) that Holidays (New Year's, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) are billed at the evening rate. -- ". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch." Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95c!ran) AT&T-Bell Labs
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/20/86)
> >For those people using AT&T long distance: > > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called > > the help number and asked what was going on. The operator > > told me that AT&T had changed the rate structure "recently" so > > blah blah blah........ > > As long as I can remember, AT&T has always charged the evening > discount on non-weekend holidays from the hours of 8 am to 11 pm. > What they do after 11 pm I don't know since I don't usually make > calls after 11 pm. > Correct, note that they also charge the evening rate on Sundays during evening hours. Been that way as long as I have been making long distance calls. -Ron
smh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) (01/24/86)
> > For those people using AT&T long distance: > > > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. Per my December, 1982, phone book: "Holiday Rates: New year's day, July 4th, Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. On these holidays, the evening rate applies all day unless a lower rate would normally apply(nights and weekends). Thus, nothing changed did it?!?!d
de@moscom.UUCP (Dave Esan) (01/24/86)
MOSCOM, where I work, produces machinery (soft/hardware) that attaches to your SMDR port on your PBX and will accurately cost your calls. *** THIS IS NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT. There are several other companies that produce similar equipment. ************** 1. As far as I can tell from the ATT Tariffs Holiday costs are evening rates until 11pm when they become night rates. Have been for as long as this tariff has been good (1+ years). 2. Not all telephone companies are willing to give you any costing information. We sometimes need to get information like local costs in a given city and are told that it is classified!! The operators and their supervisors are shocked when we point out that the costs are a matter of public record. Quite often, when we do get information it is wrong. Phone companies do not generally know anything about their rates. 3. The costing of calls in the 312 area code (Chicago) is among the most complex in the country. There are eight local bands (zones where groups of local exchanges are grouped) which have three different durations (that is the length of time used to charge for the initial part of the call and the length of time of the additional). Finally, these charges vary from location to location, and depend which of four areas you may live in. However, I do not see why you have to pay for calls that you say you did not make and the phone company can not prove that you did. 4. Unless there is a substantial flood, I will be happy to answer any telephone cost questions that the net may have by email ( or post if it is of general interest). 5. In answer to the question of which carrier to use - All have different rates based on distance and time. It is really not important which you choose as your primary carrier since you can access the rest by 10XXX. If you demand the rates from the various operating companies, you can determine approximately which is the cheapest for a given call. They are not all cheaper than ATT. David Esan (rochester!ritcv!moscom!de)
lrosen@sunybcs.UUCP (Leonard Rosenblum) (01/26/86)
> For those people using AT&T long distance: > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. I called > ... > because we are on the "Reach Out, America" plan, and assumed > that calls on holidays were covered. > Bryan D. Ewbank Yes, the policy that normal daytime calls are billed at the evening rate on the five holidays is advertised in a few places (including newspapers). If in doubt, you could have called AT+T or your local operator before placing the calls. I have looked at the invitation of the "Reach Out America" plan and have concluded that only the evening rate is a discount; the night rate (~ $2 less per hour) is no great bargin. Perhaps you should look into using other long distance companies although you will find most of them using the same "industry standard" billing policies. -- <<<--- Lenny --->>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- UUCP : {cmcl2,hao,harpo}!seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sunybcs!lrosen | ...{allegra,decvax,watmath}!sunybcs!lrosen | CSNET : lrosen@buffalo | ARPA : lrosen%buffalo.CSNET@csnet-relay | BITNET : lrosen@sunybcs OR v131dllf@sunyabva | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
bde@ihlpl.UUCP (Ewbank) (01/29/86)
> > > For those people using AT&T long distance: > > > > > > I was looking over my bill for December, and noticed that > > > calls that I made on Christmas day were charged at the > > > *evening* rate, not the *night and weekend* rate. > > Per my December, 1982, phone book: "Holiday Rates: New year's day, > July 4th, Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. On these holidays, > the evening rate applies all day unless a lower rate would normally > apply(nights and weekends). Thus, nothing changed did it?!?!d >* blush *< Sorry about the scare. The problem was with the operator, not with the bill. When I called and asked about the evening rates, the AT&T operator said that "...recently, the rates went from night rates to evening rates..." If I would have looked before leaping into net.consumer, then the original message would never have been posted. I guess even the operators are confused... ... go ahead, flame me. I deserve it. -- #include <disclaimer.h> ======= ==----===== Bryan D. Ewbank ==------===== AT&T Bell Laboratories ===----====== Naperville, IL 60566 =========== ih6M-523 x4296 ...!ihnp4!ihlpl!bde =======