ix21@sdcc6.UUCP (Strokebusters) (09/17/84)
I recently bought with a switch to change from pulse dialing to touch tone dialing. My intention was to save money from touch tone service by using pulse mode when making local calls and flipping the switch when using my alternate long distance carrier service. Now I received a letter from my phone company saying that I have to pay for touch tone service; even though I use the slower rotary dialing mode when placing a local call or when calling the local number to reach my long distance service. Does anyone know how the local phone companies can justify charging for touchtone service for a non touchtone phone? -- ---- David Whiteman, Strokebusters @ Veteran's Administration Medical Center, La Jolla Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
peckham@cornell.UUCP (Stephen Peckham) (09/19/84)
New York Telephone, anyway, told me that people are charged for touch-tone service if the registration number on your phone indicates that it is capable of touch tone dialing. To avoid the charge, simply give the phone co. the registration number of a dial phone. Steve Peckham
jrb@wdl1.UUCP (jrb ) (09/22/84)
David: My host body works for Pacific Bell, in the marketing department. I can inform you that Pacific Bell is now charging everyone for touch-tone whether they want it or not. This is because all trunks have converted to 2 out of 8 tone reception pulsing. However, the charge is significantly less than before -- maybe free -- and some people will even be receiving discounts to pay them back for recent touch-tone charges. Evelyn (A Modified Dog)
howard@cyb-eng.UUCP (Howard Johnson) (10/20/84)
(Hi, bug.) I tried once to offer my local phone company the FCC reg. # on my phones/modem, but they wouldn't even bother to take down the information. (I've since given up offering the information.) As for touch-tone service, they just asked me whether I wanted it or not. Any comments on how many/what types of local phone companies want this info?
woods@hao.UUCP (Greg "Bucket" Woods) (10/22/84)
> I tried once to offer my local phone company the FCC reg. # on my > phones/modem, but they wouldn't even bother to take down the information. Since there was a notice with my modem saying that I was required to report that information to the local phone company, I dutifully called Mountain Bell. They took down the information. I asked the guy why they wanted it, and he said that if they are repairing, testing or checking lines, it helps to know there might be a modem in use on a given line. Now that the local phone companies are independent, rumor has it that there may soon be an extra charge for those using modems. I think this was discussed somewhere on the net some time ago. --Greg -- {ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | decvax!stcvax | harpo!seismo | ihnp4!stcvax} !hao!woods "...the bus came by, and I got on, that's when it all began..."
lutton@inmet.UUCP (10/27/84)
<> Re registering modems with the phone company: Every time I get a new toy for my phone line I call my local phone company (NYNEX, formerly New England Telephone) and give the woman the information. She is always delighted to hear it. She immediately enters it into my record and thanks me profusely. I think she is giving us positive reinforcement so we will always give them the information. (But those who never do it don't get the positive reinforcement.) In fact, sometimes I connect something up just to hear her thank me :-)