joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) (04/27/89)
Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers. It seemed to me to be a fixed charge to cover all the "free" services they are now offering. Since this smacks of a monthly minimum to me (according to their feedback represenative), charged even if you don't log in during the billing period, I cancelled my account. Comments? -- Joe Loda Analysts International (AiC) - Chicago Branch Usenet: ..!aicchi!joeloda GEnie : j.loda CIS: 75726,1641
astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Anthony J Stieber) (04/28/89)
One reason I bothered sending the FREE subscription card from Borland, was because I could ignore my account for up to a year with no problems. As all my ( and others ) Borland support comes from CI$, why dosn't someone setup a site that would collect stuff not covererd by their disgusting compilation copyright? -- Tony Stieber astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu
gto@neoucom.UUCP (Thomas Osterfield) (04/28/89)
Yes, CompuServe is expensive to begin with. Yes, this is a
monthly charge we can't avoid if we subscribe. Yes, often a
month goes by that I don't access the system. But...
I compare the $1.50 to other options, such as the $5 or more
for most other services of interest to me (Tandy's pc-link and
two services-whose names I don't remember recommended by our
national church body.) Furthermore, there is, as yet, no
annual subscription (the two "church" services are $40/year.)
There was the original sign-up fee, but many of us got that as
part of a package (mine came with the Color Computer RS232
pak.) And CompuServe is still the largest and most varied
such service.
Of course, many of us are spoiled by "free" access to Usenet
etc. (but somebody else foots a very large bill for us
there.)
I'm keeping my CIS subscription.
Is this discussion in the right newsgroup?
--
G. Thomas Osterfield archivist (216)325-2511 x531 CIS:74106,1153
gto@neoucom.UUCP {cwjcc,pitt,hal,scooter}!neoucom!gto jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM (Gerald Hawkins) (04/28/89)
From article <96@aicchi.UUCP>, by joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda): > Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge > imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers. It seemed to me to be a > fixed charge to cover all the "free" services they are now offering. > > Joe Loda Analysts International (AiC) - Chicago Branch > Usenet: ..!aicchi!joeloda - - I was considering joining CompuServe but the $1.50 charge really bugs me. I guess I think of it as an $18 subscription to their (very poor) magazine. It is obviously expensive for them to keep mailing it to you and to keep your name in their billing files. However, $18 a year is probably too much considering the high cost of connect time. If Compuserve is listening, consider: 1. Improving the magazine to be worth $18 a year, or 2. Eliminating the $1.50 charge to customers who use two or more hours of connect time each month. Would I pay Macy's to keep my account open and mail me ads each month? No way! " I don't want to imply I'm underpaid, but ... Last time I took my paycheck to the bank to be cashed, the teller asked me, 'How would you like that, sir, Heads, or Tails?' " Jerry ( jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM ) -----
bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) (04/28/89)
How about some more information about this? Like, when did this come up? (etcetcetc.) I log into Compu$erve a couple of times a year; if they're going to hit me for a monthly charge I'll have to explicitly cancel that account.
todd@stiatl.UUCP (Todd Merriman) (04/28/89)
In article <96@aicchi.UUCP> joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) writes: > > Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge >imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers....... Having access to Usenet, CompuServe offers very little additional functionality for me. When they decided to charge $1.50/mo., the value of Compuserve became negative for me. ...!gatech!stiatl!todd Todd Merriman * 404-377-TOFU * Atlanta, GA
pjh@mccc.UUCP (Pete Holsberg) (04/29/89)
In article <96@aicchi.UUCP> joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) writes:
=
= Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge
=imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers. It seemed to me to be a
=fixed charge to cover all the "free" services they are now offering.
And also a way to encourage owners of dormant account to s--t or get off
the pot.
=Since this smacks of a monthly minimum to me (according to their feedback
=represenative), charged even if you don't log in during the billing period,
=I cancelled my account.
=
=Comments?
=
At an extra $18 a year, CIS is still far and away the best commercial
service available. I have no intention of cancelling.
I'd rather see a flat $1.50/month fee for everyone than see a $.10/hour
increase in the rates.
Pete
--
Pete Holsberg UUCP: {...!rutgers!}princeton!mccc!pjh
Mercer College CompuServe: 70240,334
1200 Old Trenton Road GEnie: PJHOLSBERG
Trenton, NJ 08690 Voice: 1-609-586-4800w8sdz@smoke.BRL.MIL (Keith Petersen) (04/29/89)
In article <2283@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Anthony J Stieber) writes: >One reason I bothered sending the FREE subscription card from Borland, >was because I could ignore my account for up to a year with no problems. GEnie has a Borland RoundTable. There are no monthly minimum charges. >As all my ( and others ) Borland support comes from CI$, why dosn't >someone setup a site that would collect stuff not covererd by their >disgusting compilation copyright? We did. It's called Simtel20. -- Keith Petersen Maintainer of Simtel20's CP/M, MSDOS, and MISC archives Internet: w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil [26.2.0.74] Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
dave@westmark.UUCP (Dave Levenson) (04/30/89)
In article <96@aicchi.UUCP>, joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) writes: ... > I cancelled my account. ... > Usenet: ..!aicchi!joeloda > GEnie : j.loda CIS: 75726,1641 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If he canceled his account, why is this line in his .signature? -- Dave Levenson /-----------------------------\ Westmark, Inc. | If you can't give me your | Warren, NJ USA | Phone number, don't call! | {rutgers | att}!westmark!dave \-----------------------------/
hardin@hpindda.HP.COM (John Hardin) (05/02/89)
joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) writes: > Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge >imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers. It seemed to me to be a >fixed charge to cover all the "free" services they are now offering. >Since this smacks of a monthly minimum to me (according to their feedback >represenative), charged even if you don't log in during the billing period, >I cancelled my account. > >Comments? ---------- I don't like the monthly charge, but I'm keeping my CIS account. Usenet access is great, but I have it only though my company. Should I ever leave my current employer, I may loose my access to usenet. I've listened to people on CIS trying to find out how to get access, their tie having been severed when they left school. Access is available commercially in some areas, but not all. Since I've read flames from usenet users complaining about the very idea of letting in the unwashed masses :-) it seems home access is not all that welcome here. Also, CIS is centralized, which means answers come a lot faster there than here when you're in a pinch. People on CIS are more courteous (read "fewer flames") on the whole, probably because they are paying for their complaining. CIS forums are all moderated (as far as I know, anyway) which means there are a group of sysops available in each forum to answer questions. John Hardin hardin@hpda __________
las) (05/02/89)
In article <10172@smoke.BRL.MIL> w8sdz@brl.arpa (Keith Petersen) writes: >In article <2283@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Anthony J Stieber) writes: >>As all my ( and others ) Borland support comes from CI$, why dosn't >>someone setup a site that would collect stuff not covererd by their >>disgusting compilation copyright? >We did. It's called Simtel20. That'd be nice if I could get to it. To whom can I give money to get access to it? (I've tried the listservers, no luck yet). regards, Larry -- Signed: Larry A. Shurr (att!cbnews!cbema!las) Clever signature, Wonderful wit, Outdo the others, Be a big hit! - Burma Shave (With apologies to the real thing. The above represents my views only.) (Please note my mailing address. Mail sent to me on cbnews doesn't make it.)
lee@minnow.sp.unisys.com (Gene Lee) (05/02/89)
In article <998@starfish.Convergent.COM> jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM (Gerald Hawkins) writes:
-If Compuserve is listening, consider:
-1. Improving the magazine to be worth $18 a year, or
-2. Eliminating the $1.50 charge to customers who use two or more hours
-of connect time each month.
3. Stop sending me that worthless magazine and don't charge me $1.50
--
Gene Lee UUCP: ...!amdahl!ems!minnow!lee
Unisys Corporation
Phone: +1 612 635 3993 CSNET: lee@minnow.SP.Unisys.Com
If not for the courage of the fearless manager, the paycheck would be lost.netnews@psc90.UUCP (Remote mail paths) (05/03/89)
In article <20135@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) writes: >How about some more information about this? Like, when did this come >up? (etcetcetc.) I log into Compu$erve a couple of times a year; if >they're going to hit me for a monthly charge I'll have to explicitly >cancel that account. I was also appauled about this charge. It only seemed to affect the UNIX forum, and not the others, and what gets me is that they try to justyfy it, by giving lots of added benefits which are already there. At this moment I am glad that I have a UNIX machine with "rn" to discuss my problems with IBM and UNIX, and not to mention that it is FREE! Well, the onlt thing left to do is cancel this forum, and rely on comp.sources. unix and all the ibm groups!
pjh@mccc.UUCP (Pete Holsberg) (05/04/89)
In article <883@psc90.UUCP> netnews@psc90.UUCP (Remote mail paths) writes:
=I was also appauled about this charge. It only seemed to affect the
=UNIX forum, and not the others,
That's incorrect, Bob. The $1.50 is a "democratically applied" charge: if you
have an account on CIS, you pay the charge. It is definitely NOT a Unix-tax.
--
Pete Holsberg UUCP: {...!rutgers!}princeton!mccc!pjh
Mercer College CompuServe: 70240,334
1200 Old Trenton Road GEnie: PJHOLSBERG
Trenton, NJ 08690 Voice: 1-609-586-4800dts@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Daniel Senie) (05/07/89)
In article <96@aicchi.UUCP>, joeloda@aicchi.UUCP (Joe Loda) writes: > > Anyone out there have any comments on the new $1.50 service charge > imposed by CompuServe on their subscribers. It seemed to me to be a > fixed charge to cover all the "free" services they are now offering. > Since this smacks of a monthly minimum to me (according to their feedback > represenative), charged even if you don't log in during the billing period, > I cancelled my account. > > Comments? I have been seriously considering cancelling my account for the same reason. One of the things I liked best about Compuserve is not having to worry about the accout if I didn't use it for 6 months at a time. If they had asked for an $18 a year mailbox charge or something, I wouldn't mind as much. I just really dislike them charging my credit card every month, even when I don't use the service. I'm seriously thinking of using BIX instead. It costs more at first, but they have flat rates up around the $100 range. I spend that much a year sometimes on C-Serve... (and other years zero). The charge is applied as a monthly minimum. If you have a billing option which is not "free", then you don't pay the $1.50. It is included in the charge for that billing. Of course the Executive Option charges remain unaffected. This really was a change to a $1.50 monthly minimum for credit cards. They made "free" those services (billing, etc.) which should have been free anyway. The real clincher for this: I asked if they were going to notify people with accounts which have not been used in a long time, to tell them of the new charges. They said NO! They are going to just bill those peoples' credit cards. (My mother has an account which she hasn't used in a year). The service rep told me that they were within the bounds of their customer agreement, which evidently allows them to change their customer agreement without written notice. -- Daniel Senie UUCP: harvard!ulowell!cloud9!dts Stratus Computer, Inc. ARPA: anvil!cloud9!dts@harvard.harvard.edu 55 Fairbanks Blvd. CSRV: 74176,1347 Marlboro, MA 01752 TEL.: 508 - 460 - 2686