seanwilliams@attmail.com (05/16/91)
Hi everyone! I was talking to a friend about her long distance service a few days ago (being that I sell MCI and all) and she told me that a relative of hers was using AT&T. Of course, this didn't shock me one bit. Thousands of people use AT&T. But then she went on to tell me that this relative was being billed, on her AT&T page, $40.00 every two or three months (she wasn't sure of the frequency.) This DID shock me, as I have never heard of such a thing. Immediately, I began scanning through my mind for information about Reach Out America, or other AT&T options, but nothing fit the bill (pardon the pun). If anyone knows what this charge might be, please e-mail or voicemail me immediately, as I would like to help her remove the charge (assuming it is erronous). I don't have a copy of her AT&T bill here, nor have I seen it, so don't ask for any specifics until I can contact her about it. Thanks alot! Sean E. Williams | seanwilliams@attmail.com Spectrum Telecommunications | "I own Spectrum, so our 333 Prospect Avenue / PO Box 227 | opinions are very similar" Duncannon, PA 17020-0227 USA | voicemail: +1 717 957 8127 [Moderator's Note: 'thousands of people using AT&T'? How about tens of millions of us who are quite satisfied with it? This allegation of a periodic $40 charge shocks me also. I can think of nothing which fits that description, so you might want to have this person actually read the descriptive line to you the next time it appears. PAT]
erhall@labrea.stanford.edu (05/19/91)
Sean E. Williams <seanwilliams@attmail.com> writes: > I was talking to a friend about her long distance service a few days > ago (being that I sell MCI and all) and she told me that a relative of > hers was using AT&T. > Of course, this didn't shock me one bit. Thousands of people use > AT&T. But then she went on to tell me that this relative was being > billed, on her AT&T page, $40.00 every two or three months (she wasn't > sure of the frequency.) No doubt the person could be better described as "an older relative" and is still renting her phones (and phone-related equipment). It seems that the equipment rental from the local Bell companies was moved to AT&T during the breakup. After my mother's death last year I found a similar, but less expensive (apx. $15), charge included every three months in her Michigan Bell bills. I called AT&T (number included on the statement) and found out that the charge was for her old, black, rotary-dial phone and for an external ringer. I remember that external bell being in the basement of the house I grew up in. AT&T was very nice about closing out the rental. I explained I couldn't return the phone to her local AT&T Phone Store during weekdays. So they sent a large envelope to my Chicago address and I returned the phone via US Mail. They didn't force me to return the basement ringer after I explained that my parents had sold that house ten years ago! Earl Hall | via PeaceNet: | GEnie: ERHALL Chicago IL | cdp!erhall@labrea.stanford.edu | +1 312 685 9735
Andrew <reynhout@cs.uri.edu> (05/19/91)
seanwilliams@attmail.com writes: > I was talking to a friend about her long distance service a few days > ago (being that I sell MCI and all) and she told me that a relative of > hers was using AT&T. Oh terrific. Another proseletyzing LDC salesperson. :-) > Of course, this didn't shock me one bit. Thousands of people use > AT&T. But then she went on to tell me that this relative was being > billed, on her AT&T page, $40.00 every two or three months (she wasn't > sure of the frequency.) > I don't have a copy of her AT&T bill here, nor have I seen it, so > don't ask for any specifics until I can contact her about it. Well, this may come as a surprise to you (it does to me), but some people still LEASE their equipment from AT&T. Billing for equipment leasing is done either monthly or quarterly, depending upon the amount. I do not remember the cutoffs (it's been a few years since I worked there,) but this sort of confusion is relatively common. Things to note: AT&T does its OWN billing for leased equipment. It will arrive under seperate cover from her LEC telephone bill. Many people don't realize that they're still leasing. Many people have thrown away the telephones involved. Sometimes, their billing is even wrong at the fault of the Company. I pose this merely as one of several possible explanations to her problem, if it's a problem at all. I suggest you find out more. It sounds to me like you're passing secondhand vague information here, and there's very little we can do with it. :-) Andrew reynhout@cs.uri.edu>