bonzo@uunet.uu.net> (04/23/91)
Over the weekend, I was going through some mail that I'd missed seeing earlier in the week and ran across an envelope from MCI which contained "important information about your new MCI service." Curious, I opened it up and read, Dear Valued MCI Customer; Thank you for upgrading to MCI PrimeTime(sm) plus Personal 800(sm) Service, MCI's newest and most innovative advance in long distance service. With PrimteTime plus Personal 800 Service, you get MCI's excellent savings on all your long distance calls. *To your* house. And *from* your house. Surprised and cursing, I ran to the phone to check my 1+ carrier. Still AT&T. Ok, so what's the deal? There's an 800 Service Confirmation Notice inside that lists my address, an 800 number, my "Private Security Code," and my home phone number as being the number that the 800 number will connect to. The literature seems to imply that I have selected MCI as my 1+ carrier and have signed onto their long-distance savings plan. I have no recollection of having asked for such a thing. Unless one of my housemates has foolishly allowed an MCI rep to switch us (he's been pretty good about not impersonating me lately ...), my guess as to the explanation is this: MCI has sent this note hoping to get me (aka J. Random Citizen) to switch to their service by tempting me with the prestige of having my own 800 number which has, conveniently enough, already been established. Since no one can use my 800 number without the security code, anyone using this 800 number has to have been given the code by me. If I've given out the code, it implies that I have agreed to use the 800 number as mine and to use MCI as my 1+ carrier. Does this sound correct? Have I been slimed? They were thoughtful enough to provide cards to write my number and SC on to hand out to all my friends and relatives, and even better, my mom can call me for free on Mother's Day by using my number. (And you know, those long distance rates from seven miles away can really add up out here ...) Curious question: Is this number by any chance used by more than one customer such that MCI uses the "security code" to differentiate between destination numbers, or is MCI just filling up 800 number space? Matt Armstrong - bonzo@edsr.eds.com ...uunet!tantalum.uucp!bonzo
David Fiedler <fiedler@netcom.com> (04/25/91)
edsr!tantalum!bonzo@uunet.uu.net (Matt L. Armstrong) writes: > us (he's been pretty good about not impersonating me lately ...), my > guess as to the explanation is this: MCI has sent this note hoping to > get me (aka J. Random Citizen) to switch to their service by tempting > me with the prestige of having my own 800 number which has, > conveniently enough, already been established. I just started dealing with MCI (because of their new Preferred program) so I hope not. It does sound rather like overzealous marketing. > Curious question: Is this number by any chance used by more than one > customer such that MCI uses the "security code" to differentiate > between destination numbers, or is MCI just filling up 800 number > space? Yes on your first guess. They call it "private 800" service. If you dial an incorrect security code, and you get someone else, do they pay? And then complain to MCI about it? And then MCI pulls the whole shebang? I guess we'll find out. David Fiedler UUCP:{ames,mrspoc,hoptoad}!infopro!david AIR: N3717R "Video for Computer Professionals" BIX: fiedler Internet: fiedler@netcom.com USMail:InfoPro Systems, PO Box 220 Rescue CA 95672 Phone:916/677-5870 FAX:-5873
bonzo@uunet.uu.net> (04/30/91)
Ugh. It turns out that the housemate that was out of town did indeed order personal 800 service from MCI. He thought it sounded like a useful idea, so he ordered it. The problem was that they couldn't put the service in his name because the line was in my name, so they'd start up P800 in my name and would allow him to switch the billing of the P800 service to his name later. That's why it came mailed to me. However, he ordered it months ago and had forgotten about it. He's now going to tell them to get lost since he's moving out in a month (No, I'm not kicking him out of the house for messing with MCI...). I'm still curious if using the 800 service would have switched my carrier over to MCI or if I'll still get switched sometime down the road because of this. Sorry for the misinformation. Matt