newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu (Timothy Newsham) (03/27/91)
Once upon a time a door-to-door MCI salewoman came'a rappin on our door. I invited her in and sat humbly as she pitched the glory of switching to MCI to me. Alot of the information was exaggerated and overblown -- little did she know that I was a telecom enthusiast and saw right through her. I chuckled inside. I had already been a subscriber to US Sprint and AT&T at one time or another so to complete my experience with all three of the big LD players, I submitted. The fact that I had an AT&T Calling Card and a US Sprint FON card, but not an MCI Calling Card also influenced my decision since I wanted to complete my collection (through talking to the MCI rep I discovered that only 1+ MCI customers could get an MCI Calling Card). After three months with MCI, I decided to switch back to AT&T since I had been dialing 10288+ on all my LD calls to get my calls on AT&T's Reach Out America (and AT&T said that if I switched to another LD carrier, I wouldn't be able to use my Reach Out plan -- they were wrong. Sometimes I wonder if they're reps have ever heard of equal access). So about a year passes by after I switched from MCI back to AT&T. I pull out the ole' MCI Calling Card that was supposed to be cancelled nine months previous when I switched subscribers. I try it. It still works. On top of that, I am no longer living at the same address that MCI was billing my MCI account to -- so this MCI Calling Card has a billing address that I am no longer living at. Nor is the forwarding from my old address to my new address in effect any longer. So what happens to the bill I could possibly accumulate on this card? I'd imagine that MCI would cancel the card ... but it's several months later and the card is STILL working. I suppose MCI is waiting for me to accumalate a few hundred bucks worth of calls on it, and then they'll come hunting for me. Any thoughts or experiences from other TELECOM Digest readers on this?
schuster@cmcl2.nyu.edu (Michael Schuster) (03/27/91)
In article <telecom11.245.6@eecs.nwu.edu> newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii. edu (Timothy Newsham) writes: > I had already been a subscriber to US Sprint and AT&T at one time or > another so to complete my experience with all three of the big LD > players, I submitted. The fact that I had an AT&T Calling Card and a > US Sprint FON card, but not an MCI Calling Card also influenced my > decision since I wanted to complete my collection (through talking to > the MCI rep I discovered that only 1+ MCI customers could get an MCI > Calling Card). For what it's worth, I've had an MCI card since long before 1+ dialing came to my area. My primary carrier is, and always has been, AT&T. I still use the MCI card regularly and there is no billing confusion. Mike Schuster | CIS: 70346,1745 NY Public Access UNIX: ...cmcl2!panix!schuster | MCI Mail, GENIE: The Portal (R) System: schuster@cup.portal.com | MSCHUSTER
rborow@bcm1a09.attmail.com (03/29/91)
After reading Tim Newsham's account of his old MCI card still working after he switched carriers then moved, I was reminded of an odd sitaution which I experienced with my cellular carrier. I purchased my mobile phone in August of '89. I chose AT&T as the LD carrier [sorry, Mr. Higdon :-) :-)], without any hesitation. After all, I work for the company. Anyway, in November of that year, we went through the famous 312 split to 708. Since my beeper, home, etc. numbers are 708, and since I live in 708-land, I decided to take Cellular One's offer of quick, free switching to a 708 cellular number from my 312 number. Everything else -- the LD carrier, the cellular services and features, etc. would remain the same. There were no problems in this regard. Everything went fine. However, a couple months after I had my number switched to 708 (in January of '90, BTW), I was still getting bills in from AT&T for my OLD cellular number. No big deal, since I had a credit balance of 15c (wow!). Now, I KNOW I have been making LD calls on my present cellular number, and I KNOW AT&T is the carrier (the 700 thing confirms such). The "problem"? I ain't been getting amy bills for all my current LD usage on my cell phone. This has been going on for fourteen months. Imagine, *free* LD calling. Hmmmm... Mr. Newsham, I'm in the same boat you are. The statue of limitations according to the current tariff laws is 24 months (two years), so, if MCI doesn't get you within two years from your calls, you're off the hook. Same thing for me. I'll admit, though, that it's tempting to use my cell phone's call forwarding to forward it to, say, a certain #, then call my cell number and automatically and FREE of charge reach my LD callee. Might take a wee bit of effort to constantly reforward my cell phone everytime I want to make such a long-distance call (and cancel forwarding after completing such call), but it seems nice. Why don't I do it, then? Because working for the company, I have seen the poor, greedy fools who think they've gotten away with mounting up huge bills -- only to get nailed when they think they're scott-free. Besides, it's wrong.
whitcomb@uunet.uu.net (Jonathan Whitcomb) (03/29/91)
In article <telecom11.245.6@eecs.nwu.edu> newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii. edu (Timothy Newsham) writes: > So what happens to the bill I could possibly accumulate on this card? > I'd imagine that MCI would cancel the card ... but it's several months > later and the card is STILL working. I suppose MCI is waiting for me > to accumulate a few hundred bucks worth of calls on it, and then > they'll come hunting for me. Perhaps you saw my posting a few weeks back. I cancelled my account with Sprint after leaving my FON card with my roommates, expecting them to take over the account. They never did, and four months later I get a bill at my new address for charges made *after* I cancelled. After several phone calls and threats from collection agencies, they dropped the charges, but I think you will want to think twice before you use the card. I think I got off because it was clear I hadn't made the calls. I would think they would keep after you, considering you did make the calls. I wouldn't feel too safe about having moved. Unless you changed your name and social security number, they will find you. (Ve have Vays...). :^) Jonathan Whitcomb UUCP: <whitcomb%aurgate@mcnc.org> Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh, NC Delphi: JBWHIT
NETWRK@harvarda.harvard.edu (Steve Thornton) (03/29/91)
On Tue, 26 Mar 91 15:18:35 hst, Timothy Newsham <newsham@wiliki.
eng.hawaii.edu> said:
> Any thoughts or experiences from other TELECOM Digest readers on this?
Yeah. I had quite the opposite experience with my Sprint FONcard this
summer. I went on a solo bicycle tour, and I wanted to report back to
friends each evening that no, I was still not dead. I had had Sprint
for about two years, but I had never used my FONcard until then.
The first night I called from the motel I was in, and got a "not a
valid card number" message. I called the 1-800 number on the back of
the card and (after waiting on hold for about thirty minutes, my brain
turning to steam) I was informed that "oh yes, we always cancel any
card that isn't used for six months". No, he didn't know why. No, he
couldn't reactivate the card. Yes, he could issue me a new card, but
he couldn't reveal the number over the phone, obviously, so I would
have to wait until it arrived in the mail (that's a help). He was able
to connect my call for me "just this time" so I could report in, and
bill it to my account. Of course, as he started to do this, he
accidentally broke the connection. I had to call the 1-800 number
again, wait another fifteen minutes, and then persuade a new operator
that "Bill" had agreed to do this highly irregular service for me.
Total elapsed time from lifting the handset to dropping it back in the
cradle, for a two minute call: 70 minutes.
The new card was waiting for me when I got home two weeks later, but
the first thing I did was kill my Sprint service. I spent a h--- of a
lot of money on phone calls on that trip, counting the long distance
rigamarole, and the add-on charges that hotels feel entitled to slap
on. Why is it that the only "service" that functions perfectly with
these telephone companies is the billing?
Steve Thornton / Harvard University Library / +1 617 495 3724
netwrk@harvarda.bitnet / netwrk@harvarda.harvard.eduscott@hsvaic.boeing.com (Scott Hinckley) (03/29/91)
newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu (Timothy Newsham) writes: > decision since I wanted to complete my collection (through talking to > the MCI rep I discovered that only 1+ MCI customers could get an MCI > Calling Card). Not true. I have an MCI card and NO phone (the phone in my apartment is under someone else's name and is not MCI.) > So about a year passes by after I switched from MCI back to AT&T. I > pull out the ole' MCI Calling Card that was supposed to be cancelled > nine months previous when I switched subscribers. I try it. It still > works. > So what happens to the bill I could possibly accumulate on this card? MCI simply reports you to a credit collection agency if you don't answer their mail after a reasonable few months. Then the collection agency comes after you. Scott Hinckley Internet:scott@hsvaic.boeing.com UUCP:...!uunet!uw-beaver!bcsaic!hsvaic!scott DISCLAIMER: All contained herein are my opinions, they do not|+1 205 461 2073 represent the opinions or feelings of Boeing or its management| BTN:461-2073
wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin) (03/30/91)
In article <telecom11.245.6@eecs.nwu.edu> newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.
edu (Timothy Newsham) mentions that MCI kept his card valid after he
cancelled it and moved.
This is also true of credit cards. I've had MC/Visa card reps
absolutely refuse to cancel card numbers that I didn't want to renew.
They call it a convenience in case I change my mind six months later.
I call it their forlorn hope that I will accidently use it and then
they can hit me for the annual fee. The only solution is probably to
report the number stolen.
Wm. Randolph Franklin
Internet: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (or @cs.rpi.edu) Bitnet: Wrfrankl@Rpitsmts
Telephone: (518) 276-6077; Telex: 6716050 RPI TROU; Fax: (518) 276-6261
Paper: ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180Linc Madison <linc@tongue1.berkeley.edu> (04/11/91)
In article <telecom11.250.8@eecs.nwu.edu> Jonathan Whticomb writes: > I wouldn't feel too safe about having moved. Unless you changed your > name and social security number, they will find you. > (Ve have Vays...). :^) A neighbor in my apartment complex recently moved into the apartment vacated by someone who apparently wasn't on very good terms with one of her creditors, namely Discover Card. Well, it happens that the new resident also has a Discover Card, so when he changed his address, they started making harassing phone calls to him, demanding to know where the former resident was. He's never met her, has no idea who or where she is, and has no connection to her at all, but Discover continues to call him every few days insisting that he must have some idea. This is, for one thing, part of the reason I never give my phone number to my credit card creditors. Linc Madison = linc@tongue1.berkeley.edu