newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu (Timothy Newsham) (02/21/91)
Someone posted a message to this newsgroup detailing the Personal 800 number they just got from MCI. In it he/she noted that one who calls his/her 800 number must enter a four digit code when he/she hears a tone after dialing the 800 number. My question: Does that mean that other people will have the same 800 number as you, and the call will be routed to the correct person depending on the four digit number they enter? Or is it a security measure to insure that the person who calls your 800 number is authorized to use it since only an authorized person will know the four digit code? And if a person calls your 800 number and enters the wrong code, are you charged for the connect time still? newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu [Moderator's Note: I know there will be corrections sent if I am wrong on this. Although MCI is promoting it as a way to insure that you only get calls from people you have authorized to call (by giving them the PIN) the actual circumstances appear to be that several subscribers share the same 800 number with the PIN being used to route the call accordingly. By promoting the story that 'the PIN is your security against unwanted calls' MCI seems to be saving face while operating a less than professional looking 800 service and skimping on the quantity of 800 numbers -- admittedly soon to be in short supply -- that they hand out. One problem with their system is that unlike a more common 800 number, callers from rotary dial phones have no way to insert the PIN. I don't know how they get through, or if they do. I much prefer having a regular 800 number -- albiet with no line termination; Telecom*USA's switch just accepts the call DID-style and outdials to my home phone number on the 'distinctive-ring' number -- and taking my chances with calls coming through I did not authorize. And yes, with any style of 800 number you pay for the calls whether you wanted them or not. PAT]
wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) (02/23/91)
In article <telecom11.141.9@eecs.nwu.edu> newsham@wiliki.eng. hawaii.edu (Timothy Newsham) writes: > My question: Does that mean that other people will have the same 800 > number as you, and the call will be routed to the correct person > depending on the four digit number they enter? I think that you are talking about the posting I made ... in one of my past postings I said that a MCI representative said there will be about 3000 PIN's per 800 number. [Pat wrote:] > more common 800 number, callers from rotary dial phones have no way to > insert the PIN. I don't know how they get through, or if they do. I If a PIN is not dialed in quickly enough a MCI/Telecom*USA operator will ask for the PIN (or if a incorrect one is dialed he/she will ask for the whole 800 number and PIN). Bill [Moderator's Note: I wonder if these numbers are virtually nobn-blockable or if there is some point at which if enough people (among the 3000 possible per number) are calling the number it will return a busy signal, leaving your caller to ask later 'why was your line busy?' (when in fact you had not been talking.)